Glossary | Forklift Safety Data

A

AI safety assistant: An AI safety assistant is software that uses a language model to help safety teams search, summarise and draft from their own data, such as incident records, monitoring events, procedures and inspection results.
AI video analytics: AI video analytics applies computer vision to fixed or vehicle-mounted camera feeds to flag safety events automatically, such as near misses, pedestrians in vehicle-only areas or missing PPE.
Alarm fatigue: Alarm fatigue is the loss of attention and trust that sets in when operators or pedestrians receive so many alerts, many of them unnecessary, that they start ignoring, muting or bypassing them.
Alert latency: Alert latency is the time between a hazard occurring, such as a person entering a forklift's detection zone, and the safety system delivering a warning or slowing the truck.
ANSI/ITSDF B56.1: ANSI/ITSDF B56.1 is the US voluntary consensus safety standard for low lift and high lift trucks, covering design and construction requirements for manufacturers and safe operation and maintenance practices for users.
Automated guided vehicle (AGV): An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a driverless industrial truck that moves loads along defined routes using guidance such as markers, magnetic tape or laser navigation; an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) plans its own path.

B

Backup alarm: A backup alarm is an audible device on a forklift that sounds automatically when the truck is in reverse, warning people behind it that the vehicle is moving toward them.
Behavior-based safety (BBS): Behavior-based safety (BBS) is a method in which trained observers watch work, record safe and at-risk behaviors, and give feedback to reduce the at-risk behaviors that lead to incidents.
Blind spot: A forklift blind spot is any area around the truck that the seated or standing driver cannot see directly, created by the mast, overhead guard posts, the counterweight, the load or the building.
Blue light: A forklift blue light is a lamp that projects a bright blue spot onto the floor ahead of or behind a moving truck, to warn pedestrians that a forklift is approaching before it comes into view.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE): Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a low-power version of Bluetooth used for beacons and tags that report presence and approximate location, typically by measuring received signal strength rather than precise distance.

C

CAN bus: A CAN bus (controller area network) is the internal data network that lets a vehicle's controllers, such as traction, hydraulics and the display, exchange messages, and it is how add-on systems read or command many forklifts.
Collision avoidance system: A collision avoidance system detects a person or vehicle in a forklift's path and acts on the truck itself, by limiting speed or braking on compatible forklifts, rather than only warning the driver.
Computer vision: Computer vision is software that interprets camera images, using trained models to recognise objects such as people, forklifts, safety vests or hard hats and to locate them in the frame.
Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD): The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is the EU law requiring in-scope companies to publish assured sustainability information, including workforce health and safety data, under the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS).
Counterbalance forklift: A counterbalance forklift is a forklift that carries the load on forks ahead of the front wheels and offsets it with a heavy counterweight at the rear, with no outriggers or straddle legs.

D

Data plate: A forklift data plate, or nameplate, is the manufacturer's marking that states the truck's rated capacity at a given load center and lift height, its weight, its fire safety designation and other identifying details.
Detection zone: A detection zone is the configured area around a forklift, machine or fixed point in which a safety system reacts when a person or vehicle enters, often split into warning and stop or slowdown zones.
Dock leveler: A dock leveler is a hinged platform built into the dock edge that bridges the gap and height difference between the dock floor and a trailer bed, so a forklift can drive in and out.
Dock lock: A dock lock, or vehicle restraint, is a device at the dock face that engages a trailer, usually by hooking its rear impact guard or blocking a wheel, to stop it moving away while forklifts load or unload it.
Dual-mode detection: Dual-mode detection combines tag-based radio ranging and camera-based tagless detection on the same forklift, so a person can be detected by their wearable tag, by the camera, or by both.

E

Edge AI: Edge AI runs a trained model on a device at the point of use, such as a computer mounted on the forklift, instead of sending data to a remote server or cloud for processing.
Emergency mustering: Emergency mustering is the process of gathering employees at assigned assembly points after an evacuation and accounting for everyone, so that responders know whether anyone is still inside.
EU Machinery Regulation 2023/1230: Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 is the EU law on machinery that replaces Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, setting health and safety requirements for machinery and safety components placed on the EU market, including industrial trucks.

F

Forklift operator certification: Forklift operator certification is the employer's written record that an operator has been trained and evaluated on the specific truck types and workplace conditions, as required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178(l).
Forklift telematics: Forklift telematics is a system of on-truck devices and software that records and transmits data about how each forklift is used, such as hours, operator, impacts, faults and checklist results.

G

GDPR and workplace video monitoring: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the EU law on personal data, and it applies to workplace video, location tags and AI analytics that identify or track employees at sites in the EU.
Geofencing: Geofencing draws virtual boundaries on a map of a facility so that a location system can trigger an action, such as a speed limit, an alert or a block, when a forklift or tagged person crosses one.

H

Hierarchy of controls: The hierarchy of controls is the NIOSH and OSHA ranking of hazard controls from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and personal protective equipment.

I

Impact sensor: An impact sensor is an accelerometer-based device on a forklift that detects a shock above a set threshold, records when and where it happened and which operator was logged in, and can trigger an alert or lockout.
Intersection warning system: An intersection warning system detects forklifts or pedestrians approaching a blind corner, aisle crossing or doorway and shows a light or sign to traffic on the other side.
Intralogistics: Intralogistics is the flow of materials inside a single site, such as receiving, storage, picking, transfer to production lines and shipping, carried out by forklifts, tuggers, conveyors, automated vehicles and people.
ISO 3691-4: ISO 3691-4 is the international safety standard for driverless industrial trucks and their systems, such as AGVs and load-carrying autonomous mobile robots, covering safety functions, personnel detection and operating zones.

L

Lagging indicator: A lagging indicator is a safety measure that counts harm after it has happened, such as recordable injuries, lost-time cases or fatalities, usually expressed as a rate per hours worked.
Leading indicator: A leading indicator is a safety measure that tracks activities or conditions before harm occurs, such as near-miss reports, inspection completion or speeding events, so that risk can be reduced before an injury.
LiDAR: LiDAR (light detection and ranging) measures distance by timing laser pulses reflected from surfaces, building a precise outline of objects around a vehicle or across a monitored area.
Load center: The load center is the horizontal distance from the vertical face of the forks to the load's center of gravity, the figure on which a forklift's rated capacity is based.
Loading dock safety system: A loading dock safety system is a set of equipment and controls that protect forklift drivers and pedestrians at dock doors, covering trailer restraint, dock edge protection, dock leveler interlocks, signal lights and detection.
Lockout/tagout (LOTO): Lockout/tagout (LOTO) is the OSHA-required procedure for isolating and locking or tagging energy sources so that equipment cannot start or release stored energy while people service or maintain it.
Lone worker: A lone worker is an employee who works out of sight or hearing of colleagues, so that help is not immediately available after an injury or sudden illness, such as a forklift operator alone on a night shift.

M

Machine zone safety system: A machine zone safety system detects when a person enters a defined danger area around a machine, such as a press, robot cell or conveyor transfer point, and warns or triggers a stop.
Man-down alarm: A man-down alarm is a function of a wearable or vehicle-mounted device that sends an automatic alert when it detects that a worker has fallen, stopped moving or tilted beyond a set angle.

N

Near miss: A near miss is an unplanned event in which a forklift, load or person came close to causing an injury or damage, but no one was hurt and nothing was damaged.
NFPA 505: NFPA 505 is the National Fire Protection Association standard for fire safety of powered industrial trucks, defining truck type designations and the areas, including hazardous locations, where each type may be used.

O

Operator access control: Operator access control is a system that lets a forklift start only for an authorized operator, using a badge, PIN or similar credential checked against the operator's training record and truck permissions.
Order picker: An order picker is an electric narrow-aisle truck in which the operator rides on a platform that rises with the forks, so items can be picked by hand from rack locations at height.
OSHA 1910.178: OSHA 1910.178 is the US federal standard for powered industrial trucks in general industry, setting requirements for truck design and designations, operator training and evaluation, safe operation, loading, inspection and maintenance.
OSHA General Duty Clause: The OSHA General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, requires every employer to keep its workplace free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

P

Pedestrian detection system: A pedestrian detection system senses people near a moving forklift, using wearable tags, cameras or other sensors, and warns the driver, the pedestrian or both before they come too close.
Pedestrian walkway: A pedestrian walkway is a marked or physically separated route that keeps people on foot apart from forklift and vehicle traffic inside a warehouse, plant or yard.
Potential serious injury or fatality (PSIF): A potential serious injury or fatality (PSIF) is an incident or near miss that did not cause a serious injury but could reasonably have done so under slightly different circumstances.
Powered industrial truck (PIT): A powered industrial truck (PIT) is OSHA's term for a mobile, power-propelled truck used to carry, push, pull, lift, stack or tier materials, including forklifts, motorized pallet trucks, order pickers and tow tractors.
Powered industrial vehicle (PIV): A powered industrial vehicle (PIV) is an informal umbrella term for motorized vehicles used in or around industrial sites, covering forklifts and other powered industrial trucks plus vehicles such as tuggers, carts and utility vehicles.
PPE detection: PPE detection is the use of computer vision to check automatically whether people in a camera's view are wearing required protective equipment, such as high-visibility vests, hard hats or safety shoes.
Pre-operation inspection: A pre-operation inspection is the check of a forklift's condition and safety devices made before it is used, at least daily, or after each shift where trucks run around the clock.
Proximity warning system: A proximity warning system detects when a person, vehicle or object comes within a set distance of a forklift and alerts the driver, the pedestrian or both, without taking control of the truck.

R

Radar detection: Radar detection uses reflected radio waves from a sensor on the forklift to sense objects in a zone around the truck and estimate their distance and movement, without tags or cameras.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID): Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses radio to read an identifier stored on a tag, either a passive tag powered by the reader's field or an active tag with its own battery.
Reach truck: A reach truck is a narrow-aisle electric forklift whose mast or forks extend forward between stabilizing outrigger legs, allowing it to place and retrieve loads at height in aisles too narrow for a counterbalance truck.
Real-time location system (RTLS): A real-time location system (RTLS) continuously calculates the position of tagged people, vehicles or assets inside a building, using fixed anchors and a radio such as ultra-wideband or Bluetooth Low Energy.
Real-time safety monitoring: Real-time safety monitoring is the continuous collection of data from cameras, wearable tags, vehicle sensors or telematics to detect unsafe conditions and behaviour as they happen, instead of relying on reports after the fact.
Red zone light: A red zone light projects a red line or arc onto the floor beside or around a forklift to mark a keep-out distance that pedestrians should not cross while the truck is working.
Retrofit: A retrofit is the installation of a safety or monitoring system on a forklift already in service, rather than buying a truck with the system fitted at the factory.

S

Serious injury or fatality (SIF): A serious injury or fatality (SIF) is a work-related injury that is fatal, life-threatening or life-altering, such as an amputation, a crush injury needing hospital admission, or a permanent disability.
SIF exposure: SIF exposure is the frequency and duration with which people are within reach of a hazard that could cause a serious injury or fatality, such as a moving forklift or a raised load.
SIF precursor: A SIF precursor is a high-risk situation in which a control is missing, has failed or is not followed, so that a serious injury or fatality is likely if the situation continues.
SIF prevention maturity model: A SIF prevention maturity model is a staged framework describing how a site's approach to serious injuries progresses, from counting injuries after they occur to finding and controlling high-energy risks before they cause harm.
Speed limiter: A forklift speed limiter caps the truck's maximum travel speed, either as a fixed setting or dynamically by zone, load or detection event, on compatible forklifts that accept a speed-control command.
Speed zone: A speed zone is a defined area of a facility, such as a pedestrian crossing, dock or busy aisle, where forklifts must travel below a set speed, enforced by signs, training or automatic speed control.
Spotter: A spotter is a person assigned to guide a forklift operator by sight and hand signals when the operator's view is blocked, such as with a tall load, a tight maneuver or reversing in a crowded area.
Struck-by incident: A struck-by incident is an event in which a person is hit by a moving object, vehicle or piece of equipment, such as a forklift, its load, or material falling from a rack or the forks.

T

Tagless detection: Tagless detection identifies people near a forklift without requiring them to wear anything, usually through cameras running computer vision models that classify a shape in the image as a person.
Tip-over: A tip-over is an event in which a forklift loses stability and overturns, sideways or forward, often trapping or crushing the operator or people nearby.
Traffic management plan: A traffic management plan is a written site plan that sets how forklifts, other vehicles and pedestrians move through a facility, covering routes, crossings, speed limits, signage and rules for shared areas.

U

Ultra-wideband (UWB): Ultra-wideband (UWB) is a short-range radio technology that sends very short pulses across a wide band of frequencies, letting two devices measure the distance between them precisely by timing the signal.
Unsafe act: An unsafe act is an action or omission by a person that departs from a safe method and raises the chance of an incident, such as speeding, carrying a passenger or traveling with raised forks.

W

Wearable tag: A wearable tag is a small battery-powered radio device clipped to a worker's clothing, helmet or lanyard so that forklift-mounted units or fixed anchors can detect and range that person.
Wheel chock: A wheel chock is a wedge placed against a trailer or truck tyre to stop the vehicle rolling, used at loading docks so the trailer cannot move while a forklift drives in and out.