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Workplace Transport and Pedestrian Safety:
Enhancing Health and Safety in Timber & Forestry Industries
ZoneSafe’s proactive proximity detection helps the effective management of health and safety in forestry by protecting at the people-plant interface.
What are the critical dangers to health and safety in forestry?
In timber and forestry, critical dangers to health and safety arise from constant movement of heavy machinery like harvesters and logging trucks, encountering various obstructions and creating significant collision risks, especially where pedestrians and vehicles share space. Limited visibility from machinery’s scale and heavy loads generates significant blind spots, severely compromising driver awareness.
According to RIDDOR data:
- 28% of deaths in agriculture, forestry and fishing industries classified as struck by moving vehicle.
This single, alarming statistic underscores just how critical effective safety measures are in high-risk environments like these. It’s why, under health and safety law, employers have a legal duty to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, their employees’ health, safety, and welfare.
Our pedestrian detection system actively boosts situational awareness and promotes safer practices on forestry and timber sites, effectively lowering the chance of collisions between vehicles and pedestrians,, thereby improving health and safety in forestry.
We’re proud to protect workers and health and safety in forestry and timber industries, delivering a tried-and-tested proximity warning system that promotes a ‘Zero-harm’ culture. Find out exactly what our customers say about ZoneSafe 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.
Sector Statistics up to 2023/2024*
%
Workers Who Incurred Non Fatal Injuries
x
Higher Fatality Rate Than Average Across Industries
%
Deaths Caused by Collision With Moving Vehicle
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How does ZoneSafe enhance health and safety in forestry?
ZoneSafe enhances health and safety in forestry by providing advanced proximity warning technology that eliminates vehicle blind spots and detects pedestrians without relying on line of sight, ensuring comprehensive protection and immediate alerts to prevent collisions.
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 trees, and stacks of logs, thanks to its clever use of RFID technology.
ZoneSafe’ed pedestrian detection works 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.
Multi-fleet vehicle applications:
Protecting pedestrians around essential forestry equipment
Safeguarding health and safety in forestry is achieved through multi-fleet vehicle applications that prioritise pedestrian protection around essential forestry equipment.
Shovel Loaders
Shovel loaders are a significant hazard to pedestrians. Large buckets, attachments, even the shape of the vehicle creates blindspots for the driver and increases the risk of collisions.
Excavators
Excavators feature a boom arm and grab attachment at the front of the vehicle creating driver blindspots. They also rotate 360 degrees. Both increase the risk of collisions.
Forklifts
Forklifts have many different blind spots thanks to the loads they carry, distorted view from the cab and shape of the vehicle. These significantly increase the risk of collisions.
Can ZoneSafe systems adapt to diverse forestry and timber environments?
ZoneSafe systems are specifically designed for high adaptability, ensuring effective health and safety in forestry across diverse layouts and operational areas.
While segregating moving vehicles and pedestrian workers is essential, this isn’t always possible in many situations on a timber and forestry site.
This is often due to dynamic operations and confined spaces, such as active harvesting areas with unpredictable movements, bustling timber stacking zones with heavy loads, or narrow forest tracks where visibility is often limited.
ZoneSafe bridges this safety gap by working effectively in environments where vehicle-pedestrian interaction is frequent and segregation is challenging, including:
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Saw milling
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Transportation
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Ground working
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Debogging
Activated Signage
Implementing ZoneSafe's vehicle-activated signage provides a practical solution to enhance onsite safety. Signs only flash when the vehicle is present, warning both site users and visitors located in the area to any approaching vehicles.
Site Access Control
Restricting site access to only your employees or anyone given a ZoneSafe tag reduces the risk of accidents. Only ZoneSafe tags open gates or barriers to a restricted area meaning they'll be detected and warned should they get too close to a moving vehicle.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Detection
Reduce the risk of accidents between moving vehicles with ZoneSafe vehicle detection anti-collision system. Fitting any type of vehicle, the system provides two configurable warning zones, an outer pre-warning (or early warning) zone and inner (close proximity) warning zone.
Data Management
My.ZoneSafe, is our cloud-based insight and data management platform, which records and displays event data (such as near miss occurrences) to inform Health and Safety managers of potential hazards and collision hotspots.
What are the benefits of using proximity warning systems for health and safety in forestry?
Implementing ZoneSafe proximity warning systems brings significant benefits to health and safety in forestry, leading to fewer accidents, improved compliance, and enhanced operational efficiency.
✔ Lower insurance costs due to fewer accidents.
✔ Increases safety during manual logging and clearing operations.
✔ Enhances chainsaw operations by detecting nearby workers.
✔ Prevents collisions between logging trucks and harvesters.
How has ZoneSafe improved health and safety in forestry for other organisations?
Hear from our customers: timber and forestry safety case studies
Leading UK sawmill, Charles Ransford & Son, implemented pedestrian detection systems on loading shovels.
“After Installing ZoneSafe, it greatly reduced the risk on-site. ZoneSafe has proven to be reassuring to the employees. It’s a sound investment and something others should look into, especially if involved in transport and logistics.”
Other projects we’ve delivered
Virginia Hayward,
Warehousing & Logistics
Warehousing & Logistics
Virginia Hayward has reported a dramatic reduction in the number of near misses and accidents since the implementation of ZoneSafe.
Gray Forklift Services,
Forklift Truck Supplier
Forklift Truck Supplier
Gray Forklift Services Ltd selected ZoneSafe to manage their fleet of trucks and health and safety needs.
SAAM Ports,
Cargo Support Services
Cargo Support Services
SAAM carried out an evaluation project to find a solution to protect personnel and assets from vehicle collisions within their ports.
Liberty Steel,
Steel Manufacturer
Steel Manufacturer
Liberty Steel implemented a safety and asset protection system designed to stop cranes from colliding.
See how ZoneSafe can provide a solution for you Get in touch