Forklifts play a pivotal role in many industries, from warehouse and distribution to retail restocking and construction. 

Being used both indoors and outdoors, they pose a potential danger to both the operator and those close by, which is why they need to be used carefully. 

According to the British Safety Council, 1,300 people experience a forklift-related accident in the UK a year, with a huge proportion of these incidents affecting people around the machinery, not those handling it. 

A Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) report into forklift truck accidents revealed that 43 per cent of accidents involving forklifts happened to a third person. Of this figure, nearly two-thirds were doing unrelated tasks, one-fifth were colleagues, and 15 per cent were delivery drivers.

That is why pedestrian awareness cameras could be a very useful addition to forklifts. These would be able to identify pedestrians within a certain perimeter and alert the truck operator of their whereabouts. 

When a person is detected, an alarm could ring and a light would turn on, which would indicate where the pedestrian is, so the driver knows where they should avoid. 

It could even automatically slow down the vehicle, which would not only reduce the risk of accident to the person nearby, but also get the attention of the operator, so they can take appropriate action, such as stopping the machinery, slowing down, or steering away from them. 

Though most forklifts do not currently have pedestrian awareness cameras, this technology could certainly help with industry safety. 

Other precautions that site managers could take to reduce the risk of an accident include segregating trucks and pedestrians with barriers or traffic routes; fitting adequate lighting or blind corner mirrors; scheduling shifts to ensure fewer people are nearby; providing high-visibility clothing to pedestrians; and installing clear signage. 

It is also essential to provide sufficient training and refresher sessions to workers, so they know how to use their machinery safely and in their specific working environment.