The ‘dead man’s switch’ — new solution from UniCarriers

The dead man’s switch is just a simple on/off button. It can only tell if it’s being pushed down, not who or what is pushing it down. Photo by UniCarriers Europe AB

The ‘dead man’s switch’, or ‘dead man’s pedal’ is a standard safety measure for many forklifts, but it hasn’t seen much innovation over the years.

These switches appear on lots of different vehicles and machines and are developed to stop the machine from operating if the driver isn’t in full control. In the case of a forklift, the dead man’s switch must be held down (usually with the foot) in order for the truck to operate. This makes sure that if the driver becomes incapacitated, isn’t in control of the truck, or even isn’t in it at all, it won’t be able to move.

It’s a smart and simple solution that has prevented countless accidents. But on trucks where the operator is standing, like some order pickers, it’s far from the perfect solution and can even introduce some new safety issues itself. Here’s one of many examples why:

It’s a tripping hazard

On order picking trucks, the switch is usually a pedal in the floor of the cabin. Naturally, it sticks out above the level of the floor slightly. It is common practice for operators to walk through the cabin while order picking rather than walking around the truck, this means stepping on or over the dead man switch. If you’re looking to reduce accidents and injuries in your warehouse, you should be removing all tripping hazards – but what is with those that are built into your trucks?

The dead man’s switch has become the industry-wide standard solution, but it has its issues. However, there is a better, different way. By swapping the switch for a floor sensor, which covers the floor of the order picker and detects the operator’s presence wherever they are standing, many of these problems disappear.

For example, there’s no switch to trip on, since the sensor is under the cabin floor. The driver’s movement isn’t limited because the sensor can tell he’s there regardless of where or how he stands in the truck. There’s no strain since only a natural standing position is required for the sensor to work. No floor openings mean nowhere for debris to enter the truck, and it’s much more difficult to trick than a small switch. This innovation from UniCarriers makes a big difference for order pickers, where safety and ergonomic benefits can really make a difference to the bottom line. To see how it works in practice, take a look at the EPM or EPH order pickers – the Driver Presence Sensor (DPS), our floor sensor solution, was nominated for the International Forklift of the Year (IFOY) award in 2017.

For more Information, please visit: blog.unicarrierseurope.com

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