A potentially life-saving emergency stop system has been fitted to Logan City Council’s earthmoving and construction equipment to improve public safety.
The wireless STOP-IT system allows safety officers to immediately shut down any piece of equipment from up to 70 metres away.
City Image Chairperson, Councillor Laurie Smith, said the wireless system provided an important addition to the safety measures Council applied to its public work sites.
“Many of our projects happen close to homes and businesses so Council needs to ensure it makes those work sites as safe as possible for the general public,” said Cr Smith.
“These kinds of systems are fast becoming an essential item in the construction and mining industries so it makes sense for us to use them too.”
The STOP-IT safety system is manufactured in Logan by Eco-Tec Systems Pty Ltd.
Eco-Tec Director Mike Thompson said the device was fitted directly to each piece of machinery, adding another level of safety to the existing mechanical E-stops, which have been a feature of construction machinery for years.
“The problem with mechanical stop switches is they require someone to physically press the stop switch, which is usually located on the outside frame of machinery,” said Mr Thompson.
“This in itself can create dangerous and unsafe practice, with other operators required to approach working equipment inside the normal safety exclusion zone.
“With STOP-IT, safety observers can easily and remotely stop a piece of equipment instantly if they see a problem.”
