Civil Construction
Business: Civil Construction
Industry: Construction
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
CLIENT REQUIREMENTS
Based in Melbourne with multiple road construction projects in various industries spread in different locations across Victoria, our client adopts only the best practices for a specific project. With more than a decade worth of experience in the civil construction industry, the company has managed to impress a diverse set of clients, in multiple industries. Throughout its storied history, the company has worked with universities, the Australian Government and its attached agencies and departments and private companies in need of building and road construction, earthworks, drainage works, and landscaping. In all these projects, the company always integrate the best practices unique only to the project. There’s no ‘one size that fits all’ – each contract that has been approved receives a specific set of practices, equipment and engineering techniques that will ensure the safe and efficient completion of the task.
As one of the leading civil construction companies in Australia, our client lives up to certain standards and values including adaptability, innovation, and efficiency. To show its commitment to the project, the team dispatches a competent and dedicated team, chosen based on their skills level, competencies, training, and commitment to safety. From time to time, the management also works with subcontractors, and these are also selected by on the same standards and commitment to shared values.
Since the company is involved in construction, from roadworks, bridge construction to earthworks, the company also maintains a fleet of trucks, vehicles and heavy equipment units that are used in the project sites. And the same commitment to efficiency and safety is also extended in the maintenance and the operations of this fleet of vehicles. But just like other companies in the industry, the company has its own share of rough days. Reversing accidents in the workplace have become more pronounced, injuring workers who have failed to notice the movements of the vehicles. It seems that the project team in charge failed to invest in the right safety devices and technologies that can help reversing accidents like reversing cameras and backup reversing alarm squawk.
SAFETY ISSUES
Since the company is involved in construction and road works and operates a fleet of vehicles and construction equipment, the project team regularly faces risks on the site. The main source of concern for the project managers and the management, in general, are the accidents associated with reversing vehicles. Its drivers and heavy equipment operators are skilled and trained, but in the real work environment where working conditions and attitudes of workers come into play, unsafe things can happen.
Last year alone, the company reported two separate incidents in the project sites when reversing trucks injured individuals who were working in the area. At the first accident, a traffic controller was standing on a pavement, at an intersection to the main road around the trucks that are delivering asphalting materials. The trucks are reversing when the controller was caught unaware and was hit in the process. The second incident involved another worker in a separate bridge project site. According to the filed report, the truck was fitted with a reversing camera unfortunately, this was not working at the time of the incident.
WHAT WE DID
Our team was called to help on the project late last year and reviewed the safety program of the company. It was found out that the project teams on the site require re-training, and its fleet of vehicles should be fitted with safety devices for reversing, on top of the standard reversing cameras. Some of the vehicles have reversing camera systems, and some are malfunctioning. What we did was to inspect the condition of the cameras, and replace all defective ones. All existing units were also fitted with vehicle safety backup reversing alarm squawk. The backup reversing alarm squawk comes as a complete set, with weatherproof housing and cables. Brackets are also provided in the kit to ensure easy installation and use. Just like other safety devices offered at Reverse Safe, the team provides free quick installation quotes.
Instantly locatable sounds, when and where it matters
Each kit comes complete with bracket, waterproof cable connections and housing and an alarm that produces sound up to 102 3dB, well within the recommended levels in Victoria road and bridge projects. We installed the device at the back of the vehicle (see images), and each unit was securely in place with the use of brackets. The unit should be installed in the rear as this can help everyone easily locate where the noise is coming from, and act accordingly. Reversing alarms will produce noise in the path of the vehicles as it moves forward. Compared to reversing cameras where the safety control depends on the operator or driver, the alarm coming from the rear of the reversing vehicle puts the pedestrians and workers in control as well as they can hear the noise and act in a safe manner.
Its addition helps create a more safer workplace. It also helps that most of the vehicles were also fitted with reversing camera systems, allowing the safety backup reversing alarm squawk to complement the pre-existing safety device. With cameras and alarms, reversing accidents are now avoided, creating a safer project site for everyone involved.