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Rover Durability
We have been using the Leica GS 18T with CS20 Controller and has been working great. Unfortunately one of our employees lost footing next to a new excavation site for a new building (empty hole 5 feet depth) and fell with the machine into the hole the top of the rover hit the ground first. The employee is fine and did not require any medical attention, the machine has a few minor scratches but other than that seems to be working fine.
The GS18T is rated for an 2M drop, however the height of the excavation plus height of the rod are approximately 12 feet tall. Just curious if anyone else has experienced a similar issue and if they would feel confident moving forward with other jobs. Directly from Leicas website, it mentions that the GS18T is calibration free so I am not sure if there is any real ??re-calibration?? of the machine – see excerpt below.
??You no longer need to hold the pole vertical to level the bubble with the new Leica GS18 T, the fastest and easiest-to-use GNSS smart antenna and RTK rover. This latest innovation combines GNSS and inertial micro units (IMUs) to be the first true tilt compensation solution immune to magnetic disturbances and is calibration-free.
As you no longer need to watch and level the bubble, you can focus on your task at hand and save time over conventional surveying practices. Uninterrupted, accurate positioning when surrounded by or in close proximity to metallic objects – measure where others simply couldn??t before. The GS18 T works directly out of the box without any calibration procedure…?
Ultimately accidents happen to the best of us, the most important thing is the employee is ok. Any thoughts, comments, or experiences welcome.
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4 Replies
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To assure myself I would set the thing up on a fixed point, plumb, and read a position. Then I’d spin 180?ø on that point and read again. Then with the pole at a lean a couple of times. If the results were all within tolerance I’d probably do my happy dance and move on.
FWIW I have a client who has a safety policy about not being within 10 feet of an excavation more than 4 feet deep without either a railing or fall protection. It seems a bit much to me, but that is how the big ones roll.
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As Norman said: how reapeatable are your results now, & check against known control points. I would advise to check 2 times a day for a week at least.
Chr.
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May have this backward. osha calls for fall protection at 6’ above grade but, at 4’ below grade. I’ve only a guess that it has to do with cave-ins and higher fatality rates.
Back to you, Sally.
On rovers, I’ve seen a tumble or two off of quick connects at 6’. Generally softer ground. Good checks over the next couple days and carry on. in truth, consistency checks every time it’s fired up. Comfort is in repeatability. Agreed.
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This contractors practices exceed OSHA’s. Just sayin’ – the contractors doing the really interesting high dollar jobs are the ones with the strict safety requirements. The ones who are loosey-goosey are the ones who have the crap jobs. Not sure which is the chicken and which the egg – but that’s the way it is.
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