Spillard News

Spillard Safety Systems of Gailey in Staffordshire has launched its Optronics ESP System which provides an added dimension of safety to the company’s existing Preview radar and Optronics rear view camera systems.

ESP integrates the two systems and, once installed on a typical piece of construction machinery such as a wheeled loader, alerts the operator of any objects within the range of the Preview sensor by displaying an increasing number of white chevrons covering all four diagonals on the Optronics cab mounted monitor.

The closer the object is to the machine, the more chevrons are displayed until all four diagonals meet at the centre of the screen. At the same time, an audible warning becomes increasingly louder as the level of danger becomes greater to ensure the driver is made fully aware of the situation and can take the necessary steps to prevent a collision.

Spillard is confident that this new integration between its Preview and Optronics systems will be of great benefit to both quarries and construction sites by providing an additional level of hazard warning and hence additional levels of site safety.

Q. What is Preview™ and how does it work?
A. The PreView™ is a solid-state, pulsed radar object detection system designed to alert vehicle operators to obstacles. The system detects both moving and stationary objects in a pre-defined coverage area and reports the distance of the closest object via visual range indicators and an audible signal to a vehicle operator.

Q. Does adverse weather, such as rain or snow, affect the performance of the PreView™ system?
A. The Programmable PreView™ systems and the Standard PreView™ systems are not affected by harsh weather conditions, including temperature extremes, rain, sleet, snow, or fog.

Q. Will the Standard PreView™ system and the Programmable PreView™ system operate on a 24 volt system, such as found on off-road heavy equipment?
A. Yes. Both the Programmable PreView™ system and the Standard PreView™ system are 12 volt and 24 volt interchangeable.

Q. What is the detection range of the PreView™ systems? Can it be modified?
A. The Programmable PreView™ system is can be supplied in various ranges from 8 meters (26 feet) to 3 meters (10 feet) these can be obtained by programming the sensor. In addition to the different ranges, programming the sensor can also change the detection pattern width. Please contact us further details on the different detection zone options.

The Standard PreView™ system comes in three different models:
SPV 2020 6 metres (20 foot) detection range
SPV 2015 5 metres (15 foot) detection range
SPV 2010 3 metres (10 foot) detection range

Q. Some vehicles may have equipment mounted on the rear bumper; will this cause a problem with the PreView™ Object Detection System.
A. A major improvement in the PreView™ Object Detection System has been the addition of a feature that allows close-in objects to be ignored. Many vehicle installations require the PreView™ sensor to be mounted where a portion of the vehicle is constantly being detected and reported as close in detection. Examples of this may be a recessed mounting location, tires, or bumper.

 

 

What is AllRoundVision?

All Round Vision is the term used to ensure that visibility from the operator’s position is adequate to ensure safety to the operator and his or her work colleagues.

How do I know if my visibility is adequate?
The field of vision from the operator’s position should be assessed through part of your sites risk assessment when assessing your responsibilities under PUWER98. Heath and Safety guidelines issued, to enable users to achieve best practice when assessing visibility, state that an operator should be able to see 1metre high at a distance of 1metre from the vehicle. A width of 300mm should also be taken into account.

What is PUWER 98?
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER 98) are enforceable under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HSW Act) they came into force on the 5^th December 1998. The primary objective of PUWER 98 is to ensure that work equipment should not result in health and safety risks, regardless of its age, condition or origin.

Why 1m x 1m x 300mm?
There are many conflicting explanations, however technically it represents either the waistline or the kneeling position of 5^th percentile male.
As for rumour

i). the French Health and Safety executive recommended that compactor operators working on waste sites must see 1m x 1m from the operators position.

ii). in a case where a banksman was injured by a reversing dumptruck a judge ruled that it is reasonably practical to achieve a 1m x 1m area of visibility around a dumptruck using today’s STATE OF THE ART visibility aids.

How do I ensure that me machines complies with the 1m x 1m guidelines?
A visibility risk assessment should be carried out. They do not need to be complicated, generic assessments are available on our website at http://www.allroundvision.com/ To carry out a visibility risk assessment the following method should be used – 2 people required. Please ensure that the assessment is documented, noting date, vehicle make, vehicle model and vehicle identification i.e. machine serial number and file it in your machine file. This will help if you have a visit from the HSE. Park your vehicle in an open space clear from any dangers. One person will remain in the vehicle. Hold a metre stick – or a piece of wood cut to 1metre length – horizontal at waist height with the opposite end touching the vehicle.

Walk around the perimeter of the vehicle the person must be able to see your hand all the way around. The next section has been borrowed from Shanks Waste safety department.

Now walk around the vehicle repeating the above to test vision all around. Do this twice:

1. Once with the operator just moving his/her head as they normally would (make sure they are wearing their seatbelt) looking direct (that is without using the mirrors or camera)2. Once with the operator just using the mirrors (again only using the normal head movements they would make while operating the plant)Then document your results. You are taking measurements of direct vision, the person in the vehicle must stay in there normal operating position.

What if my machine does not comply?
Visibility Aids must be fitted

What are visibility aids?
Visibility aids are – Mirrors, flat and convex.Fresnel Lenses – A distorted plastic lens which fits to a rear window, similar to those seen on older buses.Camera/Monitor systems.

Why not radar or ultra sonics?
These are reversing aids not visibility aids, PUWER 98 Reg 28, requires:- so far as reasonably practical, mobile work equipment must have adequate devices to improve the driver’s field of vision where this is otherwise inadequate.

How do I choose the correct ones?
Your risk assessment should help, however, when choosing, the following factors must be taken into account – Speed, Nature of work, lighting conditions and the type of vehicle. On smaller, slower vehicles, operators are trained to look around the vehicle behind whilst manoeuvring as we do in a car, we think we can see. Convex mirrors naturally extend a drivers vision to see into the blindspots that we never knew existed. With a camera system fitted the monitor is mounted onto the dashboard this itself causes a hazard in the form of forward visibility unless a state of the art flatscreen monitor is installed, however these can be expensive. It is also very difficult to train a driver to look into a monitor in front of him whilst travelling backwards something that is not natural.On larger, faster vehicles a combination of both camera systems and convex mirrors will be required again risk assessment should help.  

But convex mirrors distort the image?
A convex mirror is there to enhance visibility and to highlight dangers, what you are seeing is better than nothing. High visibility jackets are mandatory on all sites where machinery is operating therefore even if an image is distorted the fluorescent image should alert the driver to the hazard.

Should I remove my existing mirrors?
No, convex mirrors should only be fitted in addition to existing mirrors. Removing them would be like blindfolding the operator.

How do I clean them?
They can be cleaned using a mild detergent, AllRoundVision convex mirrors utilise an alluminiumised vacuum coated acrylic lens the interior is then plasticisied with lacquer after the vacuum coating is applied as it is the interior that is coated a scratched lens can be polished out using t-cut or similar it does not effect the reflective surface.

But your convex mirrors are twice the price of a round convex mirror?
The patented ARV mirror design utilises an asymmetrical lens with a non uniform radius thus producing larger visibility areas from a smaller mirror. Therefore there is greater area of error when fitting genuine ARV mirrors.  

May 26th, 2006 | Category: F.A.Q's | 2 comments

Due to the success of sponsoring pickup truck no.88 last year we decided to go one stage further and sponsor the team.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

First launched in 1997, the Pickup series is for purpose built 230bhp racing specials. A tubular spaceframe chassis follows well-proven SHP Motorsport principles and the racers are pushed along by a 2 litre multi-valve twin-cam engine. Weighing in at just 900kg, these dramatic machines place the emphasis firmly on driver ability.

The engines are badged as a PickupSport engine comprising of 4 cylinder 16 valve unit with 86 mm bore 86mm stroke Fitted with modified cylinder head,which in turn is fitted with 33mm inlet valves, 29mm exhaust forged piston and a maximum compression ratio of twelve to one. Steel conrods are used, the rest of the bottom end is stock with the exception of a steel fly wheel. The engine uses a wet sump oil system. Carburation is via twin 48 DCOE with 40mm chokes. The ignition system is a controlled unit by MBE with maximum rev limiter set at 7500, this gives a power output of 229 BHP with 170 ft / lbs of torque.

Driver – Graham France – Number – 88 – Date of Birth – 06/05/61
Lives – Liversedge – Occupation – Dairy Farmer

The series consists of 20 rounds with 26 drivers on the starting grid with Rockingham playing host to the first two rounds on 7th May

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Graham came a respectable 10th and 8th  😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It makes a great day out with a packed race programme, they have open garages so fans can see exactly what’s happening and kids get in free @ Rockingham,

Remaining rounds

3rd / 4th June, Croft
24th / 25th June, Rockingham (oval)
8th / 9th July, Rockingham (oval)
12th / 13th August, Rockingham (oval)
19th / 20th August, Brands Hatch (Indy)
9th / 10th September, Rockingham, (oval)
23rd / 24th September, Snetterton
7th / 8th October, Rockingham (oval)
4th / 5th November, Brands Hatch (Indy)

 

I would like to officially announce the launch of our newsletter, aiming to keep industry abreast of developments relating to mobile solutions within the safety industry and Spillard Safety Systems.  

If you would like to join the mailing list please email subs@spillard.com 

or 

Alternatively you can download Mays edition here      

 

Spillard Safety Systems of Gailey in Staffordshire has recently installed a ‘wireless’ camera/monitor system on a 182 tonne Cat 5130B excavator at Tarmac’s Swinden Quarry in Yorkshire.

The system, which utilises the same proven components found in Spillard’s standard rear view CCTV packages, has replaced an unreliable different make set-up which enables the operator to remotely monitor inside the throat of a Nordberg LT160 mobile jaw crusher being fed with blasted limestone by the Cat’s 8 cu m capacity bucket. The clear colour images are transmitted to a monitor located in the cab using state of the art transmission equipment previously only available exclusively for use in the broadcast industry.

All Spillard equipment has been designed to operate within the harsh environment of the quarrying and construction industries to ensure trouble-free operation – even when the camera is mounted onto a crusher, as at Swinden, and has to withstand significant amounts of vibration.

The 5130B was already equipped with a pair of Spillard rear facing cameras linked to in-cab monitors to allow the driver to see down both sides of the machine and, as these have been fault-free ever since they were fitted some five years ago, Tarmac was very pleased that Spillard was able to come to the rescue with a replacement wireless system.

Swinden Quarry currently produces some 2M tonne of limestone per annum, all of which is handled by the Cat machine – making it a vital member of the mobile plant fleet. Tarmac is confident that, with its new Spillard system installed, the 5130 will now be working at maximum efficiency and without the worry of frequent ancillary equipment failures.

 

A banksman was killed when a motor grading machine reversed over him.

Ilkeston magistrates heard on 13 March that the incident occurred in August 2003 during construction of a large car park at Burnaston, near Derby.

The banksman, working with the motor grading machine which is used for levelling earth or stones on the ground. The court was told that he had been walking ten metres in front of the machine holding a measuring staff that receives laser signals indicating the level of the ground. He had been giving hand signals to the driver of the machine, so that he could adjust its blade accordingly. However, while he was taking a measurement behind the machine, it reversed over him. He could not be seen by the driver, as he had been in a blind spot behind the machine. He sustained fatal multiple injuries at the site.

The company pleaded guilty to two charges of breaching s2(1) of HSW A 1974 by not providing a safe system of work (fine £10,000) and not ensuring the safety of plant (fine £15,000). It was ordered to pay the HSE’s full costs of £2297.

The sub-contractor pleaded guilty to breaching s3(1) of the same Act and was fined £15,000 with full costs of £2052.

HSE inspector David Jordan, who investigated and prosecuted the case, told SHP that readily available additional visibility aids should have been fitted to allow the driver better vision. “The driver should have been more aware of the location of his banks man. There was no clear system of work;’ he said. “The company could have done a lot more to prevent this death;’ he commented.

The company said in mitigation that it had adopted the method statements that had been compiled by the contractor before it began the work. It said its staff were very experienced and that it had since fitted CCTV to all its equipment.

The sub contractor said in mitigation it had been operation since 1956 and had a good safety record and held an ISO 9002 accreditation. It was a very responsible company and even though it was a sub¬contractor, it treated jobs as if it were the principal contractor.

Speaking after the case, Inspector Jordan said: “It is vitally important that construction sites are well organised to ensure that workplaces are safe. This means eliminating or reducing potential conflict between vehicle and pedestrian work, that vehicles are safe, and are fitted with good visibility aids to overcome any blind spots, and drivers are competent to work in a safe manner.
“This accident could have easily been avoided if greater care was taken while planning and carrying out the work.”

Spillard Safety Systems of Gailey in Staffordshire has recently fitted a total of seven of its Optronics colour flat screen rear-view safety systems into mobile cranes belonging to Crane Services of Ossett in West Yorkshire.

The company currently operates a fleet of 34 cranes ranging in capacity from 25 to 500 tonne and the decision was taken to equip all its 200 tonne plus units with the Spillard equipment in order to assist drivers when travelling between jobs and manoeuvring on site.

The Optronics OPT5600 system chosen for this application was recommended to Crane Services by Liebherr GB which fits Spillard equipment as standard where applicable.

This industrial quality system, manufactured in-house by the company, offers high durability and several unique features which make it particularly suitable for fitment to construction and related equipment. For example, the system has automatic ignition power-up with no delay waiting for a reverse signal and a permanently reversed image on the colour monitor, making it worthless if stolen.

Whilst the 5.6” high definition flatscreen monitors are conveniently mounted in the centre of the cab roofs, the cameras have been cleverly located out of harms way in the centre of the rear-hung spare wheels.

According to David Slack, managing director of Nationwide Crane Hire: “We take all possible steps to ensure maximum safety within Crane Services and the addition of these high quality rear facing cameras with in-cab colour monitors has proved very popular with the drivers of our large Liebherr machines.”

 

Since 1998, Spillard Safety Systems of Gailey in Staffordshire has been the sole European distributor for the Mirror Lite range of convex mirrors.

Mirror Lite of Michigan in the USA now dominates its home market, having originally developed convex mirrors for fitment to school buses to ensure drivers had maximum rearward visibility and then worked in close cooperation with the US military to help improve safety on a variety of its vehicles.

In Europe, some doubts have been expressed as to the performance of the convex mirror because of concerns over the size of the reflected image. However, Mirror Lite has carried out extensive testing of its products at all stages of  development and concluded that the advantages offered over conventional mirrors in bringing blind spots into view far out-weigh any apparent reduction in hazard size.

In order to meet the stringent safety requirements demanded by US local authorities and the military, Mirror Lite products are manufactured to exacting standards using injection moulded housings, oval elliptical acrylic lenses, stainless steel fixings and removable bezels for easy lens replacement.

Although the quality built into the Mirror Lite range has resulted in a premium price, the company has experienced no trouble in steadily growing its market share. As one US truck company executive points out: “The cost to outfit our fleet with these innovative mirrors is minimal when compared with the cost of one avoidable accident.” 

According to Pete Spillard, “We could easily source a cheap copy of Mirror Lite but we take the long-term view that it is far better to sell a quality product incorporating nearly 50 years investment in R & D.”

Members of the Quarry Products Association Northern Ireland (QPANI) underlined their continuing commitment to sustainability recently with the staging of a ‘showcase’ event –– the first of its kind to be held in Northern Ireland –– to demonstrate the considerable efforts that have been made towards the environment and health and safety.
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