SAFETY
How access control systems enhance operator safety
Access control is an idea whose time has come. A growing number of fleet owners are recognizing that it’s a wise investment because it helps them create a safer job site and ensures that their machines are being operated properly. This optional tool allows equipment owners to safeguard their machines and improve job site safety by preventing unauthorized personnel from accessing equipment. Using telematics, enables remote management of users, machine lock-out and access. In the process, it helps to bring order to the chaotic environment of the job site. “The typical construction site is not a neat, well-organized, perfectly-orchestrated place,” explains Ara Eckel, director of product management for JLG’s connected solutions platform team. “Machines and workers are moving everywhere, often on surfaces that are not level. That’s not an environment where you want untrained, unqualified operators utilizing aerial lifts.” Most of the equipment on the job site is unsecured. If the keys are in it, anyone can use it. Untrained 38
Lifting Africa - Jan/Feb 2022
operators can not only put themselves and other workers in danger, but they also increase the odds of property or equipment damage. Safety is job one Access control restricts the operation of the aerial lift equipment to qualified and properly trained people. This list of approved operators can be remotely managed from a centralized web portal, enabling one person to manage hundreds of machines on multiple job sites. A list of authorized users is communicated to each machine in the field using telematics and is stored on its access control keypad. That means the system continues working, even if the machine is operating indoors or in areas with little or no cellular connectivity. Once it’s back in range of a cell tower or satellite, its database of authorized users is automatically updated.
It’s in the cards Machine operators receive a unique ID number or RFID card that allows them to access only the equipment they are authorized to operate via a keypad on the machine. The RFID cards, produced by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and certain aerial lift manufacturers (including JLG) contain operator data, a list of machine models they’re qualified to operate and when each certification expires. Access control can be managed via a PIN code, the RFID card or both. Without proper authentication, the machine cannot be started or moved. “RFID cards transform access control from a list of operator numbers and PIN codes into a knowledge system,” Eckel points out. JLG provides operator training and RFID cards loaded with the corresponding qualifications to its customers. That integrated approach helps fleet owners simplify operator administration.
