Industrial Scientific Corp. last week unveiled a technology meant to provide an extra measure of safety for lone workers in the field.
Tae-Yeon Won, product manager at Industrial Scientific, told Rigzone the new “TGX Gateway” lone worker monitoring system is designed for a variety of field-based positions in the oil and gas industry.
“Remote roles like production operators, instrument engineers, mechanical technicians and emergency response teams benefit from the peace of mind that someone is watching their back and can provide help when needed,” Won said. “They also are able to eliminate traditional, manual check-in methods of lone worker safety so they can spend more time focusing on the job at hand.”
Won noted that manual lone worker check-ins and buddy systems, which entail checking via cell phone at set time intervals such as every hour, can be unreliable. In addition, he said that some oil and gas companies use gas detectors linked solely via cellular networks.
“When companies rely on these technologies, they leave much to chance if a worker misses a check-in or is working in a remote location without cell service,” he said. “And in the case of a true emergency, by the time a safety manager realizes that a worker has missed a check-in, it’s often too late.”
Won pointed out that redundant cellular and satellite connectivity is a key differentiator between Industrial Scientific’s technology and other lone worker monitoring systems on the market.
“With automatic failover to satellite connectivity, workers are always connected to a safety contact, no matter where they’re working,” he said. “This is not possible with cellular connectivity alone.”
In addition to remote roles, on-site personnel such as safety managers, field safety specialists, pipeline supervisors and health, safety and environmental specialists can benefit from the technology, Won said.
“(They) can use the live monitoring enabled by the TGX Gateway to gain visibility into worker conditions through real-time alerts and live updates on a map,” he explained.
Won also noted the new monitoring system needs neither charging nor batteries because it runs on a vehicle’s power supply. Calling it a “no-maintenance option for busy workers,” he said up to 25 gas monitors will automatically connect using a mesh wireless network – requiring no action from the user.
Industrial Scientific also informed Rigzone the technology directly aligns with an oil and gas company’s efforts to integrate the Internet of Things (IoT) into its operations. Won described the tool as an IoT device dedicated to managing lone worker safety and productivity.
“By sharing real-time data gathered by gas monitors, the TGX Gateway allows companies to make decisions that increase safety, efficiency and productivity,” Won concluded.
To contact the author, email mveazey@rigzone.com
No comments:
Post a Comment