Client’s challenge

The maintenance facility is an 1882 timber portal-framed building of historical significance. Limited structural or façade changes could be undertaken to stabilise the building. Under current Health and Safety Procedures, all staff must be evacuated when prevailing wind conditions exceed 80km/hr, resulting in a significant loss of productivity.

A system was needed to monitor wind speed and direction and manage workspace evacuation.

Our approach

A third-party wind-pressure modelling study determined that not all areas of the building need to be evacuated when winds exceed 80 km/hr. Some zones can withstand winds over 140km/hr. Digital Frontier Partners designed and implemented an Internet of Things (IoT) solution whereby the building was zoned into five distinct areas – each with a different safety threshold for wind speed.

We implemented wireless sensor technology for remote checking of current and expected wind speed and direction We also installed sensors to report the status of an industrial door (open or closed).

Alerts are broadcast automatically when current or predicted wind conditions exceed the set point. The workforce can are then assigned alternative safe tasks.

Skills and technologies leveraged

• Wireless sensor technologies
• Machine learning based analytics
• Custom ‘mobile’ interface
• Cloud-based analytics  
• Real-time SMS alerts 

Benefits

• A reduction in the number and scale of evacuation events
• Mitigation of major occupational health and safety risks
• Increased worker productivity through less stand-downs and downtime while waiting to re-enter the facility.
• Greater managerial confidence in making informed safety and productivity decisions