Sound safety and electric forklifts
10 July 2023
Travis Perkins has partnered with the specialist acoustics testing team at the University of Salford to conduct an evidence-based study into the development of electric forklift truck sound alerts.
The initiative follows concern about the quietness of an electric forklift compared against a traditional diesel engine version, and the potential safety risk this could pose, and comes after TP’s announcement earlier this year that it is accelerating its Science Based Targets Initiative-approved decarbonisation plan.
The builders’ merchant aims to swap out up to 1,100 diesel forklift trucks with electric variants to reduce its Scope 1 carbon emissions by up to 6,600 tonnes per annum.
Similar to the warning sounds that have been incorporated into some electric vehicles to alert pedestrians and other vulnerable road users of their presence, TP and the university’s Acoustic Centre for Excellence will work together to develop a system for forward-moving forklifts.
Richard Byrne, HSE & Fleet Director at TP, said: “There should always be a safe distance between people and working machinery, but exclusion zones work best if people are alerted as they approach any high-risk areas.
“Given the pioneering nature of this decarbonisation project, research is required to ensure we develop alerts that work well as effective warning systems for both our operators, and the colleagues and customers who may come into contact with our exclusion zones.”
With support from Briggs Equipment, TP’s forklift provider, the project will involve machine operators and colleagues from Travis Perkins and its BSS heating and ventilation and CCF insulation materials businesses.
Researchers will use virtual reality (VR) technology alongside measurements from an anechoic chamber to assess the most effective warning sound., balancing detectability and operator acceptability.
TP states that when the findings are available later this year, there is potential for them to be shared with the industry to promote best practice, and for the electric forklift truck sound alerts to be applied as a new standard nationally and internationally.
