Forklift pedestrian safety systems without the subscription
AI vision systems that detect pedestrians around forklifts in real time, installed and owned by you.
No per-camera fees. No cloud lock-in. Configured for how your site actually runs.
What is a forklift pedestrian safety system?
A forklift pedestrian safety system uses cameras and AI to spot when a person enters a danger zone around a moving forklift, then warns the driver, the pedestrian, or both, before the two ever meet.
The risk is well understood. Forklifts and people share the same floor space in most manufacturing and warehouse sites, and the moment they cross paths is the moment an incident happens. Lines of sight are blocked by racking and loads. Blind corners hide people. Reversing manoeuvres happen dozens of times an hour.
A pedestrian detection system watches those interaction points continuously and reacts faster than a person can. When someone steps into a protected zone, the system triggers an output you’ve chosen; such as a beacon, an audible alarm, a traffic light or a barrier, and the danger is flagged in real time. (See exactly how the detection works)
Rather than simply recording footage for review after an incident, it works actively to prevent the incident in the first place.
How forklift detection systems protect your workforce
The protection comes from three things working together: seeing the hazard, understanding it, and responding to it.
Seeing it
Cameras are positioned to cover the specific areas where vehicles and pedestrians interact, such as junctions, doorways, pedestrian walkways, loading bays and blind corners.
Understanding it
The AI distinguishes a person from a forklift, a pallet, or other moving objects. It only reacts to what matters, so the right alert fires at the right moment.
Responding to it
When a pedestrian enters a protected zone, the system activates the outputs you’ve configured, warning the people involved or controlling the environment directly.
This adds a safety layer that does not get tired or look away, it works the same on a Friday afternoon as it does on a Monday morning.
AI vision detection vs traditional safety measures
Painted walkways, barriers, mirrors and signage all have their place, but they are passive. They rely on people following the rules every time, and they can’t react when someone doesn’t.
AI vision detection adds an active layer on top of your existing controls:
| Traditional measures | AI vision detection | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Static markings, physical barriers, driver awareness | Cameras detect people in real time and trigger a response |
| Reacts to a near-miss? | No | Yes, immediately |
| Adapts to layout changes | Repainting, rebuilding | Reconfigure detection zones in software |
| Provides data | None | Records and reports interactions |
The strongest sites use both. Physical segregation keeps people and vehicles apart where possible; AI detection covers the points where they unavoidably meet.
AI vision detection vs traditional safety measures
Painted walkways, barriers, mirrors and signage all have their place, but they are passive. They rely on people following the rules every time, and they can’t react when someone doesn’t.
AI vision detection adds an active layer on top of your existing controls:
| Traditional measures | AI vision detection | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Static markings, physical barriers, driver awareness | Cameras detect people in real time and trigger a response |
| Reacts to a near-miss? | No | Yes, immediately |
| Adapts to layout changes | Repainting, rebuilding | Reconfigure detection zones in software |
| Provides data | None | Records and reports interactions |
The strongest sites use both. Physical segregation keeps people and vehicles apart where possible; AI detection covers the points where they unavoidably meet.
Key components: cameras, detection zones and output devices
Cameras
Enterprise-grade cameras (we primarily use Axis Communications) positioned to cover your specific risk areas. Number and placement are determined by your layout, not a one-size fits all solution.
Detection zones
These are software-defined areas that the system actively monitors. A zone might cover a blind corner, a pedestrian crossing point, or the swept path of a reversing truck. Zones are adjusted in software, so they move with your operation rather than tying you to a fixed layout.
Output devices
This is what happens when a pedestrian is detected. The most common setups are warning beacons and audible alarms, followed by traffic lights, barriers, and integration with existing safety systems. You choose the response that fits each area.
Installed and owned, not subscribed
Most AI safety platforms on the market run on a subscription. You pay per camera, per user, or per month, indefinitely, and the processing happens in someone else’s cloud.
We do it differently. Your forklift pedestrian safety system is installed on site, video is processed on site, and is owned by you. That means:
- Lower long-term cost of ownership. No recurring per-camera or per-user fees stacking up year after year.
- Greater control and security. Your footage and data are processed on your infrastructure, not sent to an external cloud.
- The system keeps working whether or not your internet connection does.
There are cases where a subscription suits a business better, such as requiring minimal upfront spend or a short-term, temporary deployment. But for a permanent installation on a site you’ll run for years, ownership almost always wins on cost and control.
Read the full comparison: Installed vs Subscription forklift safety systems
Want to know where your site is most at risk?
We’ll survey your floor and pinpoint the junctions, blind corners and crossing points where a forklift pedestrian safety system would matter most.
Forklift safety and HSE compliance
UK workplaces have a clear duty to manage the risk of vehicles and pedestrians coming into contact. HSE guidance on workplace transport centres on segregating the two wherever reasonably practicable and controlling the risk where they must share space.
A pedestrian detection system supports that duty in two ways. It actively reduces the risk at the points where vehicles and people interact, and it helps you demonstrate that reasonable steps have been taken to identify and mitigate workplace transport risks, which is a key part of showing your controls are adequate.
It works alongside safe systems of work, driver training and physical segregation, acting as the active control that backs them up where those measures reach their limit.
How Remark Group installs forklift safety systems
Site survey
We assess your layout, traffic flows, risk areas, lighting, mounting positions and network, then identify exactly where detection delivers the most value.
System design
We design the camera positions, detection zones and outputs specifically around your facility, not from a template.
Installation
Our certified electrical engineers install and commission the system, then calibrate and test it so it performs reliably in your environment.
Configuration
Detection zones, alert logic, schedules and outputs are tuned to your facility, and can be adjusted whenever your operation changes.
Ongoing support (optional)
Support and maintenance agreements are available but not mandatory. They can cover system health checks, software updates, configuration changes, performance reviews and remote troubleshooting.
Where it works
The system suits most indoor industrial environments, including manufacturing floors, warehouses, distribution centres and loading bays. We install and support forklift pedestrian safety systems across the Midlands and beyond.
Extremely harsh conditions, such as heavy dust, steam, smoke or consistently poor visibility, may call for additional design considerations or alternative sensor technologies. That’s exactly what the site survey is for: we’ll tell you honestly whether vision-based detection is right for your environment, or whether a different approach would serve you better.
More manufacturing businesses are starting to be proactive by reducing risk, strengthening safety culture and demonstrating compliance before an incident forces the issue. The most common hesitation is cost versus perceived risk, usually because the true financial, operational and reputational cost of a vehicle-pedestrian incident hasn’t yet been put into numbers.
Still comparing providers? Read our buyer's guide to choosing a forklift safety system for the features to evaluate, questions to ask, and mistakes to avoid.
Book a forklift safety assessment
We’ll survey your site, identify your highest-risk interaction points, and show you exactly where pedestrian detection would make a difference, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
A forklift pedestrian safety system uses cameras and AI to detect when a person enters a danger zone around a moving forklift, then triggers a warning, such as a beacon, alarm or barrier, before a collision can happen. Unlike standard CCTV, it works in real time to prevent incidents rather than record them.
Cameras cover the points where forklifts and people interact. The AI identifies a person separately from a forklift or other objects, and when someone enters a protected detection zone it activates the configured output, warning the driver, the pedestrian, or controlling the environment directly.
Not with Remark Group. Our systems are installed on site, processed on site, and owned outright by you, with no per-camera or per-user subscription fees. Ongoing support and maintenance is available but optional.
They suit most indoor industrial environments, including manufacturing floors, warehouses, distribution centres and loading bays. Extremely harsh conditions, such as heavy dust, steam, smoke or consistently poor visibility, may need additional design considerations, which a site survey identifies.
Yes. They support the duty to manage workplace transport risk by actively reducing vehicle-pedestrian interaction risk and helping demonstrate that reasonable steps have been taken to identify and mitigate it. They complement, rather than replace, safe systems of work, driver training and physical segregation.
No, our AI vision detection system can detect a wide variety of hazards and trigger a warning system before an incident occurs. The hazard can be almost anything you can perceive within your workplace. If you have a specific hazard you’d like to address, book a site assessment with our team.
Have more questions? See our forklift safety systems FAQ for 15 more answers on cost, installation, accuracy and support.