Construction News Awards 2012


Product innovation JUDGES’ COMMENTS


WINNER TECHGB FOR THE MYZONE PROXIMITY WARNING SYSTEM Tony Palombo, director of


“This entry demonstrates a unique solution to a signifi cant safety issue, with the potential of saving lives”


Sponsored by


Studies show that almost two- thirds of accidents and incidents are caused by people going into alpha mode, sometimes known as daydreaming or ‘switching off ’. The MyZone safety device


counters this threat by alerting construction workers to real and immediate dangers, allowing them to take evasive action. It consists of a receiver worn by


the individual and a transmitter on heavy plant or any other perceived hazard. When the hazard enters the exclusion zone created around the individual, the receiver, fi tted to a hard hat, will emit a short, one-off vibration. Continually tracking defi ned


Shaping London’s Highways FINALISTS


HIGHLY COMMENDED ● BUILDING PRODUCT DESIGN (PASSIVENT)


● ALIMAK HEK/CAS ● GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING AND ELECTROKINETIC


● MCNICHOLAS CONSTRUCTION SERVICES


● SIMEIO ● THOMAS VALE CONSTRUCTION


46 | 12 July 2012


hazards, MyZone can monitor up to 64 individual threats across 360 degrees. It is suitable for noisy environments, yet does not contribute to noise pollution. MyZone has been made


mandatory for those perceived to be at risk on one large Ministry of Defence site, while Network Rail is undertaking onsite trials. TechGB, the UK distributor of


the product manufactured by TI Global, counts Bam Nuttall, Skanska and Laing O’Rourke among its construction clients.


operations (construction) at construction logistics company Wilson James, says: “MyZone is a welcome ally in the fi ght to achieve the goal of zero harm across the construction industry. “It is an aff ordable addition in


enhancing existing procedures.” On top of its UK success, the


product is going global, and it has won a seven-fi gure investment from Australia. In addition, TI Global has received interest from companies as far afi eld as Hong Kong, Kuwait and the US. TI Global chief operating


offi cer Drew Murray says: “This is such a simple concept, but one that requires complex technology and large investment in research and development. “The transmitter emits a very


low-level frequency radio wave which is able to penetrate walls, hoardings and other barriers – basically seeing around corners – while the receiver has a sophisticated fi ltering software which avoids false alarms. “It makes safety personal.”


Judges John Adams, Andy Fulterer, David Philp


FOCUS


DREW MURRAY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, TI GLOBAL


The need to tackle the conflict between heavy plant and pedestrians was identified by the construction industry


itself. European funding was initially promised to the team behind the MyZone concept but this dried up when the financial crisis hit in 2008. However, we believed there was


such a need for the product that we were determined to carry on. Now that belief is paying off with


a seven-figure investment from an Australian investor – because it too sees such a need in that country. This funding is particularly


welcome at a time when some of the most influential companies in the construction and rail industries are adopting MyZone to address one of the biggest safety concerns on any site: the pedestrian-plant interface. MyZone tackles this problem in a


way that no other proximity warning system on the market appears to. It alerts the individual into taking informed, evasive action rather than relying solely on the plant operator.


www.cnplus.co.uk


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