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Proximity Warning Systems for Waste & Recycling
Protect your workforce from dangerous collisions on your waste and recycling site.
WASTE & RECYCLING
Proximity warning systems for waste and recycling sites
Help operators and pedestrians recognise vehicle proximity risks around loading shovels, forklifts and mobile plant.
ZoneSafe provides pedestrian detection, vehicle warnings, and activated signage configured around your site, your vehicles, and how people work. RFID, proximity warning, and AI camera technology, or a combined approach, increase awareness and reduce collision risk in tipping halls, recycling sheds, processing areas, and busy yards.
For materials recovery facilities (MRFs), waste transfer stations and glass, mixed-material, paper, wood and metal recycling operations.
From Avonwood Developments, a UK manufacturer / Published applications at Thamesdown · J Dickinson & Sons · Specialist example: Recresco
THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Start with where people and plant machinery interact.
Tipping, sorting, load checks and pedestrian access can bring people close to moving plant. ZoneSafe adds a warning layer alongside your existing workplace transport controls in high-risk operation zones.
Tipping floor inside sheds
Critical collision risks exist on the tipping floor of sheds where 30-tonne wheeled loaders and material handlers aggressively move, scooping and pushing material. Ground workers or spotters walking this floor to sort prohibited items or direct traffic are at extreme risk.
Push walls and material bunkers
Operators use heavy plant to push and pack recyclables against concrete push walls. If a pedestrian worker slips behind the pile or stands near the wall to clear a blockage, the heavy plant operator cannot see them. The risk here isn't just a strike; it's entrapment and crushing.
Baling and Sorting Line Feeders
Near the conveyors and balers, skid-steer loaders (Bobcats) and forklifts move rapidly in tight spaces to keep the lines fed. Ground crews clearing debris around the tracking or cleaning under conveyors often cross these tight transit loops unexpectedly.
Site entrance and weighbridge
This area forces a dangerous mix of professional site traffic, third-party contractors, and even members of the public. Public drivers are often distracted, unfamiliar with site rules, and prone to stepping out of their vehicles directly into the path of moving site machinery.
“We have a strong commitment to worker safety… we felt the incorporation of a sensor and warning system was an essential investment.”
Eric Gent, Director – Recresco Glass Recycling
THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
Operational dangers unique to waste & recycling.
Dust, steam, moving stockpiles, and noise increase the danger to ground workers around heavy moving-plant machinery. ZoneSafe detects tagged workers even if they can’t be seen. Pedestrian workers feel ZoneSafe tag vibrations, making noisy environments safer. Operators know a pedestrian worker is hidden behind a stockpile or in a hazy atmosphere through audible and visual alerts from the in-cab control unit.
Environmental Blindness
Processing dry recyclables creates massive amounts of airborne dust. Processing organic or municipal waste generates steam and heavy moisture. This drastically reduces visibility for both heavy plant operators and pedestrian workers.
Extremely High Ambient Noise
The combination of trommels, shredders, balers, glass crushing, and screaming engine revs creates a wall of noise. Ground workers cannot hear reversing alarms or shouting, rendering audible warnings completely ineffective.
Moving stockpiles and sightlines
Ground workers navigate uneven surfaces, spilt waste, liquids, and debris. The risk of a pedestrian tripping, slipping or falling into the path of an oncoming vehicle is high. Workers can also become hidden behind shifting terrain and moving material.
Blind spots from Infrastructure
Ground workers and pedestrians can often be hidden behind shed doorways, warehouse walls or large piles of waste and recycling. They can step out in front of heavy plant machinery especially in loud working environments.
WE’RE ONLY HUMAN
The human factor and site behavioural risks
The sorting reflex
Ground workers ensure quality control by removing batteries, gas cylinders, or large metal pieces before shredding. Focusing on waste can cause "tunnel vision," unaware of the reversing 30 tonne loader.
Complacency in routine
Regular site spotters can develop a false sense of security around heavy moving machinery, assuming "the operator always knows I'm here", significantly increasing the risk of an accident.
Third-party drivers
External collection drivers frequently violate site rules by stepping out of their cabs, sometimes without wearing PPE, to clear their tailgates or chat with other drivers in active tipping zones.
A MULTI-LAYERED APPROACH TO SAFETY
How do ZoneSafe proximity warning systems for waste & recycling create a safer working environment?
ZoneSafe proximity warning systems for waste and recycling create multiple layers of safety across the worksite. Each safety solution builds situational awareness in critical areas such as tipping floors, push walls, material bunkers, doorways and entry and exit points.
Whether it’s a groundworker sorting line feeders, an office worker walking across site, or a heavy plant operator manoeuvring a 30-tonne loader on the tipping floor, our systems detect everyone and alert both vehicle operators and pedestrian workers to each other’s presence.
ZoneSafe proximity warning systems for waste and recycling significantly improve workforce awareness and reduce collision risk through a multi-layered approach.
Click on the hazards below to view a suitable ZoneSafe solution.
Talk to us about how we can adapt a solution to suit your problem. A safer worksite means a safer workforce.
Select a role to see how we help people with our solutions
Vehicle-to-Pedestrian Collision Risk Areas
Tipping halls, recycling sheds, processing areas, and busy yards can be noisy, dirty environments with many blind spots due to vehicle shape, size, load, and infrastructure such as blind corners, doorways, entry's and exits. Being unable to segregate moving vehicles and pedestrian workers means a high risk of collision.
Vehicle-to-Vehicle Movement Collision Risk
Heavy plant vehicles manouvring through busy yards have many blind spots due to the shape and size of the vehicle and the load it carries. Collisions mean expensive repairs, vehicle downtime, potential operator injury and loss of productivity.
Site Visitor Danger
A dangerous mix of professional site traffic, third-party contractors, and even members of the public. Public drivers are often distracted, unfamiliar with site rules, and prone to stepping out of their vehicles directly into the path of moving site machinery.
ZoneSafe Proximity Warning Systems For Waste & Recycling
Safety solutions detect, warn and alert your workforce improving awareness across site and reducing the risk of collisions. Multiple layers of safety can be created with ZoneSafe
V2P Alert
HFR Camera system
Detect everyone onsite when you cannot use a tag based proximity warning solution. Human form recognition cameras use clever AI technology to detect pedestrian workers operating in close proximity to moving vehicles. Note – cameras cannot detect pedestrians behind material stacks. They can only detect what they can see.
Vehicle Activated Signs
Vehicle-activated warning signs detect vehicles when they can’t be seen and start flashing, alerting everyone in the area that a vehicle is approaching. Installed at infrastructure entry and exit points, such as doorways, to warn everyone and significantly reduce the risk of collisions.
Access Control
Segregates workers from moving vehicles using barriers, gates and doors. Access is available only with a ZoneSafe tag. Workers can only enter dangerous plant manoeuvring areas, such as a shed tipping floor, if they are “tagged” and “detectable to plant operators because they are wearing a tag.
ZoneSafe Proximity Warning Systems For Waste & Recycling
Safety solutions detect, warn and alert your workforce improving awareness across site and reducing the risk of collisions. Multiple layers of safety can be created with ZoneSafe
V2V Alert
Proximity warning systems fitted to all heavy mobile plant machinery create a dual detection zone around the vehicle, with early-warning and close-proximity-warning alerts for vehicle operators. Fitted to any vehicle type, the system reduces the risk of vehicle collisions.
ZoneSafe Proximity Warning Systems For Waste & Recycling
Safety solutions detect, warn and alert your workforce improving awareness across site and reducing the risk of collisions. Multiple layers of safety can be created with ZoneSafe
HFR Camera System
Detect everyone on site who doesn’t wear a tag, such as delivery drivers, members of the public and site visitors. Cameras only detect what they can see, so they can’t detect someone behind a waste pile so combining this solution with a proximity warning system creates the ultimate pedestrian detection system.
Vehicle Activated Signs
Vehicle-activated warning signs detect vehicles when they can’t be seen and flash to alert site visitors that a vehicle is approaching. Installed at infrastructure entry and exit points, such as doorways, to warn everyone and significantly reduce the risk of collisions.
Access Control
Segregates site visitors from moving vehicles using barriers, gates and doors. Access is available only with a ZoneSafe tag from the site office. Visitors can only enter dangerous plant manoeuvring areas if they are “tagged” and “detectable to plant operators because they are wearing a tag.
DETECTION AND WARNING OPTIONS
Choose the approach for your operation.
Vehicle to Person Alert
RFID proximity warning technology enables person detection without line of sight to the tag. Providing two-way feedback, each system warns both vehicle operator and tagged pedestrian. Plan tag issue, checks and charging alongside the installation.
Vehicle to Vehicle Alert
Proximity systems to warn operators when another equipped vehicle enters the configured detection zones (long range and close proximity). Review the arrangement around yard movements, shed approaches and the plant that will carry equipment.
Vehicle-Activated Signage
Vehicle-activated signs warn of vehicles approaching a doorway, crossing or blind corner. Assess your worksite and review vehicle movements through the yard. Understand where approaching vehicle dangers are and reduce risk at hotspots.
Site Access Control
Tag-controlled access can support entry arrangements for designated areas such as sheds where plant machinery operates. Only ZoneSafe tags gain access to restricted areas meaning pedestrians will be detected and warned if they get too close to moving vehicles.
HFR Camera Systems
Human form recognition (AI) cameras detect people without tags within a configured detection area. Combine with RFID proximity warning for complete site-wide person detection. Review mounting, lighting, dust and cleaning requirements for your application.
MyZoneSafe Data Management
MyZoneSafe, is our cloud-based insight and data management platform, which records and displays event data (such as near miss occurrences) to inform Health and Safety managers of potential hazards and collision hotspots.
PROOF – TRUST – CREDIBILITY – RELATABILITY
Clients who use ZoneSafe proximity warning systems for waste and recycling:
WATCH & LEARN
See how other operations have applied ZoneSafe
Watch case study videos about ZoneSafe proximity warning systems for waste and recycling.
Understand how our clients have increased awareness and reduced collision risk with ZoneSafe.
ZoneSafe helped Recresco improve recycling safety on site by protecting pedestrians working around shovel loaders.
Thamesdown Recycling successfully transformed its work environment. Dual alerts prevent potential collisions before they occur.
J. Dickinson & Sons required an active safety solution to mitigate high-risk vehicle-pedestrian interactions across their 17-acre site.
FOR THE DECISION MAKERS
Get the answers your team needs.
EHS and SHEQ managers
Review the vehicle-person interactions, existing controls and evaluation criteria. Identify what a warning system needs to add.
Site & operations managers
Consider tipping, loading, shift routines, visiting drivers and changing layouts. Discuss how the arrangement fits daily activity.
Fleet, engineering and maintenance
Review plant types, owned or hired equipment, mounting, installation scheduling to limit downtime and other ongoing checks.
Procurement and business leaders
Define the number of vehicles and areas, installation and support scope, and any staged rollout before comparing quotations.
ASSESSING SYSTEM AFFORDABILITY
The real cost of safety.
They say, “You can’t put a price on safety.” But let’s face it: without any indication of system, hardware, and installation costs, how do you plan your finances?
Proximity warning systems for waste and recycling don’t have to be expensive. Contact us today to discuss a quote for your site. Arrange a Teams Meeting and we’ll give you a ZoneSafe demo. Invite us for coffee, and we’ll carry out a full site review and fit ZoneSafe to your vehicles so you can see it in action. Otherwise, check out these example system setups below:
Large Waste & Recycling Site
Multi-vehicle setup – 3 shovel loaders, 2 forklift trucks
- Vehicle-to-Pedestrian Alert fitted to all vehicles
- RFID Vibratags for vehicle operators and pedestrian workers
- Tagboard for site entrance (office)
- Tag tester for Site entrance (office)
- 5 Bay tag charger for office
- Vehicle-to-Vehicle Alert fitted to all vehicles
- 2 x Vehicle-Activated Signs for entrance/exit points to shed
- Access control for pedestrian access to site
- Full installation cost – minimal downtime required
- Tag management to be confirmed. Service and maintenance plan to be discussed (if required).
TOTAL COST CIRCA £29K
Small Waste & Recycling Site
Vehicle setup – 3 forklift trucks
- Vehicle-to-Pedestrian Alert fitted to all vehicles
- RFID Vibratags for vehicle operators and pedestrian workers
- Tag tester for Site entrance (office)
- 5 Bay tag charger for office
- Full installation cost – minimal downtime required
- Tag management to be confirmed. Service and maintenance plan to be discussed (if required).
TOTAL COST CIRCA £10.5K
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Practical questions for recycling sites.
Will ZoneSafe detect people behind waste piles or skips?
What about visiting drivers who do not wear tags?
How do dust, poor lighting and wet conditions affect the choice of safety solution?
Can ZoneSafe be fitted to our existing or hired loading shovels?
How do we avoid unnecessary warnings?
What determines the cost?
Does ZoneSafe replace segregation or safe working procedures?
DISCUSS YOUR WASTE & RECYCLING SITE
Tell us what you need to address.
Has a near miss, audit finding, change in layout or fleet expansion prompted a review? Tell us why you are looking, what needs covering and how soon you need to act. You don’t need to choose a safety technology before contacting us. We can suggest the right technology and safety system to suit your requirements.
Protect your employees on site
Safeguard your
company reputation
Build a strong safety culture
Other projects we’ve delivered
Virginia Hayward,
Warehousing & Logistics
Warehousing & Logistics
Virginia Hayward has reported a dramatic reduction in the number of near misses and accidents since the implementation of ZoneSafe.
Keyo,
Agricultural Services
Agricultural Services
ZoneSafe enhanced situational awareness and decreased the chances of vehicle/pedestrian incidents while preserving the welfare of the animals.
SAAM Ports,
Cargo Support Services
Cargo Support Services
SAAM carried out an evaluation project to find a solution to protect personnel and assets from vehicle collisions within their ports.
Mondi,
Paper & Packaging Manufacturer
Paper & Packaging Manufacturer
Following previous near-misses, Mondi chose to install a ZoneSafe V2P system. This was later expanded to an integrated V2V & V2P system.
See how ZoneSafe can provide a solution for you Get in touch