Remote working on renewable energy projects presents unique challenges and risks. Renewable projects are typically located in isolated locations with difficult terrain and harsh climates where conditions can change rapidly, affecting the safety and efficiency of operations. This is particularly true at the scoping and development stage of projects where critical infrastructure and communications facilities are yet to be installed. Additionally, early-stage projects are less likely to have dedicated site teams who are familiar with the specific local challenges to monitor and advise visiting workers.
Travelling to remote locations presents logistical challenges to personnel; as well as increasing the risk to lone workers, it can be costly. These issues are compounded by the need to adhere to environmental regulations and minimise the impact on local ecosystems. Ensuring that lone workers can work efficiently and safely is therefore critical to project success.
Remote locations often lack robust communication infrastructure. This can lead to poor coordination among team members, delayed decision-making, and increased risk of accidents, due to miscommunication. The lack of real-time communication can make it difficult to respond quickly to emergencies or changes in project conditions.
Typical tasks for lone workers in renewable projects can generate significant volumes of data to complete environmental and performance assessments. Poor data management can lead to inefficient operations, overlooked maintenance needs, and missed opportunities for optimisation adding to the need to maximise efficiency whenever working remotely.
How Connect can help
The KUDO Connect app helps meet the needs of remote workers to significantly enhance safety and efficiency on-site by making the logging of remote workers’ activities seamless. The core functionality of the app is to efficiently track who is on-site and the purpose of their visits.
The intuitive design allows new users to be set up and start recording their activities in minutes so that they can focus on completing the tasks they have set out to do. There are several ways the app can benefit the lone working process -
Incident Reporting and Response -
Connect will streamline the process of reporting safety incidents and managing emergency responses. Workers can quickly log incidents with descriptions triggering immediate alerts to supervisors and emergency contacts. All access activity and communications are recorded and can be used to review performance and drive continual improvement.
Location tracking -
Adaptable to country-specific privacy laws, Connect can integrate with dedicated GPS devices where they are in use as well as utilising the location capabilities of the smartphone. The two devices run alongside one another to enhance safety by tracking the location of lone workers. This feature can also help in coordinating and reviewing logistics and ensuring that personnel are accounted for during emergencies. If lone workers have stayed beyond their planned departure time, they will automatically be alerted to check in with a responsible party who will also be alerted that they have gone beyond their planned working time.
Full training -
Connect also provides a full site induction and training platform providing remote workers with all the critical information they need. Workers can access instructional videos, safety guidelines, and checklists directly from their mobile devices. The app can track training completion and compliance, ensuring that all personnel are adequately prepared for the challenges of working in remote environments.
Conclusion
Remote working and particularly lone working on renewable energy projects presents significant challenges and risks. Connect can help overcome these challenges while also reducing the administrative burden on projects and playing a crucial role in ensuring the success and safety of renewable energy projects in remote locations.
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