Proximity Detection Technology

What is proximity detection technology and why is it important?

What is proximity detection technology and why is it important?

Put simply, proximity detection technology includes sensors, workplace wearables, and software that alerts workers to impending dangers from vehicles, equipment, or restricted areas. This is also known as a proximity warning system, and/or a collision warning system. But beyond the alerts themselves, advanced proximity detection technology - like that available with R-Link - also collects and analyses data from your worksite, so that you can evaluate incidents and near misses to see how and where to most effectively deploy your technology in the future.

What are the risks of going without proximity detection technology?

Between 2020 and 2021, the HSE reported that an incredible 441,000 workers in the UK sustained non-fatal injuries in the workplace. And 10% of those injuries were caused by workers being struck by a moving object, like a vehicle or material handling equipment. That’s nearly 45 thousand injuries caused by ineffective or non-existent proximity warning safeguards in the workplace.

Historically, workers throughout the UK have managed their risk from dangerous proximity without the help of technology. Physical barriers - like fencing or cones - have traditionally been used as safeguards when it comes to dangerous areas and equipment, but these types of barriers are both cumbersome to implement and difficult to move around efficiently in dynamic environments, like construction sites. And while it’s not possible to say exactly how many of these injuries can be attributed to the ineffectiveness or inefficiency of physical barriers, it is the case that many of these injuries occur (and continue to occur) as a result of people simply getting too close to dangerous areas, machines, and equipment. Particularly, there is a lack of adequate segregation between people and moving vehicles, such as forklifts and excavators.

The truth is that physical barriers simply aren’t effective enough at reducing the biggest problem when it comes to this type of accident: human error. As it turns out, humans aren’t very good at judging distances, especially from far away.

R-Link is a new generation of proximity detection technology that alerts the wearer to impending dangers from vehicles, equipment, or geofenced restricted areas.

R-Link is a new generation of proximity detection technology that alerts the wearer to impending dangers from vehicles, equipment, or geofenced restricted areas.

What is modern proximity detection technology and how does it work?

To be sure that your workers aren’t getting dangerously close to moving vehicles, equipment, or restricted areas, you must adopt modern proximity warning technology that can accurately, reliably monitor your workers’ behaviour, and alert them when they’re in danger.

R-Link offers modern proximity detection technology. R-Link itself is a fully integrated ecosystem that makes taking control of your day-to-day operations easy, allowing you to gain unprecedented insight into your workplace risk, and unlock opportunities to improve your processes and increase efficiency.

R-Link’s approach to collision warning alerts combines Reactec’s decades of experience within the construction safety and prevention engineering space with the latest ultra-wideband technology for fast and accurate detection. Ultra-wideband technology is a communication technology that offers stable, rapid transmission of data across relatively short distances, and allows duty holders to better understand interactions between pedestrians and hazards. This technology is known for being incredibly precise and lightning fast, meaning it can do what humans simply cannot: provide accurate, reliable alerts to prevent incidents and near misses before they happen.

R-Link’s proximity warning system technology is powered by Reactec’s powerful Analytics. These Analytics track worker behaviour and provide invaluable information about the who, where, and how often of near misses and incidents, so that teams can make better action plans for the future. These Analytics reports - which are distributed automatically to duty holders - show where workflow bottlenecks or hotspots are occurring on your worksite, meaning you’ll have the information you need to improve controls and efficiencies without complexity or delay.

To learn more about R-Link’s advanced proximity detection technology and how it could benefit your team and organisation, simply reach out today and a member of our team will walk you through the product, and how it can help you achieve your specific goals.

Related News

Join our mailing list, keep up to date with all our news and content