Axis Capital Group Dispenses Anti-Drowsiness Drug for Operators

Drowsiness is perhaps the worst enemy of operators. Yet, with the big risk involving lives and large machineries, operators should have to learn to counter sleep issues. In their state, it can be hard to keep.

Life of operators would usually start at dawn especially on the first day of the project. Of course, the equipment should have to be traveled to a different place and to avoid other trucks on highways, these equipment operators set up around dawn. After a tedious day at work with dirt, sweat and under the heat of the sun, sometimes, even shouting on top of your lungs just to be heard in the midst of the noisy construction site, operators are to ensure their heavy equipment is all tucked in and prepped for tomorrow’s usage. Sometimes, they have to drive it back to their holding area. There are also no fixed schedules for equipment operators. Their day begins and ends once they are seated behind the wheel and off of it. With much exhaustion, they are sometimes driven to dreamland while still on the job.

According to Dan Melendez, operator for Axis Capital Group in Jakarta, Indonesia with more than 20 years of experience, operators are prone to drowsiness because of exhaustion and lack of sleep. The damage caused by a collision with a wheel loader, for instance can be more devastating since they are dealing with heavier equipment. Since there are no warnings for an incoming sleepy driver, a lot of accidents even cost a life.

To prevent accidents to happen, Axis Capital Group, one of the longest running distributors of capital equipment for sale and/or rent in Singapore started dispensing anti-drowsiness pills for operators. This intake of this drug is not mandatory nor is required but it can help operators get through their sleepy situation.

The idea has formed after Australian based company, Gencom partnered with Virginia-based biomedical engineering company, Exmovere Holding Inc. to develop communication and system to combat drowsiness among operators.

According to reviews, the biometric drowsiness system will be built into the steering wheel and driver seat of mining vehicles. The system will monitor the driver’s skin temperature, ECG (electrocardiogram), galvanic skin response and torque when the vehicle is moving. Once a driver begins to exhibit signs of fatigue, the system will automatically notify a central dispatch center.

This device is set to come out to the market soon and is expected to help not only operators for construction projects but mining equipment operators as well.