Spillard News

With help from Peter Welsh of Spillard Safety Systems, Andrew Pearce explores ways to see behind you.

REVERSING accidents kill and injure every year. The numbers are relatively small in farming compared to other industries but that’s no cue for complacency. On a much bigger scale and with far less tragic consequences, tractor drivers bang into things daily and combine operators still manage to find the only telegraph pole in the field… and presumably will continue to do so until evolution gets round to providing eyes in the backs of their heads.

Until that great day dawns, technology can help. In response to legislation there has been a mini-explosion in ways of seeing what’s going on behind you. Cameras, radar, ultrasonics and clever mirrors are on hand to cover blind spots or to monitor hidden areas, either working alone or together. Combined with safe working practices, they can cut accidents big and small. Here’s the lowdown on each, with examples taken from Spillard’s range. Other suppliers offer similar products.

Mirrors

Still the cheapest solution, convex mirrors come from the truck world in four types, cover up to 180° and are ideal for seeing down the sides of a combine or behind a materials handler. But note – they are designed simply to show whatever’s there, rather than for accurate machine positioning. Mounting is usually simple, the polycarbonate base material is tough and light surface scratching can be polished out. Heated versions are available. Cost is £55-£95 including bracket.

Bright spots
o Low cost
o Operators very familiar with mirrors
o Robust
o No power supply/wiring

Black holes
o Vision cut by rain and dust
o Can be knocked

Cameras

Farming’s use for cameras includes looking into remote sections of machinery as well as rear vision. Camera/monitor setups originated in the USA’s motorhome market, starting with small black-and-white TVs and evolving to today’s crisp colour LCD displays. Mini-TVs are still available but will soon be obsolete.

Quality and price go together. Bottom-end LCD systems cost around £200 but are not built to survive agriculture. At the other end of the spectrum is the £770 Optronics OPT5600: fitted as original equipment by major telehandler manufacturers and EMC shielded so it won’t interfere with tractor electronics or be blanked by mobile phone use, it takes up to four shock/vibration-proof cameras, has a quick-release display, night-vision capability to 10m, waterproof connectors and armoured cabling. Extra cameras are around £250.

Bright spots
o Can see into hidden/blind areas, even at night, with 120° field of view
o Ideal for trailers, combines, harvesting machinery
o LCD screen takes little cab space
o Relatively cheap to add cameras to multiple trailers

Black holes
o Must clean lens in damp/dusty conditions
o Field of view not as wide as convex mirrors
o Only top-quality monitors units give clear picture in strong sun
o Requires potentially vulnerable cabling

Radar

Often confused with ultrasonics, radar uses radio-frequency emission to detect objects rather than ultrasonics’ high-frequency sound. While cameras and mirrors show the driver a picture, radar simply generates a warning that an object is in the reversing vehicle’s path. Systems consist of a radar head and cab unit. The radar head sends and receives either a continuous or pulsed radio signal, the cab unit shows a detected object’s distance from the vehicle by sound, lights or a combination of the two. Pulsed radar gives the most reliable detection in reversing-alarm applications, with range up to 8m and a relatively narrow 3m wide field of view. Preco’s £500 Preview system is state of the art, built to industrial standards and can be programmed to ignore close-in objects, like parts of the host vehicle.

Bright spots
o ‘Sees’ through dust, rain and fog, so good for harvesting equipment
o Detects static and moving objects
o Can be integrated with a vehicle’s reversing bleeper so the latter sounds only when an obstruction is detected, rather than continuously

Black holes
o Driver can’t tell what the obstruction is, so may be tempted to continue reversing more slowly
o Detects only the closest object
o Expensive to buy extra radar heads for multiple trailers

Ultrasonics

Ultrasonic proximity sensors commonly turn up on cars as parking aids. They work by sending/receiving a stream of high-frequency sound, deducing object distance from sound wave reflection. Automotive-spec systems have limited range (3m maximum, 2m typical). The sensors themselves are relatively fragile and have a very narrow detection window, so multiple sensors are needed to cover the width of a vehicle. So far, professional systems are rare and expensive. DIY kits are available for under £100 from many sources, but aren’t designed for farming.

Bright spots
o Sensors’ narrow field of view allows very localised areas to be monitored
o Very cheap compared with radar

Black holes
o Can be triggered by high ambient noise and strong winds
o Picks up rain, sleet and snow
o Can’t ‘see’ through dust, performs poorly in strong sunlight
o Blocked by dirt and mud
o Narrow detection band of individual sensors mean that slim objects (like posts) can be missed

SPECIALIST HELP

Need advice on the best way to see what’s happening behind you? Staffs-based Spillard Safety Systems Ltd (0870 200 2310) has a background in industrial applications, tailor-makes setups for specific requirements and will carry out on-site vision assessments – which may be free where several machines are involved. Check out www.allroundvision.com for products, relevant legislation and a guide to carrying out your own assessments.

THE LAW SAYS

The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) sets out to ensure that work equipment does not present health and safety risks. Regarding machinery, it states ‘Where the driver’s direct field of vision is inadequate to ensure safety, there (should be) adequate devices for improving vision so far as is reasonably practicable.’

The HSE’s best practice guidelines suggest that with agricultural equipment, an operator should be able to see an object 1.5m high at a distance of 1m, all round the vehicle. The choice of visibility aid is completely dependent on individual circumstances and could include mirrors, lenses and camera systems. Radar and ultrasonic units are other options which, while not aids to vision, do enhance safety while minimising distraction. Different types can be used together to eliminate blind spots.