I'm sorry- I just have to give my 2 cents. Forklifts were invented to reduce manpower costs- period (IMHO). A manned forklift does the work of multiple employees, never calls in sick, has no workmans comp claims, etc.

Unmanned forklifts will become the norm when their pricing becomes affordable for smaller companies. A small business can't justify the 60 to 80 thousand dollars for an unmanned lift. I'm quite sure that with todays technology an unmanned forklift could serve in multiple capacities as Karait stated.

And please- don't talk about a redistribution of wealth. Over here in the US it's a hot topic. If someone wants to work hard & get rich, good for them. If you want to punch a clock & go home at 5- good for you too. One is not better then the other- just different.

As far as making forklift operators safer- the only answer to is make them financially responsible for their actions. Mounting cameras on worksites & monitoring those cameras would be a huge determent to some of the stupid things I see operators do. I think everyone knows what's safe & what's not, but if there's no one watching, no proof you did anything, along with no reprimand, then it becomes a playground for children.