SBES protects exxonmobil aviation staff

Citation

(2006), "SBES protects exxonmobil aviation staff", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 78 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2006.12778eab.012

SBES protects exxonmobil aviation staff

SBES protects exxonmobil aviation staff

Keywords: Workplace security, Airports

SBES reports that it has recently completed the installation of a diverse lone worker protection system for ExxonMobil Aviation at six airports across the UK. The system, believed to be the first of its type anywhere in the World, will protect workers either out on site refuelling aircraft or back at the operational base.

The initiative to install the SBES system has come from Paul Heald, SHE and OIMS adviser for ExxonMobil Aviation in the UK. He recognised that during a 24h period at Manchester Airport personnel were often working alone and that a solution to this “grey area” was not adequately provided by the risk assessments that had been conducted.

Finding a lone worker alarm system that met the specific requirements for refuelling work at airports was a particularly precise task. Call-in type systems using mobile phone technology were discounted as the nature of ExxonMobil's business at the airports means that a worker could be away from his base for five or six hours as planes need refuelling. Working patterns are unpredictable so calling in during this period would just not be feasible. The other, more important issue is that mobile phone-type technology cannot be used in hazardous environments where product vapour could be ignited by a phone's normal operation. A huge plus point of SBES' ATEX-certified technology is that, as Paul Heald says “It can be dropped into a bucket of fuel if needs be.”

SBES provided ExxonMobil with two different solutions to its lone working problems. Firstly, it addressed the problem of lone employees working on mobile fuel tankers anywhere across the huge site with no fixed itinerary. Each worker is issued with an ATEX-certified, intrinsically safe lone worker alarm unit that can be activated in two different ways (by depressing twin buttons or by being tilted off 908 for more than 25s). In the event of an incident the alarm unit sends a signal to a LifeSaver base station which has been specially adapted and wired into the vehicle's electrical system. This activation of the unit will cause all the lights on the vehicle: headlights; brake lights; hazard lights to flash randomly and for a two-tone horn to sound in order to attract attention. This will continue until the system is reset. To avoid nuisance alarms there is a reset button installed on the cab of the vehicle.

The second lone working hazard was that at anytime (although particularly during the hours of 10pm until 5.30am) there is very often an ExxonMobil employee who works alone at the base area. In order to solve this problem SBES installed its LifeSaver system that sounds an external strobe/beacon sounder alarm should it be activated. However, if the base area is deserted the system offers a secondary protective function and it will automatically dial a series of ten pre-set telephone numbers informing the recipient that the system has been activated. The first numbers called are those of local airport services – security, police, fire and the recipient must dial eight if they accept the call. This will then stop the system from dialling any further numbers. If there is no answer or an answer machine clicks in then the system automatically dials the next number on the list. The system also has the capability to text information to off-site mobile phones.

The engineering ingenuity of SBES does not finish there though. At three of the airports (Manchester, Luton and Bournemouth) the LifeSaver system also facilitates access to the base areas by automatically opening the gates to the premises.

Despite the diverse locations of the airports (as well as the three mentioned above other installations have been carried out at Liverpool, Southampton and Birmingham) and the fact that a bespoke system was required Paul Heald describes SBES' service as “faultless”.

Commenting on the project Paul Heald said “I can see the time fast approaching when the SBES system becomes a standard piece of kit on all our vehicles. At the airports a technician can use four different refuelling trucks in one shift. With the LifeSaver system fitted on all of them the employee can happily carry on without having to think about whether or not their movements are being monitored.”

Details available from: SBES, Tel: +44 (0)1737 226622, E-mail: peter.swan@sbes.co.uk