Sigalarm products work for more than just construction companies. News stations and government agencies have also been known to invest in this life-saving tool. By installing Sigalarms in their electronic news gathering (ENG) vans, news organizations can avoid unintentional contact with overhead power lines. The Hazard Information Foundation, Inc. (HIFI) conducted a hazard analysis to examine Sigalarm’s effectiveness. The results were outstanding.
HIFI has determined that the addition of pneumatic masts on ENG vans has led to more contact with high voltage power lines. This is primarily due to human error. It is difficult for human operators to be able to judge a safe distance from power lines with the naked eye. Adding more complication, high voltage power lines present two dangers. Each line has an electric field and a magnetic field. Both of these can pose problems for telescoping equipment.
Sigalarm has a long history of keeping workers and equipment safe. In 1990, Weber Construction purchased 15 Sigalarms to install on their pumpcrete machines and cranes. This installation led to zero incidents involving high voltage. Another organization to take advantage of Sigalarm’s technology was the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. Their trucks often parked on rural roads at night with lower visibility. This made the chance for human error even greater.
TV stations in almost every market including Miami, Phoenix, New York City, Washington, D.C., Seattle, and Spokane, WA have adopted Siglarm technology for their ENG vans. Over 700 devices have been installed since 1990. In fact, the hazard analysis regarding power line contact is so compelling, most ENG van manufacturers now incorporate Sigalarm technology at the beginning of the process. Additionally, Sigalarms installed with the auto shutdown feature on a pneumatic mast can prevent the mast from raising if power lines are detected.
Sigalarm has been the leader in high voltage proximity devices since its inception in the 1960’s. Since Sigalarm’s first push into the market, there has been no record of any malfunction from its products that has led to an injury. If you’d like to learn more about Sigalarm and how our products can keep your workers and equipment safe, please contact us today.
