Hit-Not Proximity Detection

If you're evaluating proximity detection for your facility, the hardest part usually isn't finding vendors. It's knowing what to actually ask them.

Every system on the market claims to protect workers. The real differentiators exist in how each technology performs under the specific conditions of your facility, not in a controlled demo.

Before you make a decision, get clear answers to these questions:

How does the system detect?
Does it use cameras, RF, UWB, magnetic pulse, radar, or something else? Each technology has different performance characteristics in obstructed or challenging environments. Understanding the method tells you where the system will perform well and where it may have limitations.

What happens when the path between the equipment and the pedestrian is obstructed?
Racks, loads, walls, and blind corners are everyday realities in most facilities. Ask specifically how the system behaves when there's something in the way, not just in open-floor conditions.

Who gets alerted, and how?
Does the alert reach the operator, the pedestrian, or both? What form does that alert take — visual, audible, haptic? How much reaction time does it realistically provide at typical operating speeds?

What are the environmental limitations?
Ask about performance in the specific conditions of your facility: metal infrastructure, dust, variable lighting, temperature swings, or high-noise environments. Every technology has a profile of where it works best.

What does the wearable or tag dependency look like?
If the system requires pedestrians to carry or wear a device, what happens if a device isn't charged, isn't worn, or fails? Is there any indication that protection is compromised?

What does implementation actually look like?
How long does installation take? What disruption should you expect? What training is required for operators and pedestrians?

What does support look like after installation?
Who do you contact when something needs attention? What are typical response times? Are replacement parts and technical support readily available?

Honest answers to these questions will tell you more about a system than any demo will.

hitnot.com/why-choose-hit-not

When a forklift incident happens, the OSHA fine is usually the number that gets reported. It's not the biggest number.

Here's what the full accounting actually looks like:

- Workers' compensation claim
- Medical costs (short and long-term)
- Lost productivity during investigation and facility review
- Equipment damage and repair
- Legal exposure if negligence is established
- OSHA citation and penalty
- Increased insurance premiums
- Morale impact on the floor crew
- Management time consumed by investigation and documentation

The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index estimates the direct and indirect costs of serious workplace injuries at well over $1,000 per hour of lost productivity, and that's before litigation.

No proximity detection system costs more than one serious incident.

The math isn't complicated. The decision to invest in proper safety shouldn't be either.

OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 covers powered industrial trucks. It addresses speed, load limits, travel paths, and operator training.

What it doesn't do is tell you exactly what detection technology to deploy, or require you to deploy any.

That gap is both a problem and an opportunity.

It means facilities have flexibility in how they implement protection. It also means the absence of a specific mandate can create false confidence, like the idea that compliance equals bulletproof safety.

In reality, it doesn't.

The facilities that have moved beyond the standard to implement active detection technology aren't doing it for the regulator. They're doing it because the regulator's floor is not the same as their acceptable risk level.

Know the standard. Then decide where your facility wants to be above it.

A forklift operator carrying a full pallet load has no forward visibility below the load.

The load itself is the blind spot.

A pedestrian walking across the travel path can often be completely invisible to the operator. And to some RF-based detection systems that rely on a clear path to the pedestrian-worn device.

HIT-NOT's magnetic pulse field doesn't project from a camera or antenna. It radiates from the vehicle in all directions and passes through the load itself.

We've tested this scenario over and over, and every time:
- Detection triggered.
- Alert issued.
- Both operators and pedestrians notified.

Want to see the technology for yourself?

https://youtu.be/QvxmoDxYAJI