Technology boost for rail infrastructure companies
26 Jan 2005
AMEC Spie is one of the first rail engineering companies to take advantage of the Datascope developed online solution of capturing data on site, which immediately updates the central database.
This is achieved without the need to have the actual personal cards having to go through continuous updating procedures themselves. All the data is held centrally with the hand held device directly accessing the database via the internet.
Via a gated web access, competency information can be checked in ’real time’ with the many obvious associated benefits. Meeting health and safety legislation, contractor management, ensuring billed hours are correct, as well as ensuring excessive hours are not worked by certain individuals and providing historical information to cost future projects - these are but a few benefits of the technology available right now. AMEC Spie certainly think so!
GPRS
This is mobile technology, available today, with the hand held devices easily capable of direct internet access via GPS. The devices can also be relocated to other sites or even hired out from Datascope for a specific project. From any location the central database is directly available online.
Having a central database of information is immensely beneficial to those who plan the work. Not just regular maintenance, but also big blockades when specialist skills are needed. Being able to check that sufficient people were available at a certain time could prevent a job failing.
Verification
Using the skills database, monitoring hours worked and knowing when the numbers of people were to be temporarily reduced by annual holidays etc., are potential advantages. Also using the cards for site access and egress control would not only stop attempts by multi-sponsored individuals to work excessive shifts, it could also be used to calculate payroll information. No more waiting days/hours for time sheets to be collated in wages departments up and down the country, or for verification of the numbers of personnel checked in to the project this week - all is available online as it happens providing necessary data for all managers of the work to keep their records for payments or billing up to date almost instantly!
Informed decisions
The potential for producing better management information is enormous, and disputes over hours worked and pay itself, could all become a bad memory. Informed decisions can then be made proactively, on all aspects of the project with regards the site personnel, staff calibre/qualifications as well as actual numbers physically on site at any one time. Also, since the system is completely mobile, site visitors and those needing temporary permits can be set up immediately - with head office totally aware.
Some may say that using such a system is ’Big Brother’ coming to the railway as never before. But surely, the efficiency, planning and safety advantages far outweigh any such concerns that we may have.
It is logical that if all people on site have been verified as being properly inducted and confirmed as authorised, as well as having the right to be there, then these facts are useful, not the least in sorting out sickness claims or even helping to reduce insurance liabilities. An efficient, up to date situation, monitored by individual sites and pulled together collectively using the central database is definitely the way forward and should pay for itself fairly quickly.