20 | JANUARY 2019
News
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
THE TECHNOLOGY HELPING TO
PREVENT ACCIDENTS IN THE
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
The construction industry continues to thrive throughout the world, with
the global market expected to grow in value by 85% to 15.5 trillion US
dollars by 2030. Yet while the industry flourishes, one of the biggest issues
it faces is that of safety in the workplace where the number of injuries and
fatalities caused by accidents on worksites continues to cause alarm.
In the UK, just over 2.73
million people are em-
ployed in construction
sector jobs. According to the
Health and Safety Executive,
there were 196 fatalities in
the construction industry
in Great Britain in the five
years to 2017. Of these, 10%
were struck by workers be-
ing struck by a moving ve-
hicle. Statistics also showed
that of the 5,055 non-fatal
accidents during 2016/2017,
13% were struck by moving
objects.
Research shows that
workers in the construction
industry are at risk in sever-
al areas. These include:
• Collisions due to rear,
front and side blind
spots
• Collisions due to poor
visibility, such as dust,
fog, and working at
night
• Site workers being
struck by vehicles and
mobile machines
• Ear defenders reducing
site workers’ ability to
hear clearly approach-
ing vehicles
• Tonal back-up alarms
being ignored by site
workers
In the high-risk construc-
tion industry, organisations
have a duty to safeguard
their workers. Although
many countries are required
to comply with their own
health and safety standards,
organisations are increas-
ingly choosing to invest in
enhanced safety systems
to protect their workers
and keep their reputations
intact.
Technology
innovations
On construction sites,
the need for safety is par-
amount, particularly as the
slightest mistake can have
devastating consequences.
The latest innovations in
technology mean many
of these accidents can be
prevented.
A range of safety systems
are available to assist
construction companies
in keeping their staff safe.
On-board camera systems
can help to alert drivers
to possible dangers, while
reversing and warning
alarms alert workers when
a vehicle is manoeuvring
near them.
Brigade’s reversing
alarms harness high-spec
broadband sound frequen-
cy, emitting a wide range
of white sound frequen-
cies. These enable workers
to locate the direction
of the sounds instantly.
Rather than the old style
‘beep beep’, Brigade’s
bbs-tek® White Sound®
reversing alarms create
a ‘ssh-ssh’ sound, which
dissipates quickly. This
means the alarm can only
be heard in the danger
zone, so there is more
chance of alarm-weary
workers paying attention.
The broadband frequency
also gives workers wearing
ear protection devices a
better chance of hearing
the alarm.
Sensing risk
Blind spots on large
worksite vehicles and ma-
chinery can be particularly
deadly. The front, rear and
nearside are problematic
areas of vehicles, particu-
larly those with elevated
driver positions. Harsh
construction site terrains,
where thick dust and mud
often decrease visibility
even more, further increase
the risk of accidents.
Radar systems, such
as Brigade’s latest Back-
sense® Radar sensor
system (BS-8000), alert the
operator to potential risks.
Backsense® works by
emitting a continuous-wave
radar that is faster than
pulsed-radar products.
Some detection systems
can produce false alerts,
which can lead to frustra-
tion for the driver, resulting
in genuine alerts being dis-
regarded. Continuous-wave
radar protects against
false alerts, thanks to the
controlled beam pattern,
which can be programmed,
allowing organisations to
fix a bespoke detection
area specifically suited to
their needs.
When a moving or sta-
tionary object is detected,
the driver is given an in-
cab visual display plus an
audible warning. Another
advantage installing a
radar system is that, unlike
cameras, they will contin-
ue to function at optimum
levels even in the harshest
of conditions, such as rain,
fog and snow.
As technology moves
forward, systems are being
developed to address the
need for multiple sensors
which can cover large,
complex blind spot areas.
Backsense® Network
Radar allows organisations
to connect and link up to
eight sensors. This system
provides object detection
in CAN (Controller Area
Network) gateway to dis-
play data on control panels
on the vehicle and possible
trigger outputs.
While it may not be
possible to eliminate every
element of risk when ma-
noeuvring heavy plant and
machinery, radar obstacle
detection is a step forward
in protecting the lives of
vehicle operators and those
who work around them.
www.brigade-electronics.com