Pedestrian and Plant Segregation

Proximity Sensors

What do we have at most waste related sites?, people coming into contact with large mobile plant. This normally involves a cross over between the two at some point. Mobile plant is often transferring a product/material from one area to another.

Other examples of restricted views are 

• This may sometimes require a restricted view for the driver if the bucket needs to be raised
• Driving round a bend
• Driving through roller shutters
• Driving from different light types ( ie outside to inside)
• Clamping bales
• Lifting pallets
• Loading Containers 

The above are just some examples but this requires additional concentration by the driver and requires a better understanding by other members of staff and or any visitor coming onto the site. The obvious point to the above potential situations would be to risk assess those situations and work out how to reduce those potential risks. Sometimes this is “low hanging fruit” and can be remedied with a change in policy or a new risk assessments, but alternatively this may require further thought or investment. The team on site can be a point of reference in understanding the risk, visiting drivers and or visiting work colleagues can offer their options also.

Often the outcome is people and plant have to work in the same vicinity, many waste sites are shoe horned into buildings and from the start have limitations which impact the daily running of sites.

So there are many things available in the market to reduce risks, but there are two products I have found to be most beneficial, proximity sensors and radios ( to be covered separately) 

What is a proximity sensor? There are two parts to the unit. The fixed part is linked to the piece of plant you are monitoring and has an agreed radius cover), the second part are the “tags” which are the bits that everyone has. If the tag becomes present in the vicinity of fixed unit ( distance is pre-set on install, we have 1.5 metres), a hooter alarm sounds on the piece of plant and a light flashes in the cab. The key is the driver has to manually disengage the alarm by pressing a button, which means there is acknowledgment to the risk. At the same time the tag on the hard hat vibrates, this is a warning for the user to understand that there is a vehicle close by.

Additional features that are available are the telematics analysis, with this you can analyse how many times the sensors have been activated in anyone day, with any one particular unit. This would be of interest to show any pinch points within the sites where people and plant are coming into contact ( now these may be known or not but allows you to look further)  and would show if any one particular person was coming into contact more than others. The simple point to that is it simply allows you to look further into the detail to review and change if necessary, and change may involve additional training to an individual which in turn may stop a serious issues ( I have seen the capability of telematics, although this will be the first month of it being used on site, I will of course provide feedback)

Whilst growing this business and increasing vehicles and people on site, this type of product as helped us manage those pains.

People in the industry  have raised concerns with this type of system and others types available on the market , to say it makes people  reliant on technology and not as safe (ie less reliant on shoulder checks or using mirrors) but as long as we understand technology is there to assist and make things safer just like reversing sensors on cars and rear view camera on vehicles. Inherently vehicles in this industry do have more blind spots and are expected to work in completely different environments, I personally don’t seem the harm in driver aids especially is it helps us add another layer of safety to ensure we are protecting our most valuable assets.

In summary It isn’t 1975 anymore and although you didn’t need to wear a seatbelt then, things change.. and not always for the worse.