Hot Mix Asphalt Technology - March/April 2008 - (Page 39)

SPECIAL SAFETY SECTION Preventing Back-overs eing run over or backed over by heavy equipment is the leading cause of death for roadway construction workers. Even those accidents that are not fatal can be serious. So, how to prevent them from happening? Todd Pfeiffer, environment, health and safety manager for APAC-Southeast, Inc., Central Florida, (an Oldcastle Materials Company), has focused on preventing drivers of vehicles, trucks and equipment from striking people while they are in the work zone, at the asphalt plant, or anywhere on company property. Training, of course, plays an important role. APAC workers and truck drivers have been receiving training on this topic since at least 2000, when Pfeiffer and other APAC managers chose to concentrate on this safety threat. In addition to training, however, APAC has also seen dramatic improvements through the use of new technology. “Many of our newer trucks used as water trucks, distributors, and trafﬁc control vehicles, even SUVs, came equipped with back-up warning systems. In other cases, we have installed them,” said Pfeiffer. “These systems either automatically sound off when backing up, or a voice informs drivers how far they could back up before striking an object.” Pfeiffer and APAC have seen so much success from the back-up warning systems, they have begun working toward having all their trucks equipped with them. “We’ve been fortunate that since installing the back-up warning systems on our trucks, we haven’t had a single backing incident involving vehicles so equipped.” Technology has made advances affordable that were out of the question only a few years ago. Pfeiffer has begun working with an RV parts supplier that sells video systems that can be installed on the back of large pieces of equipment, enabling the drivers to see clearly what is behind them. The mechanics at the APAC garage can install the video cameras in approximately an hour. “The cost of the cameras is under $500 and they have proved to be quite durable,” said Pfeiffer. Their usefulness during night paving operations has also been a plus. “Some of the models work quite well at night, us- Is Serious Business B ing infrared technology to produce a good picture on the monitor in the driver’s cab.” Other technologies can also be helpful in warning the driver or persons on foot to avoid a potential backover. Some use microwaves or sound echoes, similar to sonar on ships, to detect the distance between the vehicle and an object; that information is communicated to the driver. The technology is not foolproof. The equipment might fail to detect an item once it passes from the line of sight, or it might be overly sensitive, alerting drivers that they are about to back into something when the object is merely tall grass behind the vehicle. Still, Pfeiffer sees potential for the technology. “The expense means you may not be able to retroﬁt a large ﬂeet of vehicles right away. But we do want to include what we learn about the various pieces of equipment HMAT into our best practices so everyone can beneﬁt.” Hot Mix Asphalt Technology – MARCH/APRIL 2008 • 39

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hot Mix Asphalt Technology - March/April 2008

Hot Mix Asphalt Technology - March/April 2008 Contents Chairman’s Commentary Industry News Top-notch Teams Overcome Obstacles to Build the Nation’s Finest Roads Ecological Award Winners: Environmentally Sound, Neighbor Friendly Safety Award Winners: Rewards, Reminders and Technology Roadway Safety Program Trains Workers Preventing Back-overs Is Serious Business Driving Through Work Zones: Be Careful! San Diego Uses Porous Asphalt Lots for Stormwater Management Legislative Messages Tools for the Trade Calendar of Events Index of Advertisers Advertiser.com NAPA Roadmap to CONEXPO-CON/AGG

Hot Mix Asphalt Technology - March/April 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.