Linde Material Handling (Safety Guard)

What it does

Linde Material Handling is a forklift and warehouse truck manufacturer. Its main safety technology product is Linde Safety Guard, a warning system that uses ultra-wideband (UWB) radio to tell truck drivers and pedestrians when they are close to each other. A unit on the truck talks to units carried by pedestrians, and both sides get warnings: the driver sees which direction people are approaching from, while pedestrians are alerted by light, sound and vibration. Linde says UWB signals pass through walls, racking and gates, so a pedestrian can be warned before a door opens, and that the signals do not interfere with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or RFID.

Pedestrian units come in several forms, including a Pedestrian Warning Band worn on the shoulder and an Interactive Warning Vest, certified to the EN ISO 20471 high-visibility standard, with LED strips, an audible alert near the ear and a vibration unit. A related system, Zone Intelligence, uses the same radio technology to slow trucks automatically in zones that fleet managers define, such as blind corners, busy pedestrian areas or doorways.

Who it is for

Safety Guard is aimed at warehouses, distribution centers and production areas where forklifts and pedestrians share space, especially with high racking, narrow aisles and blind crossings. It is most relevant to fleets that already run Linde trucks, although buyers should confirm compatibility with mixed fleets. Linde cites German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) data that 40% to 50% of industrial truck accidents involve pedestrians being struck or crushed.

How it is deployed

Deployment means fitting units to trucks and issuing wearable units to pedestrians, then defining any speed zones. Zones are configured from a site layout in Linde's fleet management software. Linde has offered Zone Intelligence as both a retrofit and a factory option. The system only protects people who carry a working unit, so visitors, contractors and charging routines need procedures.

Notable public customers and coverage

Linde's regional site says Safety Guard was developed by the start-up Comnovo, which Linde Material Handling acquired in July 2017. The Interactive Warning Vest received a DEKRA Award in 2019. Linde Material Handling is a brand of KION Group, which is headquartered in Frankfurt, listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, and reported about €11.3 billion in revenue for 2025. KION says Linde's headquarters are at its Aschaffenburg site. Linde has not published site-level outcome data for Safety Guard.

Things to ask in an evaluation

• Can Safety Guard be fitted to non-Linde trucks in a mixed fleet, and at what cost?
• What warning distances and zone sizes are configurable, and how precise are they in your building?
• How are wearable units charged, issued and checked at shift start?
• Can trucks slow down automatically near pedestrians, or only in fixed zones?
• What event data is recorded, and can it be exported to your EHS or fleet systems?
• How do you protect visitors and contractors who do not carry a unit?