Haulotte Group this week launched its new ACTIV’Shield Bar system in response to demands from the industry in the United Kingdom to protect operators from entrapment. The new system was showcased at Vertikal Days in Haydock, U.K.
Haulotte’s system alerts the operator to potential entrapment situations and is unique in that it features a Safety Gap, which can protect the operator from full entrapment and potentially allow them to get out of danger. Following the alert only reverse/lowering movements are permitted, allowing the possibly panicked operator to get out of trouble without making the situation worse. And, after being triggered, the system is easy to reset and reactivate from the basket, which means there is no machine downtime.
The system is designed to preserve the machine’s working envelope, maintain easy access to controls, meaning no change in working practice for the operator.
“We see this as significant step forward in reducing the risk of operator entrapment, and we have approached the issue with the operator firmly in mind,” said Craig Bentley, general manager Haulotte U.K. “With our innovative Safety Gap we have gone much further than current industry requirements and given the operator the opportunity to not only potentially prevent a full entrapment situation, but also the means to self-rescue should one occur.”
