How to Configure Dynamic Exclusion Zones Around Mobile Plant

Introduction: A Preventable Pattern in Australian Workplaces

Every year, vehicle-related incidents remain one of the most serious hazards in Australian workplaces. According to Safe Work Australia’s Key Work Health and Safety Statistics 2024, there were 200 worker fatalities recorded across the country in 2023, with 42 percent (84 fatalities) involving vehicles and mobile plant.¹

These figures have barely shifted over the past decade, despite significant advances in safety technology and awareness. Behind the numbers lie common, repeatable issues; poor traffic management, blind spots, supply-chain pressure, and inconsistent training - all of which contribute to preventable deaths and injuries.

The economic cost is just as significant. Work-related injury and disease costs Australian businesses and the economy tens of billions of dollars every year, including lost productivity, compensation claims, and equipment downtime.²

‍

The Underlying Causes of Vehicle-Related Incidents

WorkSafe and Safe Work Australia investigations highlight the same systemic issues across industries such as warehousing, logistics, manufacturing, and construction.
‍

Poor Traffic Management

• Many workplaces rely on informal habits or outdated plans to manage the movement of vehicles and people. Layouts change, production expands, and temporary staff come and go, yet the traffic plan often stays static.
  ‍
  

Lack of Visibility and Communication

• In many incidents, drivers could not see the pedestrian, or the pedestrian was unaware the vehicle was moving. Blind spots, noise, and poor line-of-sight make communication difficult, especially in large or cluttered warehouses.
  
  

Inadequate Risk Assessments

• Fast-moving supply chains leave little time for proper risk reviews. Businesses often underestimate the risks associated with mobile plant or fail to consider the unique conditions of each site.
  
  

Failure to Separate Pedestrians and Vehicles

• Many loading zones, cross-docks, and internal yards cannot accommodate permanent barriers or dedicated walkways. As a result, forklifts and pedestrians share space, increasing the risk of serious collisions.
  ‍
  

Insufficient Training and Supervision

• High staff turnover, contractors, and visiting drivers mean not everyone is familiar with a site’s safety systems. Training gaps quickly translate into unsafe behaviour.

‍

Dynamic Exclusion Zones: Engineering Control That Adapts

Dynamic exclusion zones are redefining vehicle safety by adapting in real time to the environment, vehicle type, and operator behaviour. Instead of relying on fixed detection bubbles that can trigger constant false alarms, SonaSafe uses dynamic exclusion zones to automatically adjust coverage based on movement, speed, and direction of travel.
‍

How It Works

SonaSafe combines sonar technology and radio frequency to detect people and objects - even through pallets, loads, or shelving that would otherwise block the driver’s view. Each system is calibrated to the unique layout of a worksite, ensuring that detection zones accurately reflect both the risk and operational flow of each area.

Key configuration options include:

• Dynamic Warning and Stop Zones that vary automatically depending on vehicle speed or direction.
• Reverse Mode Expansion, where rear detection zones extend to account for reduced visibility.
• Speed-Adaptive Zones that lengthen or shorten based on kinetic energy and stopping distance.
• Side Zone Adjustment, reducing unnecessary triggers when vehicles move parallel to pedestrians separated by barriers.
  

This flexibility ensures genuine protection without creating “alert fatigue” among operators, a key reason many older systems fail.

‍

Reducing Blind Spots

Forklifts and heavy machinery are designed for strength, not visibility. When loads are raised or operators are reversing, sightlines can disappear completely. Dynamic exclusion zones extend the operator’s awareness into areas the human eye can’t reach, continuously scanning and delivering real-time alerts when required.

Configuring the Warning Zone to provide an early prompt, and the Stop Zone to engage before contact, enables sites to balance sensitivity with practicality. Testing across real scenarios, tight corners, stacked aisles, loading docks ensures accuracy where it matters most.

When Physical Separation Isn’t Possible

Not every workplace can rely on fixed barriers or pedestrian walkways. Many warehouses, ports, and distribution centres operate in spaces where segregation is simply not feasible. In these situations, SonaSafe’s dynamic configuration becomes an essential control. The system can automatically:

• Expand the rear detection area when reversing.
• Extend the front zone as speed increases.
• Narrow side zones when operating near low-risk, barricaded edges.
  

This adaptive capability provides continuous, context-aware safety coverage even in tight, shared spaces where people and plant must coexist.

‍

Helping Inexperienced or Temporary Workers

The Australian warehousing and logistics sector experiences staff turnover rates above 30 percent annually, meaning new operators and visitors are constantly entering high-risk zones. Without consistent induction or familiarity with site layouts, situational awareness drops rapidly. SonaSafe addresses this challenge through dual real-time alerts. When an exclusion zone is breached, both the driver and the pedestrian receive simultaneous audio and visual warnings. This eliminates ambiguity and helps new or less experienced workers respond instantly to potential danger.

‍

Automated Collision Avoidance

Beyond alerts, SonaSafe’s configurable business logic allows for automated intervention. When an object or person enters the Stop Zone, the system can command the vehicle to slow or halt according to site-defined parameters. This removes reliance on human reaction time and transforms collision prevention from a behavioural control into an engineered one. In industries where split-second decisions determine outcomes, automation provides a critical safety buffer.
‍

Using Data to Strengthen Risk Management

Every detection event, near miss, and alert recorded by SonaSafe is securely logged in the cloud. Over time, this data reveals patterns that inform smarter decisions, including:

• Heatmaps identifying where near misses occur most frequently.
• Operator performance insights highlighting individuals or shifts with recurring alerts.
• Behavioural trend analysis showing long-term cultural improvement.
  

Managers can use these insights to update traffic management plans, adjust layouts, and prove compliance with WHS audits. The ability to demonstrate measurable improvement turns safety from a compliance exercise into a competitive advantage.

‍

Building a Safer, Smarter Future for Australian Workplaces

Under Safe Work Australia’s Model WHS Regulations, employers must manage risks associated with mobile plant and take every reasonably practicable step to protect people. For most high-traffic environments, that means moving beyond static safety measures to dynamic, data-driven systems. A well-configured dynamic exclusion zone system encourages accountability, reinforces safe habits, and provides leadership teams with actionable intelligence that extends well beyond proximity detection.

‍

By reducing blind spots, improving visibility, and responding intelligently to movement, SonaSafe enables Australian businesses to achieve compliance, protect their teams, and sustain operational efficiency without compromise.

➡️ Discover how SonaSafe Lite+ can help your business reduce near misses and achieve smarter mobile plant management. Book a demo or contact our team

‍

‍

‍