September 6, 2024 — In high-risk workplaces, such as those involving forklifts operating near pedestrians, safety managers face a major blind spot: insufficient near-miss data. While forklifts cause approximately 85 fatalities and 34,900 serious injuries annually in the U.S., near misses often go unreported, leaving a critical gap in safety programs.
The Challenge of Self-Reporting
Traditional self-reporting methods for near misses—through paper forms or incentivized programs—are prone to underreporting, especially in stressful environments. For example, a forklift nearly hitting a pedestrian may go unreported due to fear of consequences, missing vital data to improve safety procedures. Without comprehensive near-miss data, it’s difficult to fully assess the risks your employees face.
Measuring What Matters in Forklift-Pedestrian Safety
Accurate near-miss data is a key performance indicator for workplace safety. Tracking these events can help assess the effectiveness of safety measures, particularly around forklifts and pedestrians. An increase or decrease in near misses is a strong indicator of the success or failure of safety initiatives.
SEEN Safety: Bridging the Gap with Objective Near Miss Detection
SEEN Safety’s IRIS 860 sensor system revolutionizes near-miss data collection by detecting pedestrian-machine interactions in real time, using high-visibility PPE to track movements in high-risk zones. The data is uploaded to the SEEN Insight platform, where AI categorizes each detection, providing image and video evidence for event reconstruction and root cause analysis.
Key features include:
- Advanced Sensor Technology: Detects retroreflective tape on high-visibility PPE worn by pedestrians in critical zones, such as behind reversing forklifts.
- AI-Assisted Categorization: Classifies near-miss data for review.
- Video Evidence: Time-stamped footage allows for accurate event analysis.
- Real-Time Alerts: Immediate notifications for serious near misses.
The Power of Comprehensive Data
Using SEEN Insight, safety managers can analyze trends, identify high-risk zones, and implement targeted solutions. Customers have pinpointed unsafe interactions, improved training, and identified gaps in self-reported data to enhance overall safety.
Meeting Regulatory Demands and Reducing Costs
With increased regulatory scrutiny and hefty fines for violations, SEEN offers an affordable, data-driven solution to reduce risks and create a proactive safety culture. By adopting SEEN’s technology, companies can move from reactive to preventative safety management, potentially saving lives and reducing costs.
Ready for the Future of Safety?
Don’t rely solely on incomplete self-reported data. Embrace SEEN Safety’s AI-enabled system to improve forklift-pedestrian safety and request a demo today. Your employees—and your bottom line—will thank you.