A Simple Description of the Technology

In the case of a wood-chipper, passive safety tags, worn on their extremities, protect workers. The tags contain small similarly tuned coils and a charging capacitor. When a safety band enters a defined detection zone in the input chute, the tuned coil becomes saturated with the energy being transmitted by the in-chute detection antennas ... whereupon the energized safety tag coil retransmits back to the detection antennas at the correct frequency . and the detection transmitter/receivers automatically stop the hydraulically powered feed rollers of the wood-chipper within 200 milliseconds of detection, via electronic controls

So if an operator slips ... or is "snagged" by a tree branch as it is pulled down the entrance chute by the feed rollers ... the INDSAFE SAFETY SYSTEM detects the emissions from the passive tags, and automatically stops the feed system within 200 milliseconds ... before the operator reaches the feed rollers and the blades beyond ... both of which will inflict severe or fatal injuries.

This electronic circuitry is microprocessor controlled and the two transmitters transmit and receive in a continuous cycle.

It should be noted that RF tags are being constantly refined and miniaturized … so that the rather large tags used in the “proof of concept” prototype trials will be far smaller and unobtrusive in practice. The tags will be able to be incorporated in safety bracelets and anklets, gloves, clothing, helmets, boots and other items of clothing … and will be constantly tested for functionality via the detection aerials, as shown in our CD Rom.

A custom-designed computerized control system confers the ability to incorporate new operational parameters ... and thus develop RFID based safety systems for other Workplace Health and Safety "hotspots" ... based on new antenna designs and software modifications ... to adapt to new operating protocols .

Patents have been granted in both Australia and the USA on the basis that application of this technology in the field of industrial safety is both new and innovative. These Patents cover a wide field of applications.

Our latest computerized control system confers the ability to incorporate a wide range of operational actions … to best comply with different safety or processing parameters … including:

• The ability of the system to SELF-TEST before start-up … and at pre-set intervals during use.

• The ability to RECORD the number of times the system was triggered in a working day … or a particular shift. (a management tool)

• The ability to CONTINUOUSLY MONITOR the environment around the work-site for the presence of tags … making the system difficult for operators to circumvent.

In the next stage of development we are looking at situations where personnel might be individually tagged to indicate the level of certification or training held for a specific worksite of machine … thus conferring a very desirable WH&S restriction in the use of a particular machine … or invasion of a restricted zone.

We have also considered the use of such individually registered tags to monitor “who is where?” … and “who passed what check-point?” … in say a mining emergency.

The System can operate in a HOT/DUSTY/VIBRATING/METALLIC/MOVING ENVIRONMENT. (e.g. the metal input chute of an industrial wood-chipper) where:

• INFRA-RED BASED SYSTEMS can’t function because of the great variations in working temperatures.

• LIGHT CURTAINS can’t function because of the highly mobile worker activities … and extremely variable nature of the work scene, demanding close access to the center of activities.