Mansfield State High School – Not Your Average Construction Site

Mansfield State High School Safety Case Study

With 2800 students currently enrolled and expectations for this to soar to 3,000 in 2020, Mansfield State High School has embarked on a significant expansion of its facilities to accommodate current and anticipated future growth.

Student safety during construction

Health & Safety is always a top priority during any construction project but never is this more important than during a build in an active school environment.

The new multipurpose hall being built on the school grounds presented a significant safety challenge for the developers:

2,800 students needing access to the sports field
many loads of materials and heavy machinery requiring access around the edge of the sports field to get to the construction site.

As a new build, the groundwork was a key aspect of the project and requires a lot of heavy machinery. Additionally, construction deliveries, are a frequent and unavoidable part of any construction project. Eliminating risk isn’t easy.

Rotech was tasked by specialist access control company Que Access to provide a temporary safe crossing for students and teachers while facilitating Contractor access/exit requirements from the street to the construction site.

Boom gates pair up to manage traffic flow

An intelligent automatic boom gate system was installed by Que Access to manage vehicle and pedestrian access where they intersect.

Pedestrian Access

Pedestrian access was controlled by two Bionik AG Automatic Boom Gates fitted with a fence on each pole to prevent students from ducking underneath. Under normal circumstances, the pedestrian access boom poles remain open allowing students/teachers to move freely in and out of the sports field.

Vehicle Access

Vehicle access is also controlled by two Bionik AG Automatic Boom Gates which remain in the closed position until activation. Construction traffic travels along a temporary fenced roadway, on reaching the pedestrian access gates the driver pushes a button to gain entry through the intersection.

Automated Access Procedure

When construction vehicles reach the pedestrian access gates the driver pushes a button which initiates the following automated procedure:

Red LED lights flash on the pedestrian boom pole and a siren sounds a warning to pedestrians that the gates are about to close
15 seconds later, if all students/teachers have cleared the intersection, the pedestrian access boom gates close
Safety PE beams prevent the vehicle access gates from opening and closing if there is any obstruction such as a person in the intersection.
Once pedestrian gates are fully closed the vehicle access boom gates automatically open allowing traffic to move through the intersection.
When pedestrians are clear of the pathway an electrical interlock sends a signal to the controller to close the vehicle access gate.
Once the intersection is empty and the vehicle access gate is fully closed the pedestrian access gate re-opens.
The LED lights turn green indicating the intersection is safe for students/teachers to pass through.

The automatic boom gates were mounted on 20 mm thick steel base to keep them stable while allowing for relocation when required.

If you have a difficult access control situation where safety is a priority, we have the products and expertise to develop tailored solution, whether permanent or temporary. Call Alan Roberts on 07 3250 1123 or email info@rotech.com.au