Global IoT player Trackunit has today launched its next-generation access management solution building on an already widely adopted platform that will put fleet owners in complete control of who has access to machinery and help make construction sites even safer.
“With the Trackunit access management solution, rental companies can safeguard their fleet by stopping unauthorized use and damage,” said Lærke Ullerup, Trackunit’s chief product and marketing officer. “This solution ensures that only those who are certified and have the validation to use machinery like mobile elevated working platforms can actually gain access via digital keys on the Trackunit On mobile app.
“This has obvious safety implications and will enable fleet owners to demonstrate that they are complying with legislation designed to reduce incidents on the job site,” said Ullerup. “The era of the zero-incident construction site moves a lot closer with this launch.”
Ullerup added that the second-generation solution has greatly simplified the process of managing access. “This will enable the OEMs and rental companies that enable and distribute the technology to ensure the value is delivered throughout the jobsite, right down to the operator,” she said.
“We’ve levelled up a product that has already changed the way machine access is managed by major construction fleets and contractors and the integration of machines into the safety paradigm will support a culture right through to the individual operators where minimal risk is the defining principle,” she said. “It can be used on every job site, it’s super-easy to deploy and opens the door towards standardization.”
Streamline the workflow with digital transformation
Because access will become more digitalized, it will remove the need for administration-heavy manual processes. It will in addition end the era of the ‘no-permissions’ key and enable fleet owners to be even more sure that they can comply with strict safety standards in line with regulatory requirements.
According to the latest International Powered Access Federation safety report, there were 831 incidents among reporting members in 2022 and 102 deaths, a fall of 19% on 2021.
“IPAF does amazing work through its ePal app to limit access on mobile elevated working platforms and other potentially risky machinery to qualified personnel,” said Ullerup. “Our access management system should complement that work and see incidents progressively come down over the coming years.”
Logbooks will also show who operated the equipment and for how long, unlocking the potential to enhance business planning that might, for example, enable equipment sharing and coaching on operator behavior.
The access management solution will additionally yield considerable cost benefits to users after US-governmental agency the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said companies were paying out USD 1 billion a week in work-injury compensation payments. The average cost per construction-site injury was USD 35,000, said OSHA.
“Construction’s number one priority is always the safety of its workers on the job site,” added Ullerup. “Nevertheless, it’s also evident that reducing incidents will inevitably keep costs down, help avoid budget overruns and make sure we as an industry are able to keep a sharp focus on the constant battle to eliminate downtime.”
