| Digitalisation Ground Control


Established in 2002, Ground Control uses satellite and cellular technology to connect people and things, particularly within hard to reach, remote areas - from wind farms to fishing fleets and first responders to forestry workers. It designs and builds its own hardware covering the entire spectrum of connectivity requirements, with manufacturing facilities in the UK and the US. The company’s long-term partnerships with airtime providers such as Inmarsat and Iridium mean that it has access to the


most competitive and comprehensive airtime plans, taking full advantage of their service evolutions in ways that make Ground Control’s customers’ challenges easier to solve. Ground Control was launched when three leading brands – US- based Ground Control, and UK-based Wireless Innovation and Rock Seven – united to create a leading-edge technology and service provider in satellite and IoT. www.groundcontrol.com


When no news is bad news For years, the industry’s approach to lone working


was often limited to rudimentary methods: a phone call at the start or end of a shift, or a radio check-in at lunch. The assumption, one that was potentially lethal, was that silence meant everything was proceeding smoothly. If the technician atop the reservoir dam didn’t phone to report trouble, it was assumed there was none. But what if the phone was dropped in the reservoir basin, or the nearest signal mast was miles away? As tasks grew more specialised and budgets


tighter, the reliance on individual roving engineers or inspectors increased. Simultaneously, the potential scale of disaster loomed larger. A single slip near a raging sluice gate could become a fatal accident if nobody is there to witness it. A mere two hours might be enough for a treatable injury to become life- threatening. Waiting anxiously for a missed check-in could mean the window for rescue closes before it is even discovered that rescue is needed. If moral duty and reputational risk are insufficient,


the law leaves little room for doubt. The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (Regulation 3) makes it crystal clear: each organisation must formally assess the risk to staff health and safety, including when they work alone. This is particularly acute in the water and dam sectors, where hazards multiply in remote settings: powerful water currents, heavy machinery, sudden changes in weather and ground conditions. A question you might ask yourself: ‘If a worker faces


a hazard in a certain area, does being alone amplify that hazard?’ If the answer is yes, and, in most dam environments, it often is, then additional controls are mandatory. This might mean bundling tasks in pairs or, more practically, providing high-grade safety gear and advanced communication technology to mitigate the absence of another pair of eyes.


Technology to the fore Thankfully, the days of holding your breath until a


lone worker ‘checks in’ are behind us. Advances in satellite communications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and ruggedised devices have revolutionised lone worker tracking. Indeed, technology now offers something closer to an active safety net, rather than the reactive approach seen in days past. Now, many rugged satellite trackers are designed with water-resistant shells, extended battery life and an SOS function that operates in dead zones where your mobile won’t. An engineer cleaning debris from a dam outflow can carry a device that transmits


location data and remains operational, irrespective of how hot or cold it is. If they require immediate attention, they can alert your control room with the click of a single button. Furthermore, compact satellite units with two-way messaging are the Swiss-army knives of lone worker safety – portable, easy to use and able to handle remote communications where terrestrial signals are scarce. A technician inspecting a suspicious crack along the bank can not only send a distress signal, but can also receive instructions on how to proceed – turning a potentially frantic rescue operation into a coordinated response. IoT plays a vital role with sensors fixed to gates or turbine housings that can relay real-time data about equipment health, water levels, or structural integrity. If a sensor flags an anomaly, your lone worker is immediately alerted and can investigate with caution rather than walking into a hidden danger. Meanwhile, control room operators remain in the loop, ready to intervene or send backup if the situation escalates. All these measures do more than shield an individual from harm, they create a culture of safety that ripples through the entire workforce. Employees who know their employers have invested in modern safeguards often feel empowered to take initiative, raise concerns sooner, and adhere to best practice.


Weighing the cost One might argue that outfitting every lone worker with


advanced wearable tech and adopting new safety protocols seems costly. But consider the financial and human cost of a single major incident: lost time injuries, potential lawsuits, regulatory fines, project shutdowns, and a blow to your brand that can outlast a generation. For an industry as visible and critical as water management, where the public’s confidence is paramount, that is a gamble few can afford. Moreover, robust lone-worker systems can dovetail seamlessly into broader operational improvements. Real-time data doesn’t just inform you about a worker’s whereabouts; it can reveal maintenance issues before they become breakdowns or highlight emerging structural concerns that might otherwise be overlooked. Efficient scheduling and resource allocation can follow, in turn potentially offsetting the initial investment. The message couldn’t be clearer – when it comes


to dams and waterways, ‘off grid’ must never mean ‘off the radar’. When the waters rise, the winds howl or the unforeseen arrives, a well-equipped team can respond. Preparedness, in this line of work, will forever remain the most valuable asset of all.


www.waterpowermagazine.com | May 2025 | 29


Above: When it comes to dams and waterways, ‘off grid’ must never mean ‘off the radar’


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