Safety first- Major player in Dutch waste market chooses ZoneSafe

One of the biggest players in the Dutch waste market, Attero, has safety as a high priority. "That's why we choose ZoneSafe, the warning detection system with RFID from Brigade Electronics," says Roelof Buisman, Corporate Manager Organic at Attero in Wilp. The company, with some 800 motivated employees, processes nearly 4 million tons of waste annually at some 15 sites.

Safety first

"At eight of our sites, we process GFT waste into compost products, soil improvers, sustainable fuel and green gas. In Wilp we are dealing with an outdoor composting site, where there is a shovel driving on a site and people working hand and foot in this same work area. All kinds of concrete composting cells make the site very cluttered. In the old situation, the shovel operator and the workmen worked by means of a walkie-talkie to keep in contact with each other. Work was obviously done very carefully according to the work instructions and agreements, such as 'Do you see me, I see you,' but we were looking for a way to further ensure safety."

ZoneSafe: warning detection system

"At a trade show, I came into contact with Brigade Electronics, the market leader in vehicle safety systems. There a demo was given of the new warning detection system ZoneSafe." Jeroen Levert, business development manager at Brigade Electronics: "ZoneSafe is ideally suited for all companies or projects where rolling stock and people work on the same site and therefore there is a safety risk. So also for Attero." Buisman adds: "The demo made us curious and so we agreed to deploy the ZoneSafe system as a pilot at our facility in Wilp."

Detection zones and tags

The easy-to-install base unit and antenna were placed in and on the vehicle and the tags handed to employees. Levert explained that ZoneSafe uses RFID (radio frequency identification technology) to create detection zones around the vehicle. The antenna(s) detect RFID tags that employees can easily wear in vests or helmets or place on objects in the field. "When the detection zone detects a tag, the driver of the vehicle automatically receives a visual and audible alert via the base unit in his cab. The detected tag gives a vibrating warning signal to its wearer so they know a vehicle is approaching. Buisman: "Everyone was immediately enthusiastic: even in bad weather, poor visibility, blind spots, obstacles or even when wearing hearing protection, this system provides the additional safety we were looking for. It gives us peace of mind to know that this way we are pulling out all the stops to prevent accidents."

Assurance of safety

"Everything starts with the company's own internal policies," Levert said. "Attero also carries that out." Buisman adds: "ZoneSafe is a welcome addition to our safety policy. The system is convincing in terms of functionality regarding the safety of the men in the field. It creates certainty on safety. I am convinced. That is why we are also going to equip our new shovels with this system, and we will also look at other locations to see if there are situations in which ZoneSafe could make a difference." Levert says that through an additional addition it is also possible for shovels to detect each other within a range of 100 meters. Also, the ZoneSafe system can be read through a dashboard: identification, monitoring and recording of all tag activity gives a lot of insight. Through analysis, safety can be managed even more optimally. Levert concludes, "This brings our goal of 'optimal safety for everyone' another step closer."