Managing close-working in high-traffic warehouse environments
TRS Tyres Ltd inspect, repair and sell commercial truck tyres to support the supply and distribution of goods and raw materials throughout the UK.
TRS technicians work alongside transportation companies to extend the life of their fleet’s tyres, while lowering operating costs and achieving sustainability goals.
With over 400,000 tyre casings managed each year, it’s no surprise that the TRS Tyres depo in Morecambe is a very dynamic operating environment.
Reactec travelled to Morecambe to catch-up with Site Manager, Joshua Rogerson, following the implementation of R-Link’s advanced proximity warning system to enhance forklift safety.
Joshua explained: “the challenge that we face is that our operations involve the constant movement of forklifts and pedestrian workers within a relatively confined space”.
“The frequent loading and unloading of truck tyres, as well as their subsequent inspection and storage, creates this dynamic environment where both forklifts and pedestrians are working within close proximity of each other”.
Forklifts and pedestrian close working are a common characteristic of warehouse operations nationwide. Overtime, pedestrian workers can become desensitised to the risks of daily forklift operations and many employers are augmenting traditional safety measures to protect their teams.

“The challenge that we face is that our operations involve the constant movement of forklifts and pedestrian workers within a relatively confined space”.
Augmenting traditional safe systems of work
When it comes to managing safe operations between forklifts and their technicians, TRS Tyres use a combination of safety measures, protocols and training programs.
“The safety of both our employees in the warehouse, and our clients on the road, will always be our number one priority,” said Joshua.
“We conduct regular safety training, installed physical barriers, such as bollards and guardrails, to separate pedestrian walkways from forklift operating zones, and also use a detailed traffic management plan to control the flow of forklifts and pedestrians”.
“Despite all these measures, the dynamic and high-traffic nature of our operations highlighted the need for us, to proactively, do more to further reduce the risk of accidents and enhance our overall site safety” added Joshua.
“This led to the introduction of Reactec’s proximity warning system; R-Link”.
R-Link Proximity Warning System
Reactec developed R-Link to manage multiple occupational health and safety risks on a single wearable device. The R-Link watch has the capability to alert the wearer when they are within dangerous proximity to moving vehicles, or unsafe areas, in real-time.
Reactec worked with its extensive customer-base to develop a proximity warning system with consideration to the realities of modern work sites. This includes warehouse and logistics environments where workers can switch roles between a driver of a vehicle and an ‘at risk’ pedestrian. R-Link enables a driver to pair to their vehicle’s exclusion zone, completely automatically, and recognises when they require protection as pedestrian, after exiting their forklift.
R-Link also has the capability to fully configure the range of an exclusion zone around a forklift, to cater for open-space truck loading zones, or the confined space of a warehouse.

How does it work?
Watch our video to learn how R-Link's proximity warning system can protect your teams from dangerous proximity to active forklift operations.Putting the wheels in motion:
“We initially conducted research on the major suppliers of proximity warning systems online, to find a solution which was fit-for-purpose” continued Joshua.
“We chose Reactec mainly because of the advanced functionality of their proximity warning system including how the risk data is recorded in the cloud-based Reactec Analytics software for review”.
“Driver watch credentials enable forklift operators to pair to their own vehicle and also grant pedestrians with access for authorised-close working, without recording false proximity alerts in the Analytics platform”.
“Training supervisors and I on how to interpret risk data in the Reactec Analytics was very beneficial. We can identify any high-risk operators, and target them with additional safety training, or review certain scenarios which could present potential site hazards”.
“Implementation was seamless, and our technicians found R-Link very straight-forward to use”.
“It may appear as if it could be complex to implement, but actually in reality, it was fairly simple”.
“This process was helped massively by Reactec’s Support Technician who visited our site to ensure the system was set-up correctly” added Joshua.

"R-Link truly excels in situations where a driver or pedestrian receive a real-time proximity alert for a potential hazard which was unsighted"
Prioritising safety with more effective controls
“At TRS Tyres, we take continuous steps to improve everything we do”.
“Each delivery and inspection present a new opportunity for us to promote safety, and Reactec’s proximity warning system has provided us with more effective controls”.
“In some cases, R-Link may alert our workers to a scenario that they were already anticipating. However, R-Link truly excels in situations where a driver or pedestrian receive a real-time proximity alert for a potential hazard which was unsighted”.
“This has significantly reduced the risk of collisions between pedestrians and forklifts and R-Link has enhanced the overall safety culture on site by demonstrating to our employees that we are committed to prioritising their safety”.