The evidence-based study seeks to address concerns about the quietness of an electric forklift truck compared to a traditional diesel engine and the potential safety risk this could pose.
As part of the project, Travis Perkins and the acoustic centre for excellence at the University of Salford will work together to develop a sound for forward-moving electric forklift trucks.
Richard Byrne, HSE & fleet director at Travis Perkins, said: “There should always be a safe distance between people and working machinery, but exclusion zones work best if people are alerted as they approach any high-risk areas. Given the pioneering nature of this decarbonisation project, research is required to ensure we develop alerts that work well as effective warning systems for both our operators, and the colleagues and customers who may come into contact with our exclusion zones.”
The team at Salford will use virtual reality (VR) technology alongside measurements from an anechoic chamber to help develop the sound.
Postdoctoral research fellow Dr Tim Walton said: “We will be conducting a series of VR experiments to test some candidate alert sounds from both the perspective of customers of Travis Perkins, and also from the perspective of the machine operators. One of the key things we will be looking at is to balance detectability and operator acceptability.
“Using virtual reality to create immersive and realistic scenarios in a safe and controlled laboratory environment will allow us to achieve robust results. By working closely with Travis Perkins, we can ensure that the sound we develop is the best fit for their needs.”
Once the outcome of this study is available later this year, there is potential for the findings to be shared with the industry to promote best practice, and for the electric forklift truck sound alerts to be applied as a new standard nationally and internationally.