Flannery Plant Hire invest in plant safety

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 03 RD, 2015

A look at the specialist Flanney Cat 320DL Health and Safety machine

Plant hire companies are continuing to lead the way in improving health and safety standards. Being able to offer customers the latest in health and safety features is key for plant and ancillary equipment hirer P Flannery Plant Hire to show the importance of operating heavy machinery safely.

After further enhancing the features of the Cat® 320DL Hydraulic Excavator, Finning was able to assist the company in demonstrating the additional health and safety benefits of operating the machine.

One of the most innovative and modern features available is the on board 360-degree camera system that is used to capture and feed live images of the machines surroundings directly to a single screen in the cab. Four cameras, each equipped with an ultra-wide angle lens that highlights any potential hazards or dangers that the operator might face, support the system. Acting as an extra set of eyes for the operator, the camera system will also identify somebody that is up to eleven metres behind the machine and in the black spots and blind sides of the unit.

The machine is also fitted with a proximity detector called ‘Site Zone’. It uses a radio frequency to generate an invisible field, which completely surrounds the unit. When someone wearing a ‘Site Zone’ transponder breaches the field, a flashing light will appear in the cab to alert the operator. A loud alarm will also sound outside the machine to notify anyone entering the machines work zone.

Whilst on board safety is a primary factor when customers look at any new machinery, productivity features aren’t sacrificed. The cable scanning ‘EZIDIG’ system allows the operator to be alerted when they’re excavating near underground cables. Information is fed directly to an on board display that will notify the operator of any cables are in the surrounding area.

With this technology, and the constant support of the industry-first proactive analysis process, Finsight, businesses and customers have more options to consider when purchasing a machine.

“The features of the machine allow the operator to concentrate more on actually operating the machine, without taking away the vigilance required.”

Byron Evans,

Health and Safety Plant Trainer at P Flannery Plant Hire