OnGrade were originally formed in 2009 by Gary Escott and Nigel Adams, and launched the SiteZone proximity system soon after. Since then, SiteZone has been used in various sectors, starting in construction, then moving on to waste, demolition, transport and logistics, among others.
Designed to complement existing, work-related safety protocols, SiteZone has been used more than 60 million man hours, with thousands of installations completed and approximately 10,000 transponders in the field keeping workers safe from vehicle collision while they are doing their jobs. Gary Escott said: ‘When we launched SiteZone, we knew it was going to change the safety rules and make a significant impact for the better. It has done just that, and now we are known as the ‘SiteZone people’.
‘It just makes sense to make it our public-facing identity, officially. SiteZone is the core of our product range and has inspired a growing collection of adaptable and bespoke anti-collision systems that protect people and make them feel safe.’
The SiteZone suite of products is designed to reduce the risk of collisions between workers and plant or site vehicles. SiteZone operates on radio frequency identification (RFID) detection, using vibration, audio and visual operators, when they are in danger of colliding with each other.
The incidence of vehicle/worker collisions is very high in environments where large vehicles with blind spots operate, or in low visibility or poor weather conditions. In certain industries, such collisions account for a substantial portion of the UK’s annual accident and fatality statistics.
SiteZone offers flexibility and allows users to set detection zones according to their needs and depending on the site and vehicle requirements. It has evolved into smart variants, including the UK’s first wireless proximity warning system, SiteZone iNstant, for easy and quick installation without cables. SiteZone has also been combined with smart clothing to create a jacket - SiteZone Visijax - that lights up when the wearer gets too close to a vehicle. There is even a version specially designed for use on extendable parts of plant machinery called BucketZone.
© This article was originally posted here; UK Plant Operators Magazine, Issue 10 - page 26
https://issuu.com/mcmoran/docs/ukpo_-_issue_10?e=24301346/58320099
