There are certain things or places around us that we often do not think about until we need them. Take an attic, for example. An attic is not a place where we go often. Not too long ago, though, I had to go into the attic in my house to relight the hot water heater. While I was up there I noticed a couple of places where I might want to use a proximity sensor.
Every attic needs a light. My trip to the hot water heater got me thinking about where to put the light switch for the attic. The lights have a switch mounted in the attic just above the door opening. You can’t turn the lights on until you get mostly up into the attic. Likewise, to turn the lights off you must do so before you completely get out of the attic and onto the ladder. Once the lights go off the top few steps of the ladder are hard to see. What if a sensor attached to the ladder controlled the attic lights? A standard sensor could be used and actuated by a magnet embedded in the ladder, or a steel sensor could be actuated by the springs or ladder hardware. You wouldn’t have to worry about whether you left the attic lights on because they are on when the ladder opens. You wouldn’t have to try and find the light switch in a dark attic. You wouldn’t risk safety climbing down onto dark ladder rungs because someone placed the switch so that only Goliath could reach it without standing on the top step.
Just because something is out of sight does not mean it should be out of mind. Adding sensors can easily serve the purpose of increasing safety and convenience. It is possible to take those actions which we rarely perform (and are likely to forget) and make them something that requires no effort on our part. But it is not only attics that sensors can make safer and more convenient. Hazardous locations dealing with high voltages, caustic chemicals and high-temperature fluids can all be made safer with sensors. We would love to know more about how we can bring increased safety and convenience to your organization. Give us a call to learn more about how we can help.
