Alarming success at Burlington Slate

"Following successful trials, Burlington Slate Ltd have purchased two Brigade bbs-tek reversing alarms for use on their wheel loaders."

"The majority of Burlington Slate’s quarries are within the Lake District National Park and so the company are under intense environmental scrutiny from local residents, particularly regarding noise nuisance. A major source of irritation was the old reversing alarms used at the quarries and so Burlington Slate decided to look for alternatives."

"The bbs-tek reversing alarm uses broadband, or white, sound which is both directional and localizable, concentrating the sound within the immediate danger zone. This increases people’s response to the reversing alarm and diminishes the chance of it being ignored. The bbs-tek has a distinctive ‘shh…shh…shh’ sound which dissipates more quickly (with increasing distance) than pure tone at a similar decibel rating; it is also heard at lower source sound-pressure levels than equivalent pure tone."

"Mike Dickinson, quarries and environment director at Burlington Slate, first became aware of the bbs-tek reversing alarm during a visit to the Hillhead exhibition. He subsequently trialed the 107dB(A) system for three months and, as a result, purchased two units."

"The company’s 23-tonne wheel loaders load slate and waste into dumptrucks at quarries located in two valleys. Mike Dickinson commented: ‘As the outcome of using the bbs-tek was successful, with virtually no noise leaving the boundary of the quarry, but sufficient warning being given to personnel within the working area, we intend to fit further alarms to more of our vehicles.’"