Driverless Forklifts and Safety Standards in Industrial Settings

In industrial environments, where heavy loads and human-machine interaction are common, driverless forklifts must adhere to strict safety standards to prevent accidents. Understanding these regulations and how they integrate with automated systems is critical for safe, compliant operations.

Global Safety Standards: A Framework for Compliance

Driverless forklifts are governed by international and regional standards designed to mitigate risks:

• ISO 3691-4: The global benchmark for industrial trucks, this standard specifies safety requirements for driverless forklifts, including emergency stop functions, obstacle      detection, and system reliability. It mandates that automated systems must “fail safe”- shutting down gracefully if a component malfunctions.
• ANSI/ITSDF B56.5: Guidelines for the safe operation of driverless forklifts, including the use of laser scanners or 3D cameras for obstacle detection.
• CE Marking (EU): Ensures compliance with machinery directives, emphasizing risk assessment for dynamic environments like busy warehouses, where forklifts interact with pedestrians and manual equipment. To meet the regulatory requirements of the European market, AiTEN has undergone strict audits and obtained the EU CE certificate for      AGV products, including MP10s, AM1516, AE15, AS15 and other products.

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Key Safety Features in Driverless Forklifts

To meet these standards, modern driverless forklifts integrate layered safety technologies:

• Real-Time Obstacle Detection: Equipped with laser radar and sensors, they detect obstacles in real time, reducing accidents by up to 90%.

• Manual Override: Emergency stop buttons and remote control capabilities allow human operators to take over instantly.

Safety Implementation Best Practices

Beyond equipment features, safe deployment requires:

• ‍Site-Specific Risk Assessment: Map high-traffic areas and blind spots to adjust sensor sensitivity (e.g., reducing speed near loading docks).‍
• Staff Training: Teach workers to recognize forklift signals (e.g., flashing lights for approach) and avoid sudden movements in automated zones.
• Regular Audits: Test emergency stops monthly and validate compliance with ISO/ANSI standards annually, updating software as new risks emerge.

Conclusión

Adhering to safety standards isn’t just regulatory—it boosts operational efficiency. Compliant driverless forklifts reduce accident-related downtime and lower insurance costs, while building trust among workers and clients.

For businesses adopting driverless forklifts, prioritizing standards ensures automation enhances, rather than compromises, workplace safety.

As a company specialising in intelligent logistics solutions, AiTEN Robotics has consistently focused on the ‘smart factory’ scenario, deeply integrating technological innovation with industry needs. It has provided comprehensive services to over 200 manufacturing clients worldwide: Leveraging a full range of material handling robot product portfolios to cover diverse material handling scenarios, we have developed an industry-grade intelligent scheduling system to enable efficient collaboration among multiple devices. Through a comprehensive lifecycle service system spanning pre-sales planning, deployment and implementation to operations optimisation, we empower enterprises to achieve logistics intelligence transformation, continuously driving the digital upgrading and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry.

Contact us to explore an automated factory with full safety values.