Worksite Safety Update Promoting safety in road construction

No 133 April-May 2015

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In this Edition: • VicRoads ‘Reverse Smart’ Trials – Progress Report Page 1

• Sale M1 Duplication Project Specifies Reversing Cameras and

Sensors -Winslow Principal Contractor Page 3

• ‘BodyGuard’ Proximity Warning System Page 6

This Edition Features Technology Designed to Eliminate or Reduce Reversing

Incidents in Road Construction and Maintenance

VicRoads ‘Reverse Smart’ Trials - Progress Report Incidents involving reversing vehicles and mobile plant are one of the highest risk areas

in road construction and maintenance. This experience is reflected around Australia and

overseas.

VicRoads is taking proactive action to control this serious risk and have been evaluating

suitable systems which eliminate or significantly reduce the risk. VicRoads are currently

trialling a ‘Reverse Smart’ automatic reverse braking system (AEB) which has been

installed on two SprayLine and Road Service Trucks for in-service evaluation. The

vehicles are a Road Services Patrol Truck and a SprayLine Cover Truck based at Ardeer

Depot and Benalla Depot respectively.

The device has been under trial on a daily basis since mid February this year. Excellent

performance has been reported to date and the drivers are very supportive of the

technology and see it benefits their daily work activities.

What is the Reverse Smart AEB?

The ‘Reverse Smart’ AEB device is designed to reduce the incidents of large vehicles or

mobile plant impacting objects or workers whilst reversing manoeuvres are taking place.

The technology detects objects or people behind the vehicle, warns the driver/operator

and will automatically apply the brakes unless the driver confirms the nature of the

obstruction via the reversing camera and overrides the automatic braking system.

Road Services ‘Reverse Smart’ Radar Sensor with reversing camera below

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Head-up display on driver’s consol showing distance to obstruction indicator

and red override button of automatic braking when nature of obstruction has

been confirmed via reversing camera.

SprayLine Cover Truck equipped with ‘Reverse Smart’.

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Why the Need for AEB Devices?

Recently, the Victorian Transport Accident Commission ran a campaign in regards to AEB

(Auto Emergency Braking) devices, which highlighted the need for engineering controls

to assist in the reduction of vehicle based accidents.

In the unique operating conditions of the road construction/maintenance industry, these

concerns are multiplied due to unique work environments that exist at fixed and mobile

construction worksites. Therefore the ‘Reverse Smart’ AEB Unit, specifically designed for

large vehicles, was created.

Any AEB device is only as good as the sensing technology being employed to detect

objects. That is why the ‘Reverse Smart’ AEB uses premium radar technology to detect

objects at the rear of the vehicle. The system allows detection of objects up to 6 metres

behind the vehicle, in all worksite environments, whilst not losing any detection or

operational integrity.

The radar manufacturer explains - This is not an automotive-grade ultrasonic technology

posing as a heavy equipment solution. Simply put, our radar detects objects in the most

extreme weather and working conditions – the conditions that heavy equipment and

vehicles must manoeuvre through daily. This is real safety for real equipment.

This product is new to the Australian market, but has been successfully installed in

hundreds of large vehicles throughout Europe for many years.

SprayLine / Road Services Operator feedback has been very positive to date

with written comments such as:

“Have felt safe while reversing vehicle when I know there is foot traffic about”;

“I am more cautious when reversing”;

“It works like an extra pair of eyes”.

A Likert Scale Effectiveness and Usability of Reverse Smart questionnaire has also been

completed by Operators with positive feedback to the eleven questions. All agree that:

automatic breaking technology should be considered for further use across our industry

and that understanding ‘Reverse Smart’ could apply the brake they were more aware

when reversing the vehicle.

SprayLine are now proposing to equip their fleet of Cover Trucks with this technology.

Sale M1 Duplication Project Specifies Reversing Cameras and Sensors – Winslow Principal Contractor

The number of reversing cameras and more recently reversing cameras combined with

reversing sensors has been steadily increasing on road construction sites as the result of

Contractors and VicRoads awareness of incidents. Statistics confirm the significant risk

presented to personnel on worksites when mobile plant and vehicles need to reverse into

the large ‘blind spots’ evident behind most of this equipment. Traditional controls such

as requiring personnel to keep clear of mobile plant and vehicles are unreliable.

This technology should be seen as a ‘reversing aid’ similar to that provided on many new

cars. Given that this technology is now readily available for retro fit and of relative low

cost some construction and maintenance business areas have now specified this

technology to be provided for all mobile plant not already equipped, as part of contract

safety provisions.

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Recently reversing cameras and reversing sensors have been installed by Winslow

Contractors to comply with VicRoads South East Projects and Eastern Region contract

specifications. This is the first time such controls have been specified in order to

eliminate the ‘blind spots’ on and warn operators on typical earthmoving plant and

vehicles in Victoria. Examples include: Scrapers, Dozers, Rollers, Graders, etc.

As explained above reversing incidents are a significant risk in our industry and

VicRoads, who are committed to ‘Safety First’ approach, are encouraging the use of new

and proven technology to improve mobile plant and vehicle safety on our worksites.

Winslow are to be congratulated for enthusiastically supporting VicRoads to remove

mobile plant ‘blind spots’ and is the first contractor to deploy this technology as a site

specific safety specification on one of our projects.

Photographs below illustrate the technology installed. Camera monitors and internal

audible sensor alarms are installed in the plant operator’s cabin

Reversing sensors and camera on roller

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Reversing sensors on bulldozer and camera at top

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‘BodyGuard’ Proximity Warning System

This technology has been applied to civil construction mobile plant in other states and

may be considered for road construction works. It has not been used on a VicRoads

project to date. The description of the technology is as follows:

The BodyGuard® proximity warning system reduces the risk of collision by

helping maintain a safe distance between people, vehicles and mobile plant.

The system alerts the driver when a person is detected too close to their vehicle. This

provides a chance for the driver to stop the vehicle and avoid an incident, offering a second chance to pedestrians that would otherwise not be seen.

BodyGuard® i-Tag system uses the latest technology to significantly reduce the

risk of collision between moving vehicles and pedestrians in the workplace. The

system helps to overcome typical risk caused by factors such as driver inattention, poor

visibility and worker non-compliance with exclusion areas around vehicles.

BodyGuard® i-Tag makes the workplace safer by increasing awareness when

people are too close to a vehicle. The system sets up an invisible exclusion zone

around the vehicle, providing an audible (siren followed by “Look Out! Person near you”)

and visual warning alert to the operator when someone is detected within the

programmable zone and optional vibration alert for pedestrian. This creates an opportunity for the driver and pedestrian to take appropriate action to avoid an incident.

BodyGuard® i-Tag Features:

• Increase driver and pedestrian awareness;

• Alarms available for both driver and pedestrian;

• No false alarms;

• Does not interfere with normal operator duties;

• Provides another layer of safety for your operation;

• Clear audible human voice warning and visual alert to positively identify risk;

• Adjustable exclusion zone radius (maximum range programmable from 0.5m to

around 10-12m);

• Detects personnel wearing Tags through solid objects (including metallic objects);

• Close to 360 degree exclusion zone around sensor unit;

• Robust construction for industrial workplace applications (Construction, Logistics

and mining); and

• Optional Vehicle to Vehicle detection to 50m.

More information may be found at:

http://www.orbitcoms.com/BodyGuard.php

Examples of mobile plant application of ‘BodyGuard’ are shown on the following pages.

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Grader Application

Roller Application

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Scraper Application

Personal Tag, Vehicle Detector and Antenna.

Worksite Site Safety Update is produced from time to time by VicRoads Workplace Heath, Safety & Welfare Group. The objective is to communicate general industry safety information and initiatives within VicRoads and to our Contractors. It is also circulated via the VWA Safety Soapbox to industry. The content reflects civil road construction and maintenance safety and includes works conducted on or beside operational roads. The editor may be contacted at: michael.rose@roads.vic.gov.au