Tuesday, March 2, 2021

Alaska Marine Lines Installs Proximity
Alarm System

To raise safety awareness at its Seattle and Southeast Alaska yards, Alaska Marines Lines has installed SEEN Safety's Infrared Retroreflector Identification System (IRIS).

IRIS, which can be placed on forklifts and low-speed vehicles, uses light and radar to detect reflective material such as safety vests in close range from 28 feet wide to 25 feet deep, the company said. The alert sounds when people and equipment fall within the proximity zone.

"We also added reflective tape to the counter-weight of the forklifts to help prevent collisions, which has already proven effective during barge operations," said Alaska Marine Trucking Operations Manager Joe Purcell.

The alam is adjustable to meet unique needs.

"For example, when Ketchikan works a barge it is always full, so we adjusted the proximity to a smaller zone compared to Juneau where the barge is more than half empty," he said.

"One of the major risks in Alaska Marine Lines' operations is mixing personnel working on the deck of our barges with 50-ton forklifts," says Don Reid, Alaska Marine Lines Vice President of Operations. "The Alaska Marine Lines safety team has been exploring solutions for many years and this proximity alarm technology is a major step toward mitigating that risk and keeping people safe on the barge deck."