01 — Collision Prevention Engineering
Collision avoidance that intervenes — not just warns
A system that only beeps leaves the outcome to reaction time. IES collision avoidance detects the hazard, alerts both sides, and slows the truck automatically. Specified per zone, retrofitted to the fleet you already own.
1910.178
OSHA's forklift standard — engineering controls for documented hazards
80%
of forklift incidents involve a pedestrian — BLS & OSHA
Documented the hazard in a near-miss log or an audit? Then the clock is running — an installed intervention is the defensible record.
How it works
01
Detect — hazards identified early
A pedestrian in the travel path. Two forklifts converging on one intersection. A truck approaching a blind corner at speed.
02
Alert — both sides, simultaneously
Visual and audible alerts for the operator. Floor projections and tag vibration for the pedestrian.
03
Intervene — outcomes change automatically
The forklift slows to a safe speed, gate arms lower, and the event is logged with full data. No reaction time involved.
10 plants
forklift-safety systems installed — $4.32M paid
≈$176K
average Guardian facility program — delivered and paid
01 — Collision Prevention Engineering
OSHA 1910.178 compliance: the documented-hazard problem
OSHA's powered industrial truck standard, 1910. 178, does not name products — it requires employers to address known forklift hazards with feasible controls.
That is where compliance is won or lost. If a near-miss log, a safety audit, or an inspector's visit has documented a forklift-pedestrian hazard at your facility, the hazard is on paper, and an OSHA forklift citation can follow when documented awareness is not matched by an installed engineering control.
A system that detects the hazard, alerts both sides, and slows the truck automatically is both the protection and the compliance record — every event logged with forklift, zone, and timestamp, ready when an inspector asks what you did about the hazard you knew about.
Collision Avoidance Technologies, Compared Honestly
| Technology | How it detects | Tags required? | Through racking / blind corners | Intervenes (slows the truck)? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UWB (Guardian) | Ultra-wideband ranging between truck units and pedestrian tags | Yes — pedestrian tags | Yes — radio-based, no line of sight needed | Yes — automatic speed reduction | Mixed fleets, blind corners, high-traffic crossings |
| AI camera vision | Cameras classify people in the truck's field of view | No | No — needs line of sight | On some systems | Open areas with good lighting and clear sight lines |
| RFID fob detection | Truck readers detect wearable pedestrian fobs | Yes — pedestrian fobs | Partial — range-based, not positional | Yes, when integrated with speed management | Cost-effective fleet-wide detection |
| Radar | Radio reflection detects objects in a scan zone | No | Partial — detects objects, not people specifically | Rarely on its own | Outdoor yards, large equipment |
| Warning lights only | No detection — projects blue spot / red zone warnings | No | No | No — awareness only | Low-traffic areas as one layer, never the only layer |
02 — Deep Dive
Four crossings where collision avoidance earns its keep
Blind corner: detection ranges through the racking, the truck slows before the corner, a floor projection warns the pedestrian side. Four-way intersection: truck-to-truck and truck-to-pedestrian detection fire together — gate arms hold pedestrians, both trucks slow.
Dock door: bay indicators, detection, and speed zones manage the crossing as trucks cycle out of trailers. End of the aisle: zone speed management already has the truck at a safe speed when a picker steps out.
7 questions · about 2 minutes · instant risk score
Details
Citation exposure: the documented-hazard problem
If your near-miss log, your safety audits, or an OSHA visit has already documented a forklift-pedestrian hazard, the exposure is on paper — and 1910. 178 citations follow employers who document hazard awareness without installing available engineering controls.
An installed system that detects, alerts, and intervenes is the defensible record: every event logged with forklift, zone, and timestamp. The business case runs alongside it.
Direct incident costs — medical expenses, workers' compensation claims, property damage, OSHA investigation exposure, potential litigation — are the most visible. The operational disruption is often underestimated: the affected zone shuts down for investigation, productivity is lost during the OSHA review period, and management time goes to the incident for months.
Preventing one serious incident typically covers the installation. This is the control other plants already installed: IES forklift-safety systems are running across 10 plants — $4.
32M installed and paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Started
Ready to eliminate your blind spots?
How it works
Answer 7 quick questions about your facility and get an instant risk score with tailored recommendations.
- Evaluate your facility type, fleet size, and traffic patterns
- Instant risk score from 1–10
- Tailored engineering control recommendations
Takes about 2 minutes · No obligation
