AI Forklift Safety System: Collision Detection & Pedestrian Protection

Why Forklift Safety Is a Critical Priority

Forklifts are involved in approximately 85 fatal workplace incidents per year in the USA alone, and nearly 35,000 serious injuries. Forklift-pedestrian collisions are the #1 cause of forklift fatalities — and the vast majority are preventable.

Traditional forklift safety measures — painted pedestrian lanes, speed limits, mirrors, and training — reduce risk but cannot eliminate it. Human error, poor visibility, distraction, and blind spots mean incidents continue to occur even in organisations with established safety programmes.

How SAFVR's Forklift Safety AI Works

1. Computer vision cameras are installed to cover forklift operating paths, intersections, and pedestrian crossing points
2. The AI detects both the forklift and any pedestrians in the frame simultaneously
3. When a pedestrian enters a forklift operating zone, the system calculates proximity and trajectory
4. If a collision risk is detected, instant alerts are triggered — visual alarms, audio alarms, and digital alerts to supervisors
5. All near-miss events and zone violations are logged with video evidence

Forklift Safety Features

• Zone intrusion alerts: Real-time pedestrian detection in forklift zones
• Speed monitoring: Forklift speed monitoring — alert when forklift exceeds speed limits in pedestrian areas
• Blind spot coverage: Blind spot coverage — cameras cover corners and intersections where mirrors fail
• Near-miss logging: Near-miss logging — automatic incident reports for every detected near-miss
• Heatmaps: Heatmap analytics — identify high-risk zones and times for targeted intervention
• CCTV integration: Integration with existing CCTV infrastructure — no new cameras required in many sites

Forklift Collision Avoidance: AI vs Traditional Methods