A UWB blind spot system uses forklift-mounted units and wearable tags that measure distance by radio, so it detects people behind racking, walls, doors or a raised load, where mirrors and cameras cannot see. Detection covers all directions around the truck, including reverse travel. On detection the operator is alerted in the cab and the pedestrian's tag vibrates or sounds, and on compatible forklifts the truck can be slowed in stages as the person gets closer. Its limit is the tag: anyone not wearing one is invisible to it, which is why some sites add camera detection for visitors.
The full guide is forklift blind spots, which maps the areas an operator cannot see. NIOSH identifies pedestrians struck by forklifts among the recurring causes of forklift deaths, and restricted visibility is a common factor.
UWB is strongest where cameras struggle: blind corners, aisle ends, doorways and reverse travel. It is weaker where tag discipline is poor or where many visitors pass. During a pilot, test detection at each blind corner, including through stacked loads, and confirm whether alerts show direction so the operator knows where the person is. Fixed controls such as mirrors, barriers at aisle ends and floor marking still apply.