SOLICITATION NOTICE
B -- EVALUATION OF BROADBAND BACKUP ALARMS
- Notice Date
- 8/3/2004
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 541990
— All Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Acquisition and Assistance Field Branch (Morgantown), 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV, 26505
- ZIP Code
- 26505
- Solicitation Number
- 2004-Q-01503
- Response Due
- 8/24/2004
- Archive Date
- 9/8/2004
- Point of Contact
- Kimberly Groves, Purchasing Agent, Phone 304-285-5885, Fax 304-285-6083, - Brenda Goodwin, Contract Specialist, Phone (304)285-5882, Fax (304)285-6083,
- E-Mail Address
-
kpg0@cdc.gov, bcg1@cdc.gov
- Description
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a requirement to conduct a study for the evaluation of Broadband Backup Alarms. The entire scope of work, requirements and evaluation factors are addressed below and will also be included in the solicitation. BACKGROUND: The goal of the research project is to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities resulting each year from reversing vehicles. The specific aims of this project are to (1) evaluate the safety and performance of broadband backup alarm systems compared to conventional backup alarm systems on mining, construction and/or agricultural vehicles at various industrial sites; (2) to validate the performance of this technology and (3) propose the modification of any backup alarm standards, if necessary, to allow for the use of broadband reversing alarms on vehicles in the United States if it is shown that they are considerably safer than conventional backup systems. The investigative approach will include the following major steps or tasks: (1) background research on backup alarms, (2) development of qualitative and quantitative field testing protocols, (3) preparation for field testing of backup alarms on selected vehicle(s), (4) conducting of the field tests, (5) evaluation of performance of the broadband alarms compared to conventional alarms, and (6) reporting results. Nearly a quarter of all deaths involving vehicles at work (i.e., earthmoving equipment, material handling equipment, wheel loaders, buses, trucks, lift trucks, vans) occur while the vehicle is reversing. Reversing is a problem which accounts for one insurance claim in every six relating to commercial vehicles in the United Kingdom. A 1997 report by the University of Huddersfield found that 25% of all fatalities involving vehicles at work occur while the vehicle is reversing and over 90% of these occur off the road. A major category of reversing accidents involves slow-moving vehicles such as lift trucks [1]. For example, approximately 100 workers die each year in lift truck accidents and 20,000 are injured in the United States. There were 1,021 lift truck fatalities in the United States in the years 1980-1994. Pedestrians struck by lift trucks accounted for 22% of the fatalities [2]. Conventional backup alarms used on mobile equipment in the United States are frequently disconnected because of their noise. Due to the large number of accidents and fatalities resulting each year from reversing vehicles, it is essential that the audible warning of a vehicle reversing should be as well designed as possible to alert the listener, locate the vehicle reversing, and not be perceived as a noise nuisance. Auditory warning signals have an advantage over visual warnings in that they usually capture people?s attention regardless of where they are looking. When auditory warnings are not detectable within environments such as noisy workplaces, accidents may happen because a warning signal is either not heard, or heard and not heeded, such as in the case where the signal is sounded frequently and does not convey danger or urgency. In other instances, backup auditory warnings are frequently so loud and distracting that people turn them off rather than use them. Literature suggests that there are two problems with conventional reversing alarms: lack of directionality and intrusive noise. The first problem is lack of directionality. People are familiar with the beep, beep, beep sound of a vehicle reversing, but are unsure of where it is coming from. Sounds are heard over a wide frequency range of about 20Hz to 20,000Hz, although this range diminishes with age. Identifying the direction of a sound source or localizing it requires a large amount of neural processing. Research has shown that the human brain is very poor at locating the direction of sounds when they have a narrow frequency bandwidth [3, 4]. Well-known examples of this are backup alarms and emergency vehicle sirens - where it is common for people to be confused as to whether an emergency vehicle is approaching from in front or behind them, or even the left or right. The sounds of conventional backup alarms are particularly difficult to localize. Only certain types of sound are easy to localize and the crucial component, literature suggests, is that they contain a large spectrum of frequencies (broadband noise). With broadband noise, the brain has the maximum number of cues available to process. Pure tones and simple tone combinations of conventional backup lack directionality and are therefore difficult to localize. This research project will attempt to evaluate the purported benefits of broadband sound on directionality. The second problem is that of noise pollution caused by the conventional backup alarms themselves. Traditional backup alarms operate at a noise level, which can be heard far away, as much as 2 to 3 miles on a still evening. If the site is situated near a housing estate, for example, complaints from local residents cause resentment and numerous complaints. On construction sites, goods handling depots, supermarket loading bays, and other urban locations the constant noise of reversing alarms causes noise pollution nuisance to the neighbours and may result in legal action. For example, directional broadband sound technology developed at Leeds University [5] in the United Kingdom claims to have overcome these two major problems with conventional backup alarms: lack of directionality and intrusive noise. Sound Alert Technology owns the intellectual property rights to this directional sound technology and licenses Brigade Electronics of the UK to manufacture and sell them. Brigade have developed a wide range of broadband reversing alarms called bbs-tek for use on large earth moving equipment, industrial vehicles, trucks, vans, and forklift trucks. Directional broadband sound backup alarm systems (broadband reversing alarms) are not used on vehicles in United States because they do not comply with SAE J994 Standard ?Alarm?Backup?Electric Laboratory Performance Testing Requirements? for back-up alarms published in August 1993. SAE J994 defines a set of performance requirements for backup alarms, independent of machine usage. The problem broadband sound alarms have with complying with SAE J994 is the specification of predominant frequency should be between 800 and 2,500 Hz. It is not clear exactly what is meant by predominant frequency. The broadband sounds could be seen to have a predominant frequency in this area - if for example in an FFT the peak of the broad range fell in this specified area. This research will attempt to clarify this problem. EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR RFP: 1. Understanding of the Statement of Work and soundness of approach as shown by technical proposal. -- 20%. 2. Completeness and thoroughness of approach to achieve all elements of the Scope of Work and other RFP requirements. -- 20%. 3. Commitment to meet the requirements of the Scope of Work within a realistic program schedule and level of effort. -- 20%. 4. Qualification of personnel to be assigned and man-hours to be spent on the proposed work. -- 20%. 5. Contractor?s responsibility and past performance in similar programs. -- 20%. Award will be made to that responsible offeror, whose offer, conforming to this Request for Proposals, is most advantageous to the Government considering the criteria listed above, cost and other factors. An offeror?s proposal may not be considered when his cost is unreasonably high or unrealistically low. Furthermore, cost may be the deciding factor when proposals are ranked technically equal. Since the technical criteria are considered of greater importance, the Government reserves the right to award a contract to other than the low offeror. STATEMENT OF WORK: Task I: Background Research. Investigate the use of broadband sound alarms for backup alarms. The acoustical properties of the broadband backup alarms that do not comply with SAE standard J994 shall be identified such as the predominate frequency characteristic. Clarify what Standard J994 defines as predominate frequency. Make contact with vehicle backup alarm manufacturers and experts in industry. Obtain and review literature on broadband, conventional, and any multi-frequency backup alarms available on the market. Develop a spreadsheet comparing the technical characteristics of these alarms. Task II: Develop Methods for Measuring Human Response to the Directionality of Backup Alarms in the Field. 1) Develop a generic qualitative interview survey form for interrogating selected site personnel (see Task III) about the directionality performance of broadband alarms versus conventional alarms. Develop a protocol for human subject testing as required by CDC, if necessary. Through the CDC contract monitor, submit the form to CDC Human Subject Review Board for review and acceptance. 2) Determine quantitative methods to best record workers? and pedestrians? response to the directionality of the alarm such as background and operational sound and frequency level monitoring, and pre-event audio/video recording. Determine other technical information that needs to be collected, such as, data required by SAE Forward and Reverse Alarm Subcommittee to make informed decisions regarding their standards. Task III: Prepare for Field Tests. 1) A suitable mining, construction, or agricultural field site will be selected to compare conventional versus broadband backup alarms? performance. Locate potential field sites. Contact sites to discuss NIOSH project goals and solicit possible cooperation. To maintain the field site sponsor?s interest, it is preferred that the site has had prior incidents related to backup alarms. To reduce travel costs, a site nearby the contractor would be preferable. Evaluate all the candidate sites and select a site for evaluation of broadband versus conventional backup alarms. 2) Determine the number of vehicles to be studied per scenario (see Task IV). One type of broadband backup alarm shall be selected for testing and will be obtained for the contractor by NIOSH. 3) Rent or purchase and install any equipment determined in Task II. 4) Advise labor and management at the selected field site of the new alarms being studied before field testing. Contact OSHA or the State?s run OSHA program to discuss research project and where field tests will be held. Task IV: Field Tests. Conventional beeping alarms will be studied to compare their performance against broadband alarms at providing directional cues to the pedestrian/worker. Three operational scenarios will be evaluated: (1) All conventional beeping alarms currently installed on selected vehicle(s); (2) A mix of conventional and broadband alarms on selected vehicle(s); and (3) All broadband alarms installed on selected vehicle(s). The selected broadband alarm(s) will be installed in the same position and at the sound level as the standard alarm it is replacing. A thorough field evaluation shall be performed to determine which system is best. Use qualitative and quantitative measuring techniques developed in Task II to observe and compare workers? and pedestrians? initial human responses to the different alarm types. Collect other data as determined in Task II. Task V: Evaluate Performance. 1) Evaluate the questionnaires, sound data and other data collected in Task IV. Compare the human response to conventional alarms with broadband backup alarms. Write a draft project report comparing the performance of broadband alarms versus conventional alarms. 2) The contractor shall make recommendations on backup alarm usage in the United States based on their findings. For example, based on positive results of the field tests and evaluation of broadband backup alarms, the backup alarm standard SAE J994 ?may? be recommended to be modified to include the acoustic properties of the broadband reversing alarms. Any suggested changes should avoid being written around a particular patented product, but rather the technology. Suggested changes to the standard shall be developed by working closely with universities, equipment manufacturers, and SAE?s ?Back-Up and Forward Warning Alarm? Subcommittee. Present project findings to SAE J994 Committee. Write a final report for external publication. A single award will result from this solicitation. This procurement is being issued unrestricted. Solicitation 2004-Q-01503 will be available on August 19, 2004, and proposals due August 24, 2004. Please reference the solicitation number in your request. Only written requests for the solicitation will be honored. Requests may be sent to the above address, faxed to (304) 285-6083, or sent via e-mail to kpg0@cdc.gov. No telephone requests will be accepted. Offerors are responsible to verify that fax requests are received by the issuing office. All responsible sources may submit an offer, which shall be considered by the Agency.
- Record
- SN00635567-W 20040805/040803211940 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
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