FEATURE


“EXISTING CONVENTIONAL SAFETY PRACTICES HAVE


PROVED THEIR WORTH TIME AND AGAIN BECAUSE THEY HAVE EVOLVED THROUGH


EXPERIENCE, OBSERVATION, AND STUDY.”


CONNECTING THE DOTS


Gary Escott, Managing Director of SiteZone Safety, discusses taking a multi- dimensional view of safety on site.


CONNECTIVITY ON SITE Given the risk variables on any


working site, it's important that whatever safety measures are put in place are targeted to safeguard the people working there. This is why SiteZone Safety offers solutions and technology that continuously work together to cover multiple dimensions of personnel- vehicle interface at every stage of the safety journey.


At SiteZone Safety we believe


that being informed about certain types of risk behaviour helps immensely with targeting training and reducing occupational collision incidents between people and vehicles. Having worked in the health and safety industry for many years, I don’t believe that anyone should feel unsafe during the course of their daily work, especially if they do a high-risk job.


Existing conventional safety practices have proved their worth time and again because they have evolved through experience, observation, and study. However, just because you can apply a technological safety product, doesn’t mean you should. If it creates a problem, then it isn’t acting as a solution. For example, consider an excavator with a free-swinging load mid- lift and then someone comes into the zone and stops the machine via the proximity warning system, you could create a more dangerous situation. Whereas the driver will know what the safest safety action would be.


Multi-dimensional safety takes these aspects into account.


SOLUTIONS-BASED THINKING While the scope of technology is wide, its effectiveness


is measured by purposeful application. Even when we started out with our SiteZone proximity warning system, it was about refining a physical component that prevented accidents, and still does. But you know what they say, ‘information is power’. We soon


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realised that the same mistakes were being repeated and efficiencies were compromised as a by-product, despite using an excellent system.


Therefore, telematic data capture was a key step in our information-based solution revolution. Even now, it is an invaluable tool we use to demonstrate to clients that they really do have safety breaches on site that must be addressed. It is a tried-and-tested way of gathering data that clearly shows any shortfalls and risk to employee safety.


Data gathering is a primary element of a service that we offer because if you don't know where a problem is how can you solve it? As a safety solutions provider, we still have to gain user buy-in. It always helps when you have hard evidence on your side.


This is followed up by providing training as to why the safety solution is being applied, followed by the actual product installation.


DATA AND PURPOSEFUL SAFETY PRACTICE There are many elements on the client’s site


safety journey, therefore, we must provide multidimensional solutions. We can bring experience and additional technology to make it easier. After all, vehicle/personnel interface is a journey, why make it any harder?


This is where you have to join all the dots on site. Set specific guidelines for each project on how to set up machines for individual tasks because one size does not fit all. The role of the pedestrian is half the equation. By using plant and personnel PPE, it instils a sense of understanding and value of why they wear it, and the ensuing change is behavioural. It’s not just about the product.


The aim here is to work with what exists and not reinvent the wheel; It makes more sense to work with the nature of a site, supported by detailed surveys, and avoid the path of most resistance and least effectiveness.


www.proximitywarning.com www.tomorrowshs.com


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