Last year, Network Rail released a safety update specifying the requirements for the use of geotagging on the railway. With its use rising across the railway industry, we take a look at what exactly geotagging is and how it can be used by organisations to help enhance safety and operational efficiency onsite.
What is geotagging?
You may know geotagging as adding geospatial data to various types of multimedia, such as photographs, videos, messages, etc. to identify their location. The data usually consists of latitude and longitude, but could also include additional information such as a timestamp.
However, geotagging can also be used to provide information about the live locations of physical assets.
There are several methods for geotagging physical assets, including GPS sensors, RFID tags, or mobile devices with location services enabled. These methods can provide accurate, real-time location data that can be stored in a centralised database or cloud-based system and accessed by authorised personnel.
In business, geotagging of physical assets can be useful in a variety of scenarios, and you’re probably most familiar with its use in industries such as logistics or transportation. For example, geotagging can be used to track the movement of shipments and optimise delivery routes. It can also be used to track the location and usage of vehicles, increasing the safety of transportation and optimising resource allocation.
How can this be used on the railway?
If you work in the rail industry, you’ve probably heard of some unfortunate incidents involving the misplacement of protection equipment or misdirection of plant, and sometimes even equipment being forgotten and left behind onsite.
While essential to the job, the misplacement of protection equipment or misdirection of plant can cost tens of thousands in repairs, add hours in delays, and most importantly, pose significant safety risks to those on site.
In fact, according to a RAIB report, 33% of reported significant events (classed as potentially resulting in a fatality) in that year were caused by incorrect placement of protection equipment. Additionally, according to a recent RSSB report*:
- 60% of the risk due to engineering objects left on the line could be mitigated by the introduction of geofencing
- The upperbound estimated safety benefits from geofencing is £1,080,144 (£934,740 from preventing a track worker being struck by a train + £145,404 from preventing object being left on the line)
- The cost of a points run through in terms of repair to the infrastructure and delays is approximately £250,000
- There were on average 19-point run-throughs per year between 2016 and 2019 (estimated cost of £19m)
That’s why Tended has designed a solution to help users accurately place protection equipment onsite, as well as receive information about the live locations of OTP and OTM. Using geotagging technology, organisations can attach devices to equipment and plant and monitor their real-time position at all times and get full visibility of the worksite on an online dashboard.
A ‘digital control centre’ designed to revolutionise possession management
For organisations operating on large or challenging worksites and complex rail networks, monitoring critical assets, such as on-track plant (OTP), on-track machinery (OTM), and protection assets such as marker board and possession limit boards can be a significant challenge. With assets constantly in motion across large geographical areas, a lack of visibility into the location of assets can result in project inefficiencies, delays and safety challenges.
Implementing Tended's geotagging solution for asset tracking can transform worksite operations and possession management by providing enhanced visibility over asset location and movement. Geospatial technology captures accurate positioning data to provide a view of asset location whether stationary or moving. This is combined with geofencing to create zones on a map to represent worksites and safe work limits with alerts if assets cross the boundary. Together, this creates a powerful solution to reduce the risk of safety incidents and improve operational efficiency.
Unlock the power of geotagging on your worksite
Using geospatial technology, Tended is harnessing the power of geotagging to help modernise onsite operations and ensure correct placement and visibility of assets. By giving organisations more control over assets in one easy-to-use platform, this technology is helping to create safer, more efficient and high-performing worksites.
Interested in the next level of site management? Book a demo to see how Tended’s solution can address your key challenges, and create a safer work environment for all.
*The 2023 Independent Review of Geofencing is available from the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB)
