Remember when GPS equipped trucks were considered an invasion of privacy? Better still, who won that debate?
Today, GPS monitored company vehicles are standard operating procedure and, as it turns out, benefits are accrued to both company and employee. Privacy is no longer on the agenda.
Now, the same privacy argument is applied to safety compliance systems using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology for the traceability and management of PPE equipment.
Like GPS before it, mass deployment of RFID traceability for safety compliance is inevitable.
Petzl got the ball rolling with their electronic PPE Inspection system (see previous blog post here ) and Beal have moved one step closer with RFID application to ropes, lanyards, harnesses, etc.
Overlay these developments with the proliferation of 'smart' devices out in the field and you can see the direction this is taking - view the YouTube clip below for a clearer picture.
Sure, the gear can be 'tracked' and, potentially, the activity of an individual aerial arborist 'monitored' but there are other benefits.
The depth of information gained by scanning the product is considerable. Who is the manufacturer? What is the strength? Certification? Owner, Age of equipment? History?
All this information right there at your fingertips!
And… when your life depends on it, you might be thankful having such easy access to this information.
One thing is certain; privacy will not be an issue in the long term!
