Passive Safety
Every year over 40,000 people are killed in the EU as a result of road traffic accidents.
Another 1,500,000 are injured - many being left with crippling disabilities.
A significant proportion of these accidents is as a result of collisions with signs, signals, poles and other items of street furniture which can now be made PASSIVELY-SAFE offering a real contribution in the reduction of personal injury to the occupants of vehicles involved in such accidents.
The UK advice on Passively-Safe poles is detailed below and POLETECH SYSTEMS provide Demountable Foundations and Break-Away electrical connectors which can be used in combination with various pole manufacturers to fulfil the requirements of the latest legislation.
DESIGN MANUAL FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES PART 2 TA 89/05 USE OF PASSIVELY SAFE SIGNPOSTS, LIGHTING COLUMNS AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL POSTS TO BS EN 12767 "The Advice Note gives guidance on the use of passively safe signposts, lighting columns and traffic signal posts to reduce risk of personal injury if errant vehicles strike such objects. Safety barriers to protect signs on larger signposts, lighting columns and traffic signal posts may not be necessary where passively safe signposts lighting columns or traffic signal posts to BS EN 12767 are employed. It does not cover posts for signs or traffic signals mounted on horizontal cantilevers or signs on portal gantries over the carriageway as detailed in BD51 "Portal and Cantilever Sign/Signal Gantries" (DMRB 2.2.4). Neither does it cover posts or traffic signals mounted on cantilever masts as detailed in BD88"
Passive safety and passively safe street furniture is approved and supported by THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY, SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE, WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT [LLYWODRAETH CYNULLIAD CYMRU] and THE DEPARTMENT FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT NORTHERN IRELAND.
THE POLEPLUG BREAK-AWAY ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FULFILS IP68 TEST CERTIFICATION.
Features and Benefits of the Poletech Break-Away Plug.
- IP68 Tested.
- Eliminates Local Authority, design engineer(s) and contractors liability due to injury or death attributed to preventable fire or electrocution.
- Eliminates possibility of fire after accident due to sparking wires.
- Eliminates the possibility of electrocution to accident victims, rescue personnel and pedestrians.
- Eliminates damaged splices in adjoining poles.
- Eliminates fuseholder and surge arrester replacement after knockdown.
- Eliminates delayed rescue efforts attributed to exposed wire.
- Eliminates repeated splicing and wire damage after knockdown
- Allows remaining poles on circuit to continue illumination.
- Meets the new Break-Away wiring requirements of U.K. Highways Agency.
- Quick and simple system maintenance.
- The Poletech PolePlug allows proper pole trajection during knockdown.
The Poletech Break-Away plug is the Highways Agency approved system for passively safe posts requiring emergency disconnection of the power supply cables, Should the sign post or lighting column shear on impact, the post is not tethered in any way by the supply cables.
With a design life of twenty years the Break-Away plug is safe, reliable and waterproof to IP68. All Highway Agency design requirements are fulfilled.
All Poletech PolePlug connectors have undergone rigorous testing.
- Flame Retardant - Flammability tests were conducted on the cable, the moulded body of the connectors and the moulded protective caps. These materials were subjected to five flame applications on for 15 seconds. After all applications, the material self-extinguished before one minute upon removal of the flame and did not burn through.
- Crushing Test - No breakage or deformation resulted when the mated and unmated connectors were subjected to a crushing force of 225kg for one minute. Following the crush test, satisfactory dielectric tests were performed.
- Submersible test - The mated and capped connectors were immersed in water to the requirements of IP68. Immediately following the immersion, satisfactory dielectric and leakage current tests were performed. The connectors were unmated and caps were removed and were found to have successfully prevented water from reaching the contact areas of the connectors.