In an effort to deliver the safest and most effective high quality professional highway sweeping services, to protect employees and the motoring public, ProSweep has taken safety to a new level by acquiring two Scorpion truck mounted attenuators (TMAs) to shadow sweepers in high traffic areas. The two new attenuators are in use to create a safe work zone for highway sweeping crews on Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) highways. .
In recent years a variety of case studies have been conducted nationwide regarding the use of TMAs. The Michigan Department of Transportation recommends; “TMAs should be used for projects on freeways and multilane roadways (four or more lanes) with operating speeds of 45 mph or greater, where exposed personnel and/or equipment occupies a lane customarily used by traffic. “ These impact attenuators help reduce damage and personal injury from vehicular impacts, potentially saving lives.
The first line of defense is increased visibility and awareness to inform the motoring public that there is a highway maintenance crew ahead. The truck mounted attenuators are illuminated, featuring driver controlled directional arrows to alert and assist oncoming traffic to safely navigate the sweeping trucks presence on the highway.The application and use of TMAs in ProSweep’s highway sweeping operations increase the visibility and safety of the sweeping convoy while in operation on highways.
The second line of defense is to minimize personal injuries in the event of a crash. TMAs play a critical role in ProSweep’s standard safety procedures in highway sweeping operations by providing a mobile crash structure that can safely absorb the kinetic energy of impact, should a vehicle strike the unit at high speeds. The structure is intended to crumple, slowing the impact and cushioning the blow. By working safer ProSweep continues to deliver value to the motoring public, employees and state highway transportation departments alike.
To read the State of Michigan recommendation for Truck Mounted Impact Attenuators please visit: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot_IM04-09_84688_7.pdf and http://mdotcf.state.mi.us/public/dessssp/spss_source/12SP812(A)V2.pdf