Safe Working Zone Robo-flails

[JLA1990]

Anyone had a close call working alongside a remote control flail deck? 1 near miss this year and recently a glancing blow off an operatives lid. I’ve seen video after video of operatives walking behind/adjacent to the machine - serious accident waiting to happen? Very little guidance again for these, just a reminder  don’t get complacent! 

[5thelement]

8 hours ago, JLA1990 said:

Anyone had a close call working alongside a remote control flail deck? 1 near miss this year and recently a glancing blow off an operatives lid. I’ve seen video after video of operatives walking behind/adjacent to the machine - serious accident waiting to happen? Very little guidance again for these, just a reminder  don’t get complacent! 

Is there no warning signs on the machine indicating the safe working zone?

[Stere]

Don't stand closer than 5m?

 

Proabably says  something like that in in the manual?

 

 

https://www.highwayssafetyhub.com/uploads/5/1/2/9/51294565/hei37-highays_england_alerts_-struck_by__object__during_remote_cutting_operations.pdf

 

Stuff can get thrown along way

 

 

 

[GarethM]

Most tractor flails all say 50m, but as the roboflail is effectively the power unit.

 

I would expect it to be on the attachment as they're available with a wide range of attachments.

[JLA1990]

Thanks all. I wasn't specifically asking as I know what the implements working zones are, was more of a warning as I keep seeing videos of people working/walking right next to the machine. I would strongly recommend at least fixing hanging chains from the underside on the back of the machine or even better on the attachment itself (the rubber/matt guards aren't fit for purpose imo).

[Muddy42]

Not with a robo flail, but I once got my ears pierced by a flying piece of wire from a tractor topper.  I was driving the tractor and turned to investigate why the cutter was making a weird noise.  It turns out I had driven over some fencing wire.  A hot piece of wire flicked out and pierced my ear lobe perfectly.  I remember smelling the burning flesh and pulling the metal out.  Amazingly the hole closed over and healed completely. I was very lucky it didn't get an eye.

 

With robo flails, surely the machine could sense when the controller was too close?

[tree_beard]

A few years ago there was a fatality local to me when a robo mowers blade came apart and hit the operator in the chest.

Mower which killed groundsman when blade flew off was 'deemed safe' - Cornwall Live

WWW.CORNWALLLIVE.COM

---

Nic Osborne died after a blade from a remote-controlled mower flew off and hit his chest while he worked as a groundsman at St Nectan’s Glen near Tintagel

 

[JLA1990]

On 29/11/2023 at 18:43, tree_beard said:

A few years ago there was a fatality local to me when a robo mowers blade came apart and hit the operator in the chest.

 

Mower which killed groundsman when blade flew off was 'deemed safe' - Cornwall Live

WWW.CORNWALLLIVE.COM

---

Nic Osborne died after a blade from a remote-controlled mower flew off and hit his chest while he worked as a groundsman at St Nectan’s Glen near Tintagel

 

I’ve thrown a hammer or two, thankfully not come my way. The Machine sensing the controller is too close is a good shout, I wonder how easy that is to implement on the machine/remote. With the most recent near misses I need to action something on the machine - maybe it’s not a wide scale problem especially seeing all the videos of people happily walking all

around the machines but not something I want to risk.

[dumper]

Surely you check your cutting head regularly and after striking objects bolts  and fixings need to be looked at and replaced 

[Stephen Blair]

We walk at the side of the head, 2 people lengths away incase we trip.  
  Like walking a crocodile on a 4m lead. I’ll average 15k steps a day on open ground, 10k in woodland work and gorse.  Gorse I can’t walk beside so initial first run through I’ll walk behind with hammers revolving backwards to thro everything forward.  On some jobs I only flail in reverse so I can stand in the 1 position.