Bluescope Steel
REQUIREMENT:
To provide safety control systems to moving plant, and monitor stability and safe operation of forklifts, incorporating zone based speed control, driver identification, and driver safety restraints.
SOLUTION:
- Speedshield RFID and GPS Zoned Speed Control
- Speedshield Logic Based Driver Restraints and Driver Verification
- Speedshield Reporting and Control Module
DETAILS:
Large 16 – 32 tonne forklifts operate in the rail yards at BlueScope and are required to carry different shapes and weights of steel and are capable of travelling at speeds between 35 and 50 kph. BlueScope recognised the best solution to these risks was to limit the speed of the forklifts and to install several stability control options, with reporting of key stability factors.
Speedshield communicates with the engine management systems to prevent the forklifts from lifting loads above the safe working load limit, travelling at speeds too high for the weight of the load and to prevent the forklifts from operating at speed with loads raised.
Speedshield Smart Card Driver Verification was implemented to increase driver responsibility.
Speedshield Reporting and Control was implemented to provide central control of the safety system and to provide full vehicle and operator performance and usage information.
A key component of the Speedshield implementation at BlueScope’s Queensland Rail Terminal warehouse is not only the active control of the equipment speed, but additionally it enables management to initiate an ‘Emergency Stop button’ in warehouse zones – and have any piece of mobile equipment operating in that zone to reduce speed and stop until the situation is recovered.