Technology critical for safety and productivity

New and improved technology has changed our world, making it easier, safer and faster to move people and belongings from place to place, transfer money and digital capital across borders safely and securely, and share tremendous amounts of data and other information seamlessly, which has huge benefits for business and society.

Revolutionary advancements like Facetime and other wireless video conferencing applications are helping to mitigate the tyranny of distance, bringing family, friends and work colleagues closer together.

We really are incredibly fortunate to be living at a time when technology has never been more accessible and affordable.

Smart freight and logistics operators are embracing technological advancements that can improve their productivity and create a safer and more harmonious working environment.

As important as traditional engineering improvements continue to be, such as more efficient motors and design improvements to heavy vehicles, trains and ships, it is advancements in non-traditional transport areas like software, wireless inventory devices, and sensors that can monitor alertness that are revolutionising our industry.

Electronic Work Diaries (EWDs) are one such example of an accessible and affordable piece of equipment that large and small transport operators can benefit tremendously from.

The Victorian Transport Association (VTA) will be working closely with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and other stakeholders in 2016, as more and more operators invest in the technology and state governments consider legislation around their use.

EWDs monitor and record the work and rest time of a transport driver, and are progressively being adopted as a voluntary alternative to written diaries. They have the potential to provide major safety improvements and reduce burdensome paperwork and back end “red tape” which, in turn, can create efficiency dividends for administrators.

The VTA supports uptake of EWDs because they are a cost-effective tool that large and small operators can use to improve their bottom line and keep workers safe. The install price of around $1,700 per vehicle will continue to fall as operators opt in for the technology and the market responds to higher demand.

Critics of EWDs say they are a Trojan horse for monitoring staff.

However, strict enforcement guidelines and steep penalties for the misuse of information will ensure employers do the right thing by their drivers. Last September, Queensland became the first state to legalise EWDs, with companies liable for fines up to $20,000 for inappropriate use of information. These deterrents will go a long way to mitigating “Big Brother” concerns.

Another area where technology can dramatically improve safety for Australia’s roughly 600,000 heavy vehicle drivers is a simple device that could alert drivers about possible risks at any of the approximately 10,000 level crossings around the country – particularly in rural areas.

Roads crossing railway lines in rural Australia typically do not have boom gates, and retrofitting them would be an unrealistic and massively expensive exercise for state and territory governments.

A simple and inexpensive complement to established level crossing warnings like signs, lights and rumble strips could be a transponder in the cabin that alerts a driver with an audible notification every time they approach a level crossing.

This technology is one of three intelligent transport systems a 2014 study investigated to mitigate accidents at level crossings, with the other two being an in-vehicle visual warning using a GPS navigation-like system, and an on-road valet system intervention using warning lights on the road surface that activate as a train approaches.

Intelligent transport systems such as these deserve further research, investment and consideration.

For its part, the VTA will use its influence and reach to advocate, where appropriate, to governments and regulators for investigating how technology can be used to strengthen established road, rail and sea infrastructure, and as a safety and productivity tool.

The VTA’s Vehicle Outlook seminar being held in May as part of the International Truck, Trailer and Equipment Show (ITTES) will showcase many best practice examples and case studies of how smart technology is saving lives and creating efficiencies for operators.

Contact the VTA on 03 9607 4500 should you wish to learn more about the seminar, or if you would like to share any recent case studies of how your company is using new and improved technology to create a safer and more productive workplace.

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