Technology Advancements are Improving Workers Safety

By Cameron Barrett, Field Safe Solutions

Most people are familiar with the Internet of Things. Fewer know about the Internet of Behaviors (IoB) – using data to change behaviors.

From a worker health and safety program perspective, this means collecting data from the field and proactively using it to influence behaviors that create a safer work environment.

BENEFITS OF A DIGITIZED WORKFORCE

Digitizing your workforce keeps at-risk workers connected to other team members, improving their safety through the ability to communicate in real-time. It also creates additional benefits that help business leaders use data to prioritize operations.

1. A safer, more connected workforce. In North America, there are more than 6,200 workplace fatalities and more than 1.2 million injuries per year. A digital environmental, health andsafety (EHS) solution is an important tool in protecting workers from being part of these statistics. It can do this by connecting workers so the organization knows instantly where they are and their status, and can provide direction if an incidentarises. Help can be dispatched quickly and the data concerning the incident used to mitigate future occurrences.

2. Improved workforce planning and well site maintenance scheduling. With a digital solution, field data is easily and quickly collected and used to determine the maintenance requirements of each well site and track the qualifications and skills of work crews. As a result, team members with the right qualifications perform work prioritized for the highest revenue impact. EHS data can also be leveraged to help meet ESG goals.

3. Faster safety and certification processes “at the gate.” The IoB – in combination with geofencing – tracks workers (including their training and certifications) at a given site. A contractor may visit a site in the morning that requires a specific well-servicing certification training and later at a different site another site-specific safety training. Because they have this information ahead of time, site administrative personnel can quickly identify the safety training required for each worker and have materials ready for completion as they arrive to keep them safe and focused on the task at hand. By automating the process of surfacing worker safety compliance requirements before they even get to site, clients with many field workers can save hundreds of person-hours each month.

WHAT IS GEOFENCING?

GPS identifiers create virtual borders (geofences) around a location. These identifiers allow you to monitor contractors and employees, track their check-in and check-out times, identify their training and certifications, and direct them to the projects most in need of action.

4. Re-assignment of personnel to higher-value projects. Manual processes create a substantial administrative inefficiency requiring multiple full-time employees. Digitizing the process eliminates the need to sift through files and spreadsheets to identify existing certifications and training gaps that must be addressed according to each site’s unique specifications.

By digitizing processes, the resources previously assigned to manually assist field workers with their certifications are now being re-assigned to perform tasks that generate a higher ROI and greater worker satisfaction.

USING THE IOB TO INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR

Teams of oil and gas workers traveling every day across site are not unusual. IoB can manage health and safety data to influence and improve that trip. Data feeds a process where scheduled workers are provided the necessary forms at the start of their day, saving the time required to manually find them (assuming they remember to look in the first place).

These forms can include a vehicle inspection form. This simple reminder to take the necessary steps to inspect a vehicle can help your company:

• Save time in the process by surfacing the form, rather than requiring the worker to locate it.

• Lower vehicle maintenance and operation costs by identifying deficiencies or maintenance before an issue happens.

• Decrease the costs of potential incidents.

• Improve worker safety by ensuring corrective actions are taken before an incident occurs.

EXAMPLE

A worker shows up at a yard to pick up a vehicle. The area is geofenced, so we know in real-time the worker’s whereabouts and what they are about to do next (in this case, drive the vehicle). An automated “just in time” push notification is sent to ensure they remember to complete a vehicle inspection form before leaving.

Without geofencing and the actions the IoB enables, the more traditional communication method would be to spam their inbox first thing every morning with a variety of less intuitive notifications. These types of non-specific emails tend to be ignored, are ineffective and can actually be counterproductive.

EMBRACE THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg regarding how you can leverage technology advancements like the

IoB, digital EHS solutions and geofencing to transform the safety of your at-risk workers and realize efficiencies across your organization in a cost-effective manner. The savings from administrative improvements, reducing costly incidents, operational efficiencies, and helping companies meet green initiatives often outweigh the licensing costs of the technology.

Cameron Barrett is the Chief Executive Officer of Field Safe Solutions. Previously, Cameron held several executive positions, including Vice President of Government and Carrier Services at Axia Netmedia Inc. and President of CSC Canada. He joined Field Safe Solutions following a 25+ year career as an international technology, sales and operational executive in industry-leading technology companies.

Cameron holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, an MSc (Law) degree from Abraham Lincoln University and an ICD.D designation from Rotman School of Business. He is currently a Member of the Board of Directors and Governance Committee for Field Safe Solutions as well as The Huntington Society of Canada. Cameron previously served as a Board Member of the Information Technology Association of Canada and was a Member of the Executive Committee of AXIA Netmedia Inc.