Gravel, debris, and vegetation can be a recipe for unsafe conditions if they drift out onto the roadway. The Walsh County Highway Department in North Dakota routinely clears debris from around the guardrails, especially before a snowfall. This task required a crew of four people, each with a shovel, to remove excess debris, vegetation, or snow buildup alongside traffic.
The workers felt they needed a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective way to maintain the guardrails. So, they held a brainstorming session.
“We had a nice arrangement of scrap materials to pick from,” says the department’s Stuart Swartz. “In between the brainstorming and stuff like that, it was all just kind of throwing ideas off each other. The biggest challenge was looking for some stability. Something safe that lasts also.”
At the end of the session, the frontline workers came up with the Guardrail Maintainer, an attachment tool that easily cleans around guardrails. Instead of using four crew workers, the department now only needs one to operate the new tool.
Designing and building the innovation cost the highway department $65 in materials and 16 hours in labor for two people.
“Using scrap metal was a big plus,” says highway superintendent Jason Johnston. “Plus, the time of the year, they were doing a lot of shop work. Down time is mid to later winter when most of the maintenance is complete on the equipment. I encourage my guys that if they can find anything that can make their jobs more efficient, go for it.”
The innovative Guardrail Maintainer has turned a one-hour job into a 20-minute one with fewer people. The highway department says this solution was a great idea from the start, with no challenges. And from the beginning, the tool worked the way it was supposed to.
As far as advice on the importance of using innovative solutions, Swartz says, “Just go for it. Support your employees and let them express their ideas.”
Johnston agrees: “The idea may seem simplistic but you may never know until you go through the process. It’s just one of those things. You have to take the chance and try. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.”
The project received the 2022 Build a Better Mousetrap Bold Steps Award from the National LTAP Association.
Learn more:
- Stuart Swartz, Walsh County Highway Department, 701-331-0088