The story behind iTWO safe – the smart distancing app for our workplace
Six months before the pandemic started Paul Laycock, Global CEO of A2K Technologies and PhoenxPLM, SVP RIB Global Alliance Partner Management, spent a lot of time traveling across the globe meeting companies, acquiring them and building a very strong global team. Once he flew back to Australia where he resides, he felt ill and decided to self-isolate. His condition improved in a couple of days and then he received a phone call from Queensland Health, which proved to be the starting point of an innovative idea.
Developing the idea - with both the present and future in mind..
He was told by Queensland Health that someone on his flight back tested positive for COVID-19 and that he needed to self-isolate for 14 days. Paul spent a tremendous amount of time brainstorming and had a discussion with Michael Robinson, A2K Technologies National Sales Manager, about his clients struggling to keep a safe distance of 1.5 metres in construction sites to avoid potential outbreaks. Trying to keep a safe distance of 1.5 metres is not natural in human behaviour and in some cases, we have no choice but to breach the distance without knowing. Paul, along with his team, wanted to solve this problem and make workplaces around the world safer. He wanted to make it so that people could keep working. Even beyond the current situation, he wanted to create an app that could be used to prevent a total workplace shutdown in the event of a future pandemic. Making the app simple and user-friendly was extremely important to Paul and his team as they didn’t want to disrupt the work-life of employees. They wanted employers to provide the safest environment for employees in the workplace while also keeping them comfortable. This idea became iTWO safe, the smart distancing app.
How does iTWO safe work?
iTWOsafe supports employees to smartly monitor and track physical distancing on work sites. The user can simply download the app to their smart phone and connect it with our light-weighted Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) device attached either as a tag to their work uniform or as a wristband. The smart monitoring Bluetooth allows the working distance to be easily manageable, tracking the user’s physical distance from other users wearing the device. Users can work in confidence knowing how close they are to other workers. They can receive alerts before breaching the distance requirement and the contact history of the job site can be traced for infection emergency. Comprehensive reports can be automatically generated, allowing workers to take precautious measures and create a healthy and safe working environment.
What is the difference between iTWO safe and the Aus COVIDSafe app?
The Australian Government’s COVIDSafe app requires 15 minutes continuous breach that doesn’t alert workers of unsafe distancing in real-time. If a COVID-19 incident occurs using the Aus COVIDSafe app, the response time to alert and put measures in place might be too long to prevent a total site shutdown. iTWOsafe provides active and preventative measures that utilises smart wearable technology (as part of regular safety PPE gear) that alerts workers before breaching safe distancing.
iTWO safe - a tool that has the potential to prevent a complete site shutdown
The application has the strong potential to prevent a complete shutdown of sites and projects as companies can better manage and monitor workers. In a scenario where the application was not in use and one worker tested positive, everyone onsite in the near vicinity of that person would have to be stood down and go into isolation. iTWO safe can generate a report so that instead of the whole work site going into isolation, only those employees that were within close range of the infected employee would have to. This gives companies the opportunity to continue working on their projects and keep the workforce in place. Companies in the manufacturing, construction, architecture, engineering, healthcare, transport, distribution and retail industries etc can greatly benefit from this app. Along with construction sites, it can also be utilised in warehouses and offices. The app allows managers to ensure the best working procedures are in place.
An applicable tool across many industries
iTWO safe is very applicable in many industries however it does not solve every problem. It’s a tool that enables businesses to prevent a complete shutdown of work sites while ensuring employees can continue to work safely. On the contrary if a COVID-19 incident occurs without iTWO safe in place on a job site, it would have some considerable effects on people. The tool provides the assistance we need to better manage the situation and keep people at work.
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For more information about the iTWO safe mobile application, click here to register your interest and one of our specialists will get in touch.
