UWB (ultra-wideband) improves forklift safety by measuring the distance between tags on people and units on trucks precisely, without always needing a clear line of sight. Because ranging still works when the direct path is partly blocked, for example by a rack end at a blind corner, though with lower precision, and dense metal or concrete can block it, warnings can fire where neither the driver nor a camera can see. Precise ranging lets sites set tight warning zones, limiting false alerts. The same hardware can support truck-to-truck alerts, zone speed limits on compatible forklifts, and real-time location. UWB only protects people who wear a working tag.
The full guide is Forklift proximity detection technologies compared, which sets UWB against RFID, camera vision, radar and LiDAR. Check tag battery life and charging routines, how the system confirms a tag is working at shift start, and how warning distances are set for each truck type.
The main gap is untagged people: visitors, contractors and staff who forget a tag. Sites with many of them pair UWB with camera-based detection. NIOSH research on proximity detection for mining machines, which mostly uses magnetic-field systems rather than UWB, shows how warning zones and nuisance alarms affect whether operators trust a system. See Forklift proximity detection systems.