Many Accidents Involving Forklift Trucks Every Year

Forklifts are one of the most common causes of fatal accidents in the workplace according to the Dutch Association of Safety Engineers (NVVK — Nederlandse Vereniging voor Veiligheidskunde), a knowledge platform for experts in the field of safety.

Accidents involving forklifts can often result in a fatalities, hospitalization or permanent injury. About a third of the accidents involve a collision. It may also be the case that bystanders get trapped between the truck and a wall, or that the load falls on someone.

Poor Visibility
The cause of accidents is often poor visibility, according to Vincent Meier from the NVVK. "I occasionally record videos from on board forklifts to show just how little drivers can actually see. It's truly shocking," says Meier. "And if the forklift truck is carrying a load, the front view is completely blocked. There are a lot of blind spots."

Optimum Visibility
To provide visibility around reach trucks, counterbalance trucks, sideloaders and narrow-aisle trucks, Orlaco has developed a variety of camera systems. The front-view camera system provides the driver with a direct view of the floor in front of the truck, revealing dead spots and obstacles and thereby helping to prevent accidents.

With an Orlaco rear-view camera, the driver can also gain a better view of the working area to the rear of the truck and drive more safely when reversing. The camera makes it easy to avoid damage to the forklift, the warehouse and goods. The monitor in the cab switches automatically to the rear view when reverse gear is engaged.