HEALTH & SAFETY The system also does not scale
very well, which is a major drawback. The T Card system might be fairly workable on smaller installations with a limited personnel roster, but in larger installations where hundreds of workers are employed, the system starts to become very cumbersome and laborious to apply. As the number of personnel increases, the administration and maintenance of the card system become ever-more complex. It will involve much time in updating and finding particular cards individually; hence, the system will be less effective and could also affect general operational safety. Moreover, there are intrinsic
limitations in the type of data that the system can show: where electronic systems can support analytics, trend analysis, and automatic reporting, for instance, the T-Card system can present just a static picture of the personnel at any moment in time. It is not able to track the movement over time, analyse patterns, or provide current information in such a manner as to add something new to improvement in decision-making and operational efficiency. This limitation can be a significant disadvantage in an industry where data-driven decisions are increasingly important for optimising safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness.
Apart from that, another serious
drawback is the system’s unsuitability in emergencies when an immediate evacuation or rescue has to be arranged. In cases of emergencies, personnel may not get the time to correct updates on their cards. The result may be chaos and delay in the accounting process for all the personnel involved, and this can have serious consequences if it involves a high-risk environment. In such cases, the inability to have real-time data and possibly the error from a human intervention may severely curtail the effectiveness of the T Card system.
AVAILABLE SOLUTIONS Though the T-Card system presents disadvantages, solutions that can help ease these issues and make the system more effective as a whole are available. The easiest approach would be regular training and reinforcement that informs personnel about the importance of updating their cards correctly. Operators can reduce the chances of errors and omissions by building a safety culture of accountability in which accurate personnel tracking is recognized as playing a very important role. Likewise, regular drills and exercises can instil good habits and ensure that personnel know what to follow in case of an emergency.
Example of a muster system that uses T-cards
Integrating the T-Card system with digital solutions could complement the scalability issue. For example, this can be further developed into a hybrid system whereby the backup or secondary system would be an electronic tracking system with the T-Card system. This will provide the reliability and simplicity of the T-Card system while reaping some benefits from enhanced data capabilities and scalability of digital systems. This will, in turn, enable operators to develop a more robust and versatile solution for personnel tracking by merging the strengths of both systems. On the other hand, technological
advances also hint at possible solutions for the data limitations of the system. One such method could include RFID tags or QR codes on T-cards that allow electronic tracking of movements while retaining the simplicity of the manual system. Personnel would swipe their cards at various checkpoints or stations, thereby recording their movements and activities in real time. The information thus obtained logs automatically and can be analysed for detailed insight into personnel behaviour, operational efficiency and safety performance. For emergency response, it may be
appropriate for operators to develop protocols that do not wholly and entirely rely on the T-Card system for personnel accounting. This could be taken to an advanced level where the system is incorporated with other emergency response tools, such as digital muster lists, automated headcounts, or electronic tracking systems. This would ensure that in case the T-Card system fails or is compromised, there is another mechanism for the accounting of all personnel at speed and within the minimum percentage of discrepancies. Improvement in its physical
design and layout can also help overcome certain disadvantages. Locating the T-Card rack or board, for example, in a central position that is easily accessible could help personnel remember to update their cards. Besides, the cards could be enlarged to become more easily readable or in different colours for distinct roles or departments to
36
www.engineerlive.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
