Safety around powerlines is serious business, it can mean the difference between getting a job completed and dealing with a serious catastrophe. Remaining vigilant and following procedure can only take you so far, simple human errors on a worksite can spell disaster.
That’s why Australian company Protective have created a suite of reliable devices to help operators of construction equipment avoid contact with powerlines and other overhead hazards.
Protective’s story started when the company’s chief technology officer, Karl Rosewarne, was working as a safety inspector and saw too many incidents with powerlines. From then on, he realised that a gap in the market existed; to provide high quality engineered safety devices that help keep workers safe around electricity.
He then teamed up with Protective’s current CEO, Shane Ballingall, and the pair decided to utilise their skills to bring this product to the industry.
The first product Protective launched, and which remains its cornerstone is GoUpSafely (GUS). GUS, is a small safety device that can detect high voltage power sources. GUS is designed to be attached to construction equipment, such as a crane, that is at risk of encountering powerlines.
GUS is then able to detect when the operator and their equipment is at risk of making contact with a power line and can provide feedback to them when they get too close. Protective’s device also comes with the option to be integrated into the vehicle’s control system so in the event of a safety risk GUS can stop the vehicle moving towards the hazard, but still allow for movement away from the HV source
Protective’s business development manager Jason Jordan explains how the system works.
“When a high voltage source is detected, it will start measuring the strength of e-field signal as you’re moving towards it. We have a graduated alerting system, so you’ll get an initial alert, which is in the form of an alarm. Then as you get closer, it graduates to an audio and visual alert. If you’ve chosen the integration option, it will stop the machine going in the direction of the high voltage source, but still allows you to move away without needing an override, so you don’t lose productivity,” says Jordan.
The GUS system is different to other examples of HV detection products; it has software that specifically filters out anything that’s not in the proper range, which is between 50 to 60 hertz. The current of a powerline is within these parameters so GUS minimises the possibility of nuisance alerts.
GUS is a must have for worksites dealing with cranes and large construction equipment due to how simply it can be retrofitted to vehicles. The device itself is wireless so all that’s required most of the time is simply to attach it to the boom of a crane, excavator, boom lift, etc. Gus adheres to the boom through the use of strong magnets and has been rigorously tested to handle any knocks and bumps.
Even though the device is wireless it doesn’t mean it will interfere with other radio channels that might be in use at a construction site. This is because It’s on a closed MIL-SPEC wireless network. The sensor device gets its power supply from the sun thanks to solar panels fitted to the outside with the base control unit using 12v or 24v power. It’s also incredibly durable and weather resistant (IP67 rated).
“We’ve passed pretty much every environmental test down to about negative 55 degrees up to 90. So, we’re confident the typical Australian operational environment is not going to be a problem for us. “
The main point of difference for Protective’s product is how easy it is to use out of the box and generally simple for operators. Protective has also prided itself on the way GUS is able to filter out false negatives
“We have software that specifically filters out anything that’s not in the proper range, which is in the 50 to 60 hertz range. And the reason that’s unique is because that’s where the power line frequencies sit,” says Jordan.
In addition to cranes, tipper trucks, excavators and other equipment likely to contact powerlines, Protective also makes a product to ensure the safety of workers on elevated work platforms (EWP), such as scissor lifts.
This is what Protective calls MEWP shield, a crush protection system using ultrasonic sensor technology for proximity detection and control. Their patented MEWP Shield system engages the worker protection function to identify potential hazards before an EWP incident occurs.
MEWP Shield can provide many of the same features as GUS, that is providing feedback to operators as
they come in proximity to a hazard and even overriding the vehicle and stopping it if needed. MEWP Shield has been designed to accommodate EWP applications.
Protective is confident in the products they create and sell to their clients; they offer full after sale support to clients if they need it. Jordan says they rarely need much support, however.
“We haven’t had many calls to our support team, but when somebody has called us and said, “Is this thing doing what it’s supposed to?” we go through everything with them. We have a special support line set up and we have a brilliant team of mechatronic engineers who methodically work through any issues with our clients.”
Jordan says though they have a team of talented engineers ready to help, because of the design of their products often they can fix issues clients are having completely remotely.
“We had one scenario, and it was right after the sale, whereby the client wanted to increase the sensitivity of the detection as they were working around a lower KV line. We were able to log into the system remotely and make the required changes getting them up and running in minimal time.”
Protective stresses the fact that their products are not a replacement for following procedure and taking responsibility for worksite safety. Instead, products such as GUS and MEWP Shield act as important engineered safety devices designed to reduce the impact of human error: stepping in when all else fails. That’s not to say their products aren’t incredibly important. Jordan gives an example of their product working in a situation that most workers would overlook.
One of their clients in Melbourne were working on a site with an excavator next to a metal fence on a particularly humid day. Jordan tells what happened next.
“They got in the excavator. As soon as they got in, turned it on, the system started alerting. What had happened was they hadn’t grounded the metal fence which was directly beneath a power line. The overhead power line through the humidity was charging the fence. The system was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. We told them to get out of there until somebody could help them get the fence safely grounded. So, they sent out one of their safety team members, they had a look at the scenario, and they said absolutely that was the problem and your system probably saved a life that day.”