22 October 2014 Better Roads
Applications & Innovations
gimmick, or a line item on a sell sheet — it needs to be taken
seriously.
There are myriad technologies available to combat the com-
mon safety pitfalls on any jobsite, and regardless of manufac-
turer, contractors should always have the best interests of their
crews in mind when making their purchasing decisions. Each
piece of equipment on the job site provides their own unique
challenges, so here are a few general things to consider when
purchasing equipment.
Keeping a safe distance
When at all possible, it is important for the operator to be
removed from the point of action on a jobsite. Anytime ma-
chinery is drilling, breaking, tamping, pounding, cutting,
scraping, pouring or crushing, it presents possible hazards to
construction crew members. Some manufacturers are taking
the driver's seat when it comes to keeping crew members
away from the action by developing automatic technology to
integrate into their machinery.
As an example, manufacturers of large-gang dowel pin
drills, which are an integral part of the road building process,
are now available in self-propelled models. Dowel pin drills
ride along the slab of cured concrete drilling holes into the
side of the slab. These holes allow workers to insert pieces
of rebar into the holes and make it possible for two adjacent
concrete slabs to align once the next slab is poured. The self-
propelled units offer an alternative to pushing the unit down
the slab, and takes at least part of the danger out of the equa-
tion.
Dowel pin drills are one example of removing the operator
from the action, but it's not like this is an entirely new idea.
The operator cabs of heavy machinery; like excavators and
backhoes are also removed from immediate danger (perched
safely atop the unit), but the location of the operator still al-
lows the machinery to be transported without presenting
hazards to the crew.
It does not make sense for the cab of an excavator to be lo-
cated near the tracks or where work is being done. Not only
would it be considered unsafe, but it's also ineffi cient. This
technology that removes the operator from the action is more
of a tried-and-true idea that has simply been translated into
other types of equipment.
Email: info@mobilebarriers.com
www.mobilebarriers.com
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