Vision Techniques and their partnership with Aggregate Industries has achieved the highest accolade, winning a Highways England Award for its pioneering auto-braking system that’s set to transform road worker safety. As the overall winner in the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Safety category, Banksman Autobraking was commended for its potential to drive improvements in behavioural safety culture and raise safety performance in the highways sector.
Banksman works to eliminate vehicle collisions by utilising an Auto-braking Radar System linked to a forward-facing/rear camera detection system. It uses low-energy microwaves emitted from the vehicle to automatically activate the vehicle’s braking system if anything is detected within a defined exclusion zone.
The system alerts the driver and when integrated with VT cameras and DVR, sends a downloadable video footage clip of the exclusion zone to a designated person as soon as the auto-braking system is activated or deactivated. This enables the designated person to gain an immediate real-time assessment of the scenario. The footage can also be used for investigative and training purposes, to support workforce engagement and improve behavioural safety culture. Since its installation, there have been zero reversing incidents reported on sites where Banksman has been deployed. Aggregate Industries, Vision Techniques, Bomag and CRH Plant collaboratively developed the innovative technology, working alongside DE Plant and Munihire who have been instrumental in supporting to share the innovation across the industry.
Judges commented that Banksman Autobraking is something that would get real results in driving improvements in behavioural safety culture and tackling a known issue in highways industry safety performance.
Stephen Hurd MD at Vision Techniques Ltd, said: “Receiving this award is great recognition for the collaborative work that has gone into the development of Banksman Autobraking. We work tirelessly to ensure the safety of people, plant and vehicles, unfortunately incidents still happen. Therefore, Banksman Autobraking plays an important part in our customers health and safety policy. We aim to continue to share our successes with our peers to drive positive change across the industry.
In total, 23 safety initiatives were rewarded at the first Highways England Awards, which have been designed to recognise activities which further the company’s imperatives of safety, customer service and delivery. For more details about Vision Techniques and their safety products please visit Vision Techniques
