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Recommendations for Optimum Use of Backup Alarms


Recommendations for Optimum Use of Backup Alarms

Following a research funded by the IRSST, four recommendations on the ideal conditions for the installation and use of backup alarms were published. They will interest especially safety officers and users at all companies that have this kind of safety device.

A new awareness-raising video presents four recommendations regarding the ideal conditions for installing and using backup alarms:

  • Place the alarm at the rear of the truck, at a height of between 1 and 2 m, so that it can easily be seen by workers in the hazard zone.
  • Follow standard ISO 9533 when adjusting the sound level of backup alarms for people without hearing loss and without hearing protection, while accounting for all noise sources around the vehicle when measuring the ambient noise.
  • Set a maximum reversing speed of 12 km/h to ensure the correct signal/noise ratio prescribed by standard ISO 9533 and to allow a reaction time of at least 2 seconds.
  • Use broadband alarms in situations where several vehicles will be reversing at the same time, in order to minimize the risks associated with poor ability to locate sound sources.

Backup alarms – For optimum safety

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