Genie has developed a contact alarm system prototype for its GS scissor lifts and GR, GRC and QS vertical masts. The Genie lift guard contact alarm system is an electronic secondary guarding solution designed to activate when an obstruction makes contact with an activation whisker mounted on the lift’s platform guardrails, alerting the operator, occupants and ground personnel of a potential hazard.
The standard configuration for the contact alarm system for slab scissor and vertical mast lifts will include two activation whiskers, one mounted on the front of the platform, and one mounted on the rear. The system is designed to activate when an activation whisker is deflected by an obstruction, triggering the limit switch in the base of the assembly. When the system is activated, all machine motion will stop, an alarm will sound and beacons will flash. The operator will be able to continue driving or elevating the platform into the desired working position after acknowledging the activation system and machine stopped condition. A free-movement zone will exist between the activation whisker and guardrail, to allow mobility for operators and occupants after the system is activated.
Zach Gilmor, Genie product manager, Terex AWP, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia region (EMEAR), said: “Operator safety and productivity are key considerations in the Genie design process. The Genie lift guard contact alarm system is designed to supplement a trained operator’s situational awareness and provide a secondary layer of guarding while working at height.” Â
The Genie lift guard contact alarm system will go into production in late 2018. A retrofit kit will be available at time of production to allow for compatibility with Genie smart link system-enabled scissor lifts and vertical masts produced from 2011-2018.
