AUTHOR ARCHIVES: Mark Glover

In the Big Discussion we bring together a panel of industry experts and focus on one key topic within the field service sector. In the third of a four part series on AI our panellists, FieldAware's Mark Tatarsky and ServiceMax's Amit Jain, discuss the benefits the technology can bring to a business.

Water Consultancy and Contractor implements StaySafe to ensure lone worker safety.

Hydrosave has introduced StaySafe to ensure the safety of their lone workers. Hydrosave, an operational consultant and specialist contractor within the water industry, regularly sends fieldworkers out to locations across the UK to provide leak detection, water audits or sewerage surveys. With these lone workers at risk of numerous hazards, such as working below ground or in highways, Hydrosave has rolled out StaySafe to employees across the UK.

Fieldworkers can now use the StaySafe mobile app to log their arrival and safe departure from each external visit with the simple press of a button. This app is linked to a secure cloud-based monitoring Hub which accurately locates lone workers on a map and provides managers with real-time updates on their movements. If an employee fails to check in safely during a lone working session, has an accident or raises an alert, managers will be able to locate them and get help straight away. 

Previously Hydrosave relied on a buddy system for their staff, with employees pairing up and taking it in turns to check in with each other to ensure that their ‘buddy’ was safe. However, managers noticed that there were often discrepancies and they had very little control over how employees were carrying out the buddy system. This process also involved a high amount of paperwork which was inconvenient and time consuming for all employees. 

To overcome these issues, Hydrosave began looking for a lone working system that was more automated, easy-to-use and could be managed by head office. The company also wanted a method that was flexible and simple to operate and implement. Hydrosave trialed other company’s solutions but none of them proved to be as simple or effective as StaySafe’s solution.

After a very successful trial with StaySafe over a one month period, Hydrosave’s fieldworkers found that there was a significant reduction in  time spent trying to get hold of colleagues. It has significantly reduced the need to fill out time-consuming paperwork every day. Managers now have insight into where their workers are at any given time and can ensure that their staff are safe throughout their working day. Hydrosave employees feel much safer knowing that if an incident were to occur, managers are aware of their whereabouts and assistance can be sent directly to their location. 

Connell Shannaghan, Project Manager at Hydrosave comments, “Our overall experience with StaySafe has been really positive. We were initially looking for a safety solution that could help minimise the amount of paperwork management we were having to do. We also wanted something that was simple to implement and easy to use. StaySafe has fit into the company structure very well, it's much easier to supervise and track staff and our employees enjoy the simplicity of the app.”

Don Cameron, CEO at StaySafe, adds: “Latest HSE statistics show that the risk of an employee being injured from a fall or using machinery is present in nearly 50% of workplaces in the UK. Lone workers are particularly vulnerable if an accident occurs as there is no one to raise the alarm. We are proud to offer a lone working solution that helps keep employees safe whilst working in dangerous areas.”

RuggON rugged tablets are delivered with simpler and easier mobility management for professionals working in all industries...

RuggON the leading manufacturer of rugged solutions announced that its Android 9-based and octa-core powered flagship rugged tablet SOL PA501 is now SOTI MobiControl certified. Empowered by SOTI’s enterprise mobility management (EMM) technology, the next-generation tablet is ideally suited for 24/7 on-duty mobile workers, as they often need to deploy multiple devices (handhelds/tablets/laptops) during their mission. 

SOTI MobiControl is a powerful platform that enables IT admins to fast and securely deploy multiple devices and manage apps and content with no need to worry about device downtime. Seeing this advantage, RuggON decided to work with SOTI to provide its mobile workers with IP65-certified and MobiControl-ready solutions that are qualified not only for harsh environments but also for easy, secured, and centralized mobility management.        

“Mobility management has become extremely critical when it comes to the smoothness of mission execution.” RuggON product manager H.-C. Lee said, “Together with SOTI MobiControl’s Device Feature Control function, SOL PA501 further ensures industrial field workers can securely transfer critical data such as biometric characteristics or inventory lists to remote data centers at designated time or venue using the tablet’s complete communication technologies.”

“SOTI, the world's most trusted provider of mobile and IoT device management solutions, welcomes RuggON as a SOTI Solution Certified Partner. In conjunction with a network of high performing hardware providers, ISV partners and resellers, customers across a wide range of sectors now have access to business-critical mobility solutions that offer end-to-end mobility management integration. RuggON delivers on SOTI’s mission which ensures we are working with the best partners in markets aligned with our local business strategy,” said Mustafa Ebadi, Chief Operating Officer, SOTI.” 

                 FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT RUGGON CLICK HERE

Steve Zannos, Director, Customer Care, Elextrolux and FSN20 alumni shares his thoughts on service in the latest Field Service Podcast.

Steve Zannos is a worthy addition to 2019's most influential in service list, the FSN20, our annual run-down of those making a significant impact on the sector. As Senior Director of Service at Electrolux, Steve oversees a vast pool of engineers as well as external contractors and has shifted the firm's service strategy to a modern outlook with tangible outcomes.

Steve wrote a fascinating piece on management and engineer engagement so we got him onto the podcast to discuss the article; challenges that arise when introducing new technologies; and how the the profession can encourage more young people into the sector. It's essential listening for any service professional.
You can connect with Steve on LinkedIn here and join the Customer Services Management Professionals LinkedIn group here.

Authentication platform Veridium launches its proprietary facial recognition technology, vFace.

Face enables facial recognition on all mobile devices with a front facing camera (2MP or above), meaning older or less expensive devices without biometric sensor technology built in can be converted into robust security solutions available to all. The software is available as part of the VeridiumID authenticator application on Android or iOS, as well as for businesses to integrate into their existing apps via an SDK, and will soon be available for Windows desktop authentication.

Additionally, Veridium has developed innovative patented behavioural biometrics, which gather data from a device’s motion sensors in order to analyse particular patterns of behaviour unique to the user. This could be the way you use your phone, use an application, or use a biometric, complimented by the device’s location or time of day – providing an additional layer of security in the most seamless fashion. Veridium’s behavioural software can also uniquely be used in conjunction with a device’s native biometrics, as well as use workflows from other applications to inform and improve fraud detection.

John Spencer, Chief Product Revenue Officer of Veridium said: “We are very excited to be launching vFace, our facial recognition software, which complements our existing digital fingerprint technologies on VeridiumID - our robust authentication platform. vFace allows advanced security solutions to be implemented on any smartphone with a front camera – replacing expensive equipment with a frictionless and convenient app. Businesses implementing biometric authentication such as vFace will see increased security, without the associated costs from substantial password administration and data breaches.”


“We are also delighted to offer our unique behavioural biometrics capabilities, which we believe signal a new era in cybersecurity. In the event a malicious actor steals someone’s device and attempts to impersonate their biometrics, they will have an extremely difficult time trying to replicate the genuine user’s unique mannerisms. By unlocking the power of behavioural biometrics, Veridium can help businesses penetrate the final frontier in security in a way that is both transparent and seamless for the end-user,” he concluded.

Video telematics provider also unveiled the UK’s most dangerous roads

Lytx^®, a provider of machine vision and artificial intelligence-based video telematics, analytics, productivity and safety solutions for commercial, public sector and services fleets, has revealed the top fleet risky driving trends in the U.K.

Lytx's database contains more than 120 billion miles of driving data from more than one million commercial drivers worldwide, capturing over 64 million risky driving events globally each year.

According to data for the UK, the top five observed riskiest behaviours for fleet drivers are:

1. Improper following distance
2. Late response
3. Mobile phone use
4. Driving without a seatbelt
5. Failure to keep an out*

*Defined as failure to maintain proper space around the vehicle so that drivers have ‘‘an out’’ or escape route should the unexpected occur.

Lytx found these behaviours are directly related to potential collisions, proving that the elimination of habitual risky driving behaviours can have an immediate and lasting effect on the frequency and severity of collisions and near collisions a fleet experiences.

For example, a driver who follows the vehicle in front of them too closely – this being the most prevalent risky driving behaviour – is approximately 40% more likely to have a collision in the next 90 days than a driver who ensures proper following distance.

Similarly, a driver who demonstrates late response to a potential hazard is 80% more likely to have a collision within 90 days than a driver who responds within a proper time frame.

Lytx’s research also unveiled some of the U.K.’s riskiest roads, where incidents caused by dangerous driving are most likely to occur. These include:

1. Dartford Crossing on the M25 (Pictured).
2. Junction of the A45 and A46 near Coventry.
   
   

“The best way to eliminate risk in your fleet is to combine proven video telematics with driver coaching, as shown by the impressive improvements our clients across the UK continue to experience,” stated Damian Penney, vice president and general manager for Lytx Europe. “Video insights paired with personalised coaching helps eliminate risky driving habits and is what makes the difference between a good driver safety programme and a great one.”

We want to empower our clients with more than just data, but actionable and coachable video events that can improve driver safety, reduce claims costs, and help make sure every driver returns home safely,” Penney said. “We are proud of the strong safety results our clients achieve, knowing we’re helping prevent injuries and save lives.”

One of the unfortunate aspects of modern times is the increasing rise in mental health challenges as our society becomes more and more pressurised. Field service engineers and technicians, who are often lone workers are particularly vulnerable to such pressures and we need to be doing more to monitor and assist in this area. This was the consensus at the latest FSN ThinkTank held in London, UK at the end of 2019. Mark Glover, who attended the session reflects on the day’s conversations… 

Recently, a societal shift towards mental health has identified the workplace as a potential trigger point. Employers now recognise the importance of their workers’ wellbeing. In the UK alone, staff absence from mental health issues accounts for 70 million workdays lost, costing employers approximately £2.4 billion per year.  

In the service sector, workers who operate alone are more susceptible to having their mental health affected, given the remote nature of their environment. As a manager, it can be difficult to keep tabs on an engineer therefore creating the right touch points to ensure a dialogue is taking place can be vital when it comes to monitoring the mental health of your technicians. Too often, field engineers are just sent out and forgotten about.  

The technicalities of health and safety for lone workers are slightly different to the traditional version of what we see as safety. Incidents, such as slips and trips and cuts in the office, are approached with a traditional risk-assessment, however lone workers should approach their tasks, which are generally more fluid, with a dynamic risk-assessment; the process of mentally observing, assessing and analysing an environment to identify and remove risk. This allows individuals to identify a hazard on the spot and make quick decisions regarding their own safety.   

It’s an approach that requires a certain amount of trust on the part of employers who must be certain that these checks are taking place in their absence. However, this must be balanced by allowing the engineers a level of autonomy, something they value enormously. Looking over their shoulder from afar and monitoring their performance will only push a worker away. Everything comes back to time for an engineer; it is probably the most precious commodity and the challenge is to blend safety into their routines while not affecting their productivity. Mark Wilding, Director of Global Aftermarket Operations, Hexagon Marketing Intelligence spoke to this point very eloquently saying: “If you don’t know your workforce you don’t know their mental health, you don’t know their mental capacity. If you’re not close enough to them, you’re not looking after those elements. Ultimately their mind isn’t on the game and they make mistakes.  And I think we overlook this area quite a lot.” 

"How do you understand the state of mind of a guy that you haven’t seen for months because he’s been out in the field..."

It is indeed an often overlooked, yet absolutely crucial part of understanding the wellbeing of our field workers, especially if they are often isolated in a lone working role. Everyone within the ThinkTank session was in agreement that this should be an area of greater focus and also that there were still some societal taboos that needed to be overcome. 

“I know that there’s this still much of stigma associated with mental health, but I think it’s more prevalent than any time now we’re in a litigious environment where you make a mistake and there’s quite significant corporate penalties now as opposed to before.  But the fact is if we still don’t pay it enough attention and remote workers is hard.   

How do you understand the state of mind of a guy that you haven’t seen for months because he’s been out in the field for that long? All too often in field service, companies don’t have the right team, team leader and management ratio structures. If they don’t have the right touch points the how can they be close enough to be keeping tabs with their individual team members? How can they be close enough to understand what they’re going through?  

It’s really tough and those are the things, I think, we tend to forget about. Sadly, it often feels that it is the case that they’re just the job, a field engineer. We sort of just send them out and forget about them and we shouldn’t be doing that.” 

From a management perspective, creating a more sensible management framework that develops capabilities and structures can contribute to a more productive and efficient working environment.   

If you are really are serious as top management around safety, you should start working on relieving pressure on people by putting in place better tools, mechanisms, processes and structures so they can be performed without sacrificing safety.

"We are building the evidence base that proves government must act on air quality," says British Safety Council.

An app developed by King College London as part of the British Safety Council’s Time to Breathe campaign is building on a growing evidence base that proves outdoor workers are exposed to air pollution well above the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended limits. However, huge variance in quality and coverage of air quality measurement across the UK suggests the problem could be greater than previously thought.

The app gathers data based on London’s air quality monitoring stations and gives individual users a read-out of the air pollution they are exposed to at work. The first data release from British Safety Council confirms that outdoor workers are put at more risk than average Londoners. The WHO says that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk and that reducing air pollution could save millions of lives. As well as campaigning to improve ambient air quality the British Safety Council is working on practical solutions to reduce the risks for outdoor workers.

Over six months the Canairy app has gathered data from a sample of Londoners. Outdoor workers were exposed to air pollution averages higher than guidelines for NO2, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and Ozone. Some maximum exposures were nearly two thirds higher than recommended WHO limits. The workers were in two groups, some mostly working in offices and others mostly working outside. Although both groups were exposed to high levels of air pollution, those working outside are exposed to worse pollution than the average Londoner.

The British Safety Council launched Time to Breathe in March 2019. The campaign offers the Canairy app free to give workers and employers information about air pollution exposure as well as providing free advice and guidance. The British Safety Council has called on the government to adopt WHO guidelines in the new Environment Bill. In March 2020 the British Safety Council will be taking the campaign to Manchester to highlight the limitations of air pollution monitoring outside London.

The British Safety Council’s Head of Campaigns Matthew Holder said:

“The first data release confirms that outdoor workers are being exposed to high levels of air pollution with all the health risks that carries. Canairy confirms what we also thought – if you work outside in a city or near a busy road you are putting your health at risk. What is new is that we now have the technology for individual workers to record their exposure. With Canairy and other forms of measurement we are building the evidence base that makes the case for change. As a first step we must urgently adopt the WHO guidelines on PM2.5. But we also need investment in measurement so we can understand who is at risk and how people can limit their exposure to harmful air pollution.”

In the Big Discussion we bring together a panel of industry experts and focus on one key topic within the field service sector. In the second of a four part series on AI our panellists, FieldAware's Mark Tatarsky and ServiceMax's Amit Jain, define the difference between Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.