KPI Enhances Safety with 11 New Blade MASH-Rated TMAs from Innov8 Equipment
EXCEEDING NATIONAL SAFETY STANDARDS
As part of our ongoing commitment to innovation and road safety, KPI Group has recently introduced 11 new Blade MASH-rated Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMAs), supplied by Innov8 Equipment. This strategic enhancement to our growing fleet ensures that our teams and the traveling public remain protected on high-speed roads and construction sites across Australia.
Why KPI Chose the Blade MASH-Rated TMA
The decision to incorporate Blade TMAs into our operations was driven by a combination of safety, efficiency, and innovation. With traffic management and worker safety at the forefront of our priorities, the Blade TMA stood out as the ideal choice for our growing fleet. Here’s why:
1. Advanced Impact Protection
The Blade TMA is designed with an innovative energy-absorbing steel blade system, which effectively dissipates the kinetic energy from vehicle collisions. This ensures controlled deceleration and minimizes risks to both road users and our workforce.
2. Compact and Lightweight Design
Unlike traditional TMAs, the Blade TMA is lighter and more compact, allowing for improved fuel efficiency, vehicle maneuverability, and reduced wear on fleet vehicles. Its shorter stowed length also makes it ideal for urban environments and work zones with limited space.
3. Compliance with MASH TL-3 Standards
Meeting the rigorous MASH (Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware) Test Level 3 standards, the Blade TMA has been crash-tested to withstand high-speed impacts. Its performance aligns with KPI’s commitment to exceeding industry safety requirements and ensuring compliance with Australian road safety regulations.
4. Increased Operational Efficiency
The Blade TMA’s simple deployment and retraction system makes it easy for operators to manage, reducing setup time and increasing efficiency on job sites. This allows our teams to deploy and reposition safely and quickly, minimizing disruptions to traffic flow.
5. Rear Under Ride Protection & Enhanced Safety Features
The Blade TMA comes with Rear Under Ride Protection as standard to the rear of the trailer. When vehicles crash into the Blade TMA, they avoid underrunning the TMA at the rear side because of this safety feature, which reduces the chances of fatalities and severe injuries.
The Blade TMA was also designed to safely protect and redirect the impacting vehicle away from the “coffin corner”. A phrase in the traffic management industry, the “coffin corner” describes a scenario where a driver hits the corner of a truck-mounted attenuator, often leading to significant injury or death. The Blade TMA’s impact plate width is the same width as the truck tray, significantly wider than most products on the market today. This means the TMA can safely capture the entire vehicle and disperse the energy from the crash, protecting the vulnerable road user.
KPI’s Ongoing Commitment to Safety and Innovation
With the introduction of 11 Blade TMAs, KPI continues to lead the way in road safety innovation. We recognize that safety technology is constantly evolving, and our commitment to MASH-certified impact attenuators is part of our broader mission to enhance work zone safety, operational efficiency, and sustainability in traffic management.
As always, when KPI introduces new safety technologies, we are not satisfied with the out-of-the-box concept, even though we must admit the Blades were already pretty special. We have worked with our partners to enhance the Blade with cyclist and motorbike under-guard protection, further ensuring safety for vulnerable road users.
Wayne Wright, General Manager at KPI Group, highlighted the significance of this enhancement:
“The introduction of the Blade TMA to our fleet reflects KPI’s ongoing commitment to safety and innovation. As we continue to expand, our priority remains ensuring our workers and the public are protected by the best technology available.”
Strengthening Our Fleet for the Future
As KPI continues to expand across major infrastructure and road projects in Australia, having the right work zone safety solutions is critical. The Blade MASH-rated TMAs align with our goal of providing best-in-class traffic protection devices while maintaining our commitment to sustainability and safety leadership in the industry.
Engineering Tomorrow’s Roads: Safe, Fast & Sustainably with Innovation!
Keep an eye out for KPI Construction’s next industry-leading project enhancement, as we continue to push boundaries with several industry-first innovation projects underway.
For more information about our traffic control equipment and road safety initiatives, contact KPI today.