SPL Powerlines UK is the latest Principal Contractor to begin using Tended’s geofencing technology to help improve the safety of its trackside workforce.
Part of the Powerlines Group, SPL Powerlines UK is a leading independent OHLE (overhead line equipment) provider for standard and high-speed mainline railway routes. Often conducting this type of work within very close proximity to open lines and potentially lethal electrical hazards, employees of SPL Powerlines are confronted with high-risk conditions every day.
With the safety of its workforce being paramount, SPL Powerlines is now partnering with leading geofencing providers Tended to help enhance the safety of its workforce and keep teams a safe distance away from these potentially life-threatening hazards.
One of the primary risks faced by trackside workers is the loss of situational awareness. A momentary lapse in awareness can lead to significant increases in the risk of accidents or near misses. As such, Tended has developed state-of-the-art wearable technology that uses geofencing to alert workers should they stray away from safe working limits, helping to counteract the risk of human error when working trackside.
Using an online dashboard, SPL Powerlines will be able to map out safe working areas ahead of its teams going onsite in Bedfordshire and the East Midlands. This includes safe site access points, working zones that are a safe distance away from open lines, and even around isolation limits to keep teams within areas where electrical current has been isolated. The latter supports Form C working by giving planners the option to define the safe work zone for those required to work within 2.75 metres of 25 kV OLE.
Wearables assigned to those zones are then worn by track workers, which pinpoints their near-exact proximity to geofence boundaries. Should a worker leave the safe zone, the Wearable will alert them through audio, visual and haptic alerts to indicate that they should immediately move back to safety, at which point the alert will cease. This “tap on the shoulder” provided to workers has been designed to help augment situational awareness and reduce the risk of accidents and near misses among track workers. The solution enables SPL Powerlines to accurately place static assets, such as marker boards, at the safe limits of worksites and to also use the technology to monitor the movement of on track plant and machines, improving safety and efficiency.
Leo Scott Smith, CEO & Founder of Tended said: "We are thrilled to collaborate with SPL Powerlines to help enhance the safety of its trackside workforce. This partnership is particularly important to Tended as it allows us to demonstrate the further application of geofencing to keep the workforce safe while accessing and moving around the infrastructure. The introduction of additional positioning technology to manage moving assets enhances safety by giving precise locations while on site. Together with SPL Powerlines, we are proud to lead the way towards a safer future for all those who work tirelessly to keep our rail networks running smoothly."
Chris Hext, UK Group Safety & Services Director of SPL Powerlines UK said: “We are absolutely delighted to be collaborating with Tended, an industry leading technology company in geofencing that supports our drive in keeping our workforce safe every day.”
Tended has worked alongside Network Rail to develop this revolutionary solution, which is now being implemented by various routes and Principal Contractors across the UK’s rail network, including Siemens, Network Rail Wales & Borders, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure and Story Contracting.
