Blog

As always, this year’s EUFMC was an outstanding meeting. It is the electrical utility conference to attend when it comes to addressing the specific needs of fleet managers and their operations.

Mother Nature was definitely not on our side for the Drive-Thru and equipment show on the first day -talk about a rain storm - but we all managed to wade our way through and dry off in time for the Sponsorship Recognition Dinner that evening.

We get it. Safety isn’t sexy.

While safety technology saves hundreds of lives every year, it doesn’t parade around in a spandex suit and cape. Safety is more subtle in its approach to saving lives. Its approach is preventative: Keep people safe by alerting workers of dangerous situations. Superheroes are a bit more reckless about saving lives. They allow people to walk right into a dangerous situation just to heighten the dramatic effect of the last-minute save. Safety technology may not wear a cape but it is far more effective at saving lives than any superhero.

By David Biderman, Executive Director & CEO of
The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA)

When I tell people who are not in the solid waste industry that refuse and recycling collection is the 5^th most deadly job in the United States, they are almost always amazed. The public doesn’t realize that thousands of men and women are putting their lives on the line each day to take care of their garbage.

But to those who work the routes or send employees out each day, the dangers of the job are far too real. In 2016 alone, SWANA recorded 46 worker fatalities in the US, half of which were drivers and helpers out collecting garbage. It is simply unacceptable to have so many people die on the job. These are parents, grandparents, spouses, sons and daughters who are not coming home to their families at the end of the day.

Creating a culture of safety doesn't happen overnight. But for one Health and Safety supervisor, it was a challenge worthy of tackling.

George Van Hemert oversees safety in what could otherwise be a very unsafe place. As Health & Safety Supervisor for the City of Oxnard, California’s Environmental Resources Division, Van Hemert is responsible for worker safety at Del Norte Regional Recycling & Transfer Station. This Materials Recovery facility (MRF) serves as the central hub of the City’s overall solid waste management system and as a regional resource for other adjacent cities as well.

The PRECO Electronics team is exhibiting at North America’s largest work truck event, The Work Truck Show 2017, located at booth #5873, demonstrating how our radar safety technology eliminates an operators’ blind spots in side and rear applications. On display will be the combination of PRECO’s two recently announced collision mitigation technologies: PreView Side Defender and PreView Sentry.

PRECO Electronics proudly announces the 2016 Safety in Motion Award recipients as Solid Waste Association of North America’s (SWANA) David Biderman and City of Oxnard Environmental Resources Division’s George Van Hemert.  Both recipients have continually demonstrated their unparalleled commitment to safety to distinguish themselves as leaders in safety.

The 2016 Safety in Motion Award also recognized Clint McGinty of Phoenix Services and James Zertuche of NAPCO Precast as finalists for this year’s award. Both runners-up continue to drive safety within their companies and industries. PRECO congratulates them on their nominations and recognition for being finalists for the 2016 Safety in Motion Award.

PRECO is honored to announce the finalists and top nominees for the 2016 Safety in Motion Award. This year’s nominees are an esteemed group of individuals who continually strive to increase safety for their fleets and the public. They represent some of the most respected professionals in heavy-duty industries. The awardee will be announced at the upcoming 2017 World of Concrete in Las Vegas, January 17-20.

Celebrating its 50^th anniversary, CES 2017 was a record-breaking event. With over 3,800 exhibiting companies and 175,000 worldwide attendees, this is the trade event to attend for anyone who wants to know where the future of technology is going.

Once again, one of the major themes of CES was the development of autonomous vehicles and the implementation of various sensor technologies required to ensure these vehicles are as safe and reliable as possible. With 2025 being anticipated date of fully-autonomous vehicles, it is evident that the idea of vehicle automation is now a reality. We met with various companies who are at the forefront of this development in the automotive sector, and are excited to start collaborating with them to start innovating in the heavy duty truck and equipment sector.

Safety in heavy-duty industries has surged ahead in 2016 thanks to new innovations and technologies that have taken collision mitigation to the most advanced level yet. As our understanding of collisions and how to avoid them deepens, this momentum will continue with the goal of saving as many lives as possible.

Recently, we’ve seen higher levels of technological sophistication in the autonomous applications of U.S. Army tactical vehicles. Over the course of the next decade, the Army predicts that assistant drivers will no longer be needed in manned war vehicles, and only a few years beyond that the main driver will also be able to stay behind on missions. Imagine the lives that will be saved on the battlefields.

For the second straight year, PRECO Electronics attended the annual Latitude Conference hosted by Telogis, recently acquired by Verizon. Much of the interest from attendees centered on the potential changes that partnering with Verizon would bring.

Under the steady leadership of co-founders, Jason Koch and Newth Morris, the sentiment was that it will be business as usual at Telogis, meaning the continual drive to innovate in the areas of fleet safety and efficiency will not be disrupted.