The Association of Pacific Ports is pleased to welcome SEEN Safety Inc. as our newest Associate Member. “The SEEN Safety System is a simple, effective, and affordable way to protect pedestrians working around heavy mobile equipment,” said Hamish Clark, President and Global Head of Sales. “Worker safety is a priority for all businesses, none more so than ports and terminals with their many moving parts. SEEN Safety is the world’s first detection technology that transforms reflective tape on high-visibility workwear into part of an active pedestrian detection system for forklifts and other heavy mobile equipment.” With enthusiastic reviews from current customers, the APP is excited to introduce the company to members.

Established in 2014 by co-founders David Grove and Michael Scott, Seen Safety Limited was originally conceived to address accidental hunting shootings. It didn’t take long to see the benefits the system would have in industrial settings where thousands of injuries occur each year through poor visibility and blind spots during the operation of forklifts and other on-dock vehicles. “No matter how well-trained drivers are, or how good the safety culture of a company is, accidents happen,” said Clark. “SEEN Safety’s cutting-edge IRIS 86 sensor uses an infrared laser to detect the reflective tape on high-visibility workwear and markers, transforming it into part of an active detection system.”

Clark went on to describe how, when a pedestrian enters the critical risk zone behind a vehicle (or if a vehicle gets too close to a marked piece of infrastructure), a loud, audible alert will sound, warning both the driver and the pedestrian.

While there are other pedestrian proximity warning systems available, they are technically complicated and difficult to implement, too expensive, or either alert too much or don’t detect reliably enough in real world conditions. “SEEN Safety System is easy to install, works in any environment, and detects existing high-visibility gear without the added need of tags,” he said. “There is no need for integration with IT systems and the targeted detection zone minimizes irrelevant detections. All of this contributes to the low cost of ownership (substantially less than other products).”

Setting the bar even higher, SEEN Safety has now added a camera accessory that uploads detection data, including images and video, providing insights that allow companies to proactively identify and manage high-risk operations.

Used by hundreds of companies in more than 20 countries, SEEN has been the recipient of workplace health and safety awards as well as product design and technology awards. Feedback from customers highlights the effectiveness of the system, its ability to work in adverse environmental conditions, and the ease of installation. The fact that it requires no additional equipment – only basic personal protective equipment – contributes to its appeal.

Headquartered in New Zealand with production in Thailand by an ISO-90001 certified electronic manufacturing company, SEEN has been expanding its representation geographically and has now established offices in Australia, the United States, Canada, and Europe. Their website – www.seensafety.com – provides a wealth of information as well as demonstration videos. You can also follow them on LinkedIn.

APP members will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from Clark as he is scheduled to present at the upcoming APP 2024 Winter Conference – January 24 to 26, 2024 in O’ahu, Hawaii. “We’re pleased to be able to share our knowledge with APP members,” said Clark. “At SEEN, our goal is to provide solutions that mitigate critical pedestrian safety. The more awareness we can create about our user-friendly and cost-effective solution, the bigger the impact we’ll have on ensuring workers get home safely, every day.”