The Civil Engineering Contractor April 2019 | Page 7

POLICYMAKERS
cars have, which warns you if you’re about to reverse into
anything. The PDS system stops the vehicle, and to achieve
this requires an off-site base to monitor proximity and to cut
the motor,” says Pienaar.
Anyone buying a vehicle now for use on a mine should
have the black box PDS system in place, says Pienaar.
However, in terms of what a quarry owner can and should
be doing ahead of the development of PDS systems, the
more important step, says Pienaar, lies in operational
changes taking place on surface mines in the form of traffic
management plans.
How does PDS work?
A PDS is generally the term used for a system that warns
industrial vehicles that they are in close proximity to a
pedestrian worker. Most systems can be fitted to forklifts,
reach stackers, dozers, you name it — if these vehicles work
near pedestrians, they need a warning system.
www.civilsonline.co.za
When accidents occur with a vehicle, pedestrians are
the most at risk. Accidental collisions often occur when
a pedestrian is not aware of a vehicle working close by.
This is common in busy or loud working environments.
The damage caused to a person by a forklift can be severe,
often fatal.
• An active RFID (radio frequency identity) tag would be
worn by all personnel on site. The tag can be placed on
a hi viz jacket, clipped to a lanyard, or simply placed in
a pocket.
• A detection antenna is fitted to the vehicle, creating
a 3–9m detection zone around the vehicle. Anyone
wearing an active RFID tag will be identified when they
enter the detection zone.
• An in-cab control unit is fitted to the vehicle within
reach of the vehicle’s operator. An audible visual alarm
alerts the driver every time anyone wearing an active
RFID tag enters the detection zone. nn
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