The team at NuVech Solutions will be attending this years Tow Show to launch their new product – the AirBar.
They have worked within the Vehicle logistics industry for over 28 years where they have amassed a wealth of experience in Vehicle Transportation, Driver Assessment, Safe loading, Transporter design and operation and Transport management.
During this time, a constant safety concern of both drivers and managers were the risks associated with working at the roadside. Drivers working in this live lane situation are vulnerable to impact and injury from passing motorists, but nothing has been available to address this.
As a result of this, we have developed this new innovative safety product which has patent pending and has received a great deal of positive feedback from the industry.
The AirBar is a system mounted to each corner of a vehicle. It uses compressed air to inflate into a horizontal barrier which creates a safe working area for the operator, thus reducing the risk to the live lane worker.
The barriers are made of a High Visibility Polyurethane membrane formed into a rectangle bar. In its stored form it is concealed in a housing and is deployed by a variety of means, including remote key fob, PTO or a button in the cab, meaning that the driver can step out of the cab into an immediate safe working area.
On inflation the AirBar will form a visible protrusion from the side of the vehicle at the front and rear, to provide an area of reduced risk for the driver to work in. It is flexible so the driver can walk through it, but rigid so it will hold its form. LED lights are also be fitted to enhance the AirBars’ visibility to passing road users.
Currently the only options to create a safe working area require the driver or operator to manually place traffic cones/ bollards around the vehicle. This task puts the driver at risk even before they begin work and there is insufficient space to store any items on the vehicles when in transit. The AirBar system has been designed to be compact when not in use, but highly visible when deployed.
There have been recent recorded fatalities in the Breakdown and recovery industry, in addition to numerous injuries recoded as drivers fail to give sufficient room when passing operatives working at the side of and in the road.
Using the AirBar system increases our visibility to any approaching Vulnerable Road Users, allowing them time to react and to slow down and move over.