A restraint system for forklift truck driver derived from the airbag principle.

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of restraint system for forklift drivers derived from airbags. Using of a test bench to simulate the lateral tipping over of a forklift cabin and the ejection a crash test dummy has confirmed that such a solution was possible. A working version, based on the deployment of three inflatable flexible structures, was tested. This has allowed to reduce the severity of shocks caused to the head and avoided the ejection of the dummy. If such a solution could be available on market forklift trucks, it would both effectively protect the driver of shock consequences and ejection while reducing constraints to the use of a "classic" device: no time lost when getting in or out of the cabin, no loss of visibility and communication, no limitation of movements, etc. This device looks very promising but a number of consolidation steps are needed before industrialization.