Workplace Transport and Pedestrian Safety in Ports & Terminals

Health and Safety in Ports and Terminals – The Dangers

In the constant motion of UK ports and terminals, forklifts and other vehicles are integral, facilitating over 6 million vehicle movements and 500 million tons of freight annually. Despite robust traffic risk management efforts, the nature of operations means pedestrians and vehicles frequently interact, presenting a persistent and unavoidable risk.

Visibility is often obstructed by heavy loads and obstacles, directly impacting driver awareness. This creates dangerous blind spots, significantly increasing risk of collision, which lead to fatal and severe injuries.

The consequences are clear in national data:

• Within the Transportation and Storage sector, being struck by a moving vehicle remains the primary cause of fatal injuries, responsible for 32% of deaths in this industry.

Given these challenges and statistics, it’s critical to implement robust and proactive measures to ensure health and safety in ports.

Our ZoneSafe pedestrian detection system significantly reduce collision risks between pedestrian workers and vehicles like forklifts and HGVs.

We’re proud to protect workers in the Ports and Terminal sectors, delivering tried-and-tested proximity warning systems that promotes a ‘Zero-harm’ culture. Find out what our customers in our case study videos.

*These provisional figures will be finalised in July 2025. This allows HSE to account for any necessary adjustments or late reports that may come in.

Manoeuvring Blind Spots Safely With 360° Detection

Keeping your workforce safe on busy worksites operating heavy plant machinery is no easy task. Vehicle blind spots, concealed entrances, blind corners, obstructions and unexpected behaviours all increase the risk of a pedestrian being hit by a moving vehicle.

Unlike other solutions available on the market, such as an AI camera system, Zonesafe’s pedestrian detection system does not rely on line of sight, and it will detect pedestrian workers (even when they can’t be seen!) from behind walls, racking, and pallets, thanks to its clever use of RFID technology.

ZoneSafe proximity warning systems work by fitting an antenna to the vehicle. This creates a 360-degree detection zone around the vehicle, helping to eliminate vehicle blind spots. Pedestrian workers wear a ZoneSafe tag, which the antenna detects every time the pedestrian (and tag) enters the detection zone. Once detected, the in-cab control unit warns the driver via an audible and visual alarm, and the tag worn by the pedestrian vibrates, alerting the pedestrian to the danger of the approaching vehicle.

Discuss Health and Safety in Ports