As we come to the end of 2022, we have taken the time to look back on what has been possibly the busiest yet. During this time, we have continued to innovate and develop technology that has the potential to prevent accidents in line with our vision to put an end to preventable loss of life.
When Tended was first founded in 2017, our CEO Leo Scott Smith set out to change the world of safety through technology. Five years on, our innovations have now been used by industry leaders to help them improve the safety of their workforce. Looking ahead, we plan to continue challenging safety norms and deliver cutting-edge technology to empower our customers to create even safe workplaces.
Launching a life-saving geofencing solution
One of the most notable moments of 2022 was releasing our geofencing solution. Developed alongside Network Rail over the past two years, this solution uses geofencing technology to improve track worker safety by alerting them if they leave safe working limits, helping workers to regain situational awareness and move back to safety.
Receiving official product acceptance
Earlier this year we received product acceptance for our geofencing technology from Network Rail. This means that it’s approved for use across the rail network and recognised by Network Rail as a safe and reliable solution to augment track worker safety.
This coincided with a new standard released by Network Rail (NR/L2/OHS/501 Module W4) which is a module that, for the first time, specifies the requirements for the use of geofencing on the railway. This was a major event for Tended, as it highlights Network Rail’s commitment to using new technologies to improve track worker safety and marks the start of a transformation for track workers using wearable technology to keep them safe.
Working with AmcoGiffen to protect their trackside teams
Soon after we received product acceptance, AmcoGiffen joined Tended in its mission to improve trackside safety, becoming the first principal contractor to begin using the technology on the railway. Thus, playing a vital role in helping to highlight the benefits of geofencing to improve safety across the UK’s rail network.
Having developed this solution alongside Network Rail’s Safety Task Force, Tended has been instrumental in bringing geofencing to the forefront of the railway industry, helping to revolutionise track worker safety and onsite operations. With AmcoGiffen joining Tended on this journey to pioneer the future of safety technology on the rail, together we have been able to build a united approach towards eliminating track worker accidents and fatalities.
Check out our trial round-up here.
Expanding Tended’s capabilities
With a focus on innovation, we are constantly looking for new ways to solve evolving safety challenges and deliver on long-term customer needs. Recently we’ve been working on an array of new features to improve efficiency and site safety during the planning process. Our latest features include geospatial overlays, which cover line speeds, miles and chains and ELR references, accurate distance measuring and asset tracking. The whole team has been working hard to get these releases out and I’m eternally grateful to them every day for helping us achieve our goals.
We’ve got an extensive roadmap of new features and releases planned and seeing these in action will give us further insight into what to build next.
See more of our latest features here.
Presenting our technology at some key events
In the summer, we made our debut at Rail Live, showcasing our technology in action to more than 5,000 visitors.
More recently, we’ve been at the RIA Annual Conference and Network Rail’s Innovation Day, as well as the RIA Safety and Standards Group where we presented alongside Ian Prosser CBE (ORR), Andrew Adams (ISLG), Tom Lee and Andrew Graham (RSSB).
It was a pleasure to be able to give industry professionals an insight into the potential for geofencing to transform the safety of track workers, with our Head of Behavioural Science Jules Reed giving a deep dive into behavioural nudges and employee engagement.
Learn more about our engagement approach.
Getting some fantastic awards under our belt!
This year our geofencing technology won the award for Engineering and Safety at the Railway Innovation Awards, as well as Greatest Cross-Sector Potential at the Energy Innovation Awards.
We have also recently been nominated in the Safety and Security Excellence category at the upcoming Rail Business Awards in February 2023.
Keep up to date with our news and announcements.
Looking ahead to 2023
Technology is an integral part of today’s society and it will continue to shape the way we work. As a team, we are excited by the prospect of technology being seamlessly integrated into working practices to improve how we work so that everyone can return home to their loved ones.
We will continue to innovate and build new solutions that help organisations create the safest work environment for their teams, while also empowering employees to work with confidence.
