HEALTH & SAFETY
Driving up safety standards
You can’t put a price on safety when it comes to handling waste on refuse vehicles. Gavin Thoday examines the latest technology and equipment available
ith an accident rate four times the UK average, there is mounting pressure on the waste and recycling sector to find better ways to improve the safety of crews and the general public. Looking back five years ago, most refuse vehicles came equipped with some form of reversing or visual aid devices as part of the manufactur- ers standard specification, primarily reversing cameras and many with the optional reversing radar systems. As the demand for improved technology has risen, most manufacturers now prefer to outsource such specialist ancil- lary equipment according to each customer’s individual specifications. Most reversing camera systems are now ana- logue technology, and able to generate a continual, reliable, real-time image, which means no more frozen images.
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Hard disk recording enables transport managers to monitor their collection service more effectively
And there are additional significant cost-saving benefits beyond improving safety standards to justify fitting vehicle safety technology. For example if a bin-lift is damaged dur- ing a reversing exercise, the cost of repair is significant. By fitting a reversing radar such collisions are avoided and a cost-saving is made. Perhaps one of the most significant new products on the market is hard disk recording. Hard disk recording enables transport managers to moni- tor their collection service more effectively. Other local
” 20 Local Authority Waste & Recycling April 2011
authorities find that they can now more accurately monitor if crews are following health and safety practice, and sub- sequently address any problems through training. Driving practices can also be better observed, and as a result more effective incentive schemes can be implemented to promote safe, accident-free driving.
Aiding insurance claims
As well as monitoring performance and safety there are other commercial drivers for using hard disk recording systems, primarily reducing the risk and cost of insurance claims made against authorities by members of the pub- lic. Investigating insurance claims is a costly and resource absorbing exercise, and without hard evidence it can be difficult to disprove false claims. With DVR footage, when authorities receive a complaint they can immediately check to see if a municipal vehicle was involved.
At Innovative Safety Systems, we have found that a large proportion of our customers report an almost immediate reduction in insurance claim losses once DVR has been fit- ted to their vehicles. Most report how complaints and poten- tial claims ‘fall away’ when the words ‘recorded footage’ are mentioned. All footage is water-marked and therefore cred- ible as evidence in court.
It is not just local authorities that are recognising the
need to protect themselves and their crews from insurance fraudsters. Commercial recycling and waste operators report a surge in false claims and ‘slamming brakes’ personal injury scams, which have led them to fit DVR to their vehicles. The equipment, which can capture up to three months worth of footage, not only allows them to investigate claims,
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