Any better solution to beepers?
While injury to someone in the path of a machine backing up certainly is something to be avoided, I have to wonder about long-term effectiveness of those hated beepers. After a worker on the site hears that loud repetitive beeping, does he tend to tune it out and just revert to normal attentiveness to the machine and what it is doing? Also, does the machine operator tend to assume that the beeping is a guarantee that the path behind is clear and just back up at will? That would be a threat to anyone who hears the beeping but can't get out of the way quickly enough. There aren't any guarantees.
I also have to wonder about whether there might be more effective solutions than typical government-imposed, one-size-fits-all legislation. I imagine the health care insurance companies that have to cough up when someone is injured on the job would be interested. I suspect the liability insurance companies don't care much, if at all, given that meeting legal compliance with the beeper regulation lets them off the hook. Any thoughts as to might be better for all?
Edit: Orion beat me to responding by four minutes, with some good ideas.
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