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OIL & GAS Naturally, all this worker safety data becomes a boon in terms of training. Turner notes that reports can be downloaded and studied to enhance and tailor safety training modules. In the event of a safety incident at a plant or industrial site, a company can track data points such as an individual worker’s movements and adherence to assigned locations. Approaching RTLS If a company is interested in implementing RTLS, Turner advises not diving in but taking time to study the various offerings on the market and to especially consider their scalability and breadth. This is particularly important if a company is implementing other safety technologies at the same time. Turner notes that it’s very important for companies to have a “good understanding of where this solution \[RTLS\] fits in the broader scheme of things as well as in the digital transformation journey of a company.” “And I will underline the word scalability because many companies don’t want to start big,” she adds. “A lot of our customers have big footprints, but they want to assess, they want to introduce technology, and they want to have internal business cases that will help them justify the investment and the benefits of applying technologies like this.” Companies should sit down with potential vendor partners and discuss integration and scalability, as well as their critical needs and what capabilities need to come first. A company might have an ambitious project involving a remote operation center monitoring not only one site but enterprise locations hundreds or thousands of kilometers away. And that plan might involve a one- by-one roll-out or a much faster implementation. They want to ensure they have a partner that can “get them there,” Turner says. Next Steps for RTLS And when it comes to technology-driven digital transformations, Turner notes that her company’s RTLS hardware, software and services solutions certainly aren’t static and are regularly adding capabilities and refinement. For example, on the hardware side, she says her company’s RTLS runs on its OneWireless network, but the next step will be to incorporate LTE communications. The same holds true for the software and services side of the equation. “We are constantly upgrading and changing the software to include new features and to be a priority in the market,” she says. “It’s the same as a car. Cars keep on changing. They might keep on running, but the difference between you having a car from 2019 versus a car from 2023 is significant. Similarly, with RTLS, having those additional layers of protections that really make a difference in terms of worker safety.” David Kopf is the Executive Editor of Occupational Health & Safety Magazine. FILTER BLOCK PIG Storm Drain Filters PIG Microbial Oil Stain Remover Are you ready for STORMWATER SEASON? Protecting your drains is serious business, and it starts with products you can trust. Visit newpig.com or call 1-800-HOT-HOGS®. SEE US AT ASSP, BOOTH #527 PIG Drive-Over DrainBlockers PIG Oil-Only Spill Kits CLEAN PREVENT 18 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2023 Untitled-56 1 www.ohsonline.com 35/2/84/23 43:0226 PM