Worksite Safety Update Promoting safety in road construction No 133 April-May 2015 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 Page 1 of 8
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. Page 2 of 8
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. Page 3 of 8
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 Page 4 of 8
Reversing sensors on bulldozer and camera at top Page 5 of 8
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. Page 6 of 8
Grader Application Roller Application Page 7 of 8
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 Page 8 of 8