Every Worker, Everywhere, All at Once
How real-time location services are helping gas & oil companies implement individualized safety monitoring.
- By David Kopf
- Jun 01, 2023
If the goal of workplace safety means keeping every worker safe, then in many situations, that means keeping every worker accounted for. In oil & gas organizations, which have large workforces as well as workforces that can be widely dispersed, ensuring worker safety becomes a change due to size and scope.
Fortunately, there are tools to help them overcome that challenge and stay on top of individual worker safety. One of those tools is real-time location services (RTLS).
So what is RTLS? RTLS uses technology to track and monitor the real-time whereabouts of assets, employees or equipment within a facility or work environment. Depending on the manufacturer and implementation, RTLS utilizes various tracking technologies such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Global Positioning System (GPS), WiFi or Bluetooth to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the exact location of employees.
RTLS systems often consist of a combination of hardware, such as tags or badges attached to assets or worn by employees, and software platforms that collect and analyze location data. The collected information can be visualized through dashboards or integrated with other systems for comprehensive management and decision-making. With those RTLS dashboards, networks and worker tags, organizations can both improve operational efficiency and enhance worker safety.
Safety and Efficiency
As mentioned, there are two sides to RTLS: business efficiency and safety. On the business side of RTLS, the technology can help address business challenges, especially in business sectors where operational costs are escalating. RTLS can help companies optimize resource utilization and track personnel in real time so that they can monitor workflows, streamline processes and locate individuals quickly and efficiently.
So, for instance, possessing an accurate count of workers at specific points is invaluable for managing both ongoing operations and key projects or turnaround phases. In that regard, it is essential to ascertain the flow of workers and their respective locations.
“It is closely tied to efficiency,” explains Veronica Turner, Regional Business Leader for the Industrial Safety Portfolio at Honeywell, which provides RTLS technology and services to companies in a variety of industries. “It helps you allocate the workforce effectively to the areas where it’s most needed, avoiding bottlenecks and situations where work crews hinder each other and are unable to finish their tasks due to waiting on preceding ones to be completed.”
This article originally appeared in the June 1, 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.