Reference Point continues to support its clients and provide protection to key workers during the COVID-19 pandemic with powerful and user-friendly app technology. Its market-leading mobile workforce solution, SkillGuard, enables the secure recording of site attendance, daily briefings, toolbox talks, safety alerts, spot checks and other site-critical information without the need to resort to pen or paper, which should help reduce the risk of virus transmission between workers.

This has been ably demonstrated recently in Australia where Reference Point, together with its partner Metro Trains Australia (MTA), provide the national solution for the Australasian Railway Association (ARA). The powerful Rail Industry Worker (RIW) system is based on Reference Point’s market-leading SkillGuard system and app.

The RIW program recently partnered with the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to further protect workers. The key goal was to try an alternative process to the physical signing of the Pre-Work Brief, using the contactless capabilities already available in the system to record attendance and award competencies electronically using the RIW app. The result, following an online training session, enabled the successful implementation of a contactless process for rail workers to swipe their physical or virtual smartcards via the RIW app. The solution has been rolled out across nine sites and saw 144 competencies awarded in the first 24 hours.

Chris Turner, Senior Safety Advisor ARTC, was very pleased with the outcome of the trial. “The Protection Officers were given Access Controller rights within the RIW system. This was a simple and quick process, enabling 45 ARTC Protection Officers to use their phones to electronically record the attendance of the pre-work brief using the RIW app. Not only does the RIW System capture and record fatigue hours between companies and worksites, it provides a secondary assurance of hours worked to assist with accurate invoicing,” he said.

SkillGuard is the market-leading mobile workforce management system, utilising smartcard technology and sophisticated mobile apps to provide critical, portable, up-to-date information that can be checked wherever and whenever it’s needed, 24 hours a day, every day.

Tanya Morris, Business Development Director at Reference Point commented: “I am delighted that SkillGuard and the use of our app’s contactless, paper-free capability are helping our clients and key workers to continue to deliver critical services.

“As well as being more reliable and efficient than paper records, the app’s contactless ability to verify, check or add to a worker’s credentials eliminates the need for sharing forms and pens and promotes appropriate distancing. We know many of our UK clients realise the benefits of our technology every day and it’s always good to see similar experiences in our international implementations.

“Our team is here to assist and show our support during this challenging time to help protect these essential, hardworking and committed workforces.”

Key workers in the transport sector have been identified as those who will keep the air, water, road, and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response, including those working on systems through which supply chains pass. The health and safety of the workforce and that of people working alongside is paramount, as these sectors are all playing a vital role in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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