Safety in automated intralogistics: how can I protect my employees from harm?

In principle, automation raises warehouse safety. But you have to consider all eventualities, especially when people are present. They are often moving around in an environment where there is poor visibility and obstacles in the line of sight. So trucks or people can easily be missed. It comes as no surprise, then, that demand is rising for automated systems, there is also a growing call for safety mechanisms.

Digital support

So how can you best govern the interaction of man and machine in an automated warehouse? “Truck navigation systems plan and optimize the routes taken by all forklifts. And they identify the position of all objects within the warehouse building. This greatly lowers the risk of collisions, minimizing personal injuries and damage to goods and equipment,” explains Frank Heptner, Senior Director Sales & Realisation Automation and Intralogistics at Linde Material Handling.

It is also possible to retrofit sensors to many vehicles, allowing an automatic reduction in speed where there is potential danger, for example in zones that have been defined as hazardous.

It is also possible to retrofit other systems, literally at the highest level:

Electrical drives can be fitted to trucks with masts that extend to great heights to provide greater stability, reducing mast oscillation and making the vehicle safer,

states Heptner.

Special warning systems for narrow aisles and blind junctions, and rear-facing spotlights for better identification of approaching objects, raise safety in storage and production facilities.

Protection not just for people but processes, too

“A major challenge with digital transformation is IT reliability and data security,”

continues Heptner. Because automated systems that are not fully reliable or secure can quickly prove costly.

Vulnerabilities can not only pose a threat to employees but can also cause expensive downtime, with the possibly of prolonged interruptions to ongoing operations in a worst-case scenario. The best protection is to employ proven security technology and to have a carefully planned, comprehensive IT security strategy in place.

 


 

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