New tech system warns workers of hazards

Pathfindr, an asset tracking and Industrial IoT tech company, has developed a smart safety system that creates ‘virtual exclusion zones’ to protect worker safety in heavy industry, construction and engineering sites.

The alarm alerts workers when a hazard is nearby (Photo: Pathfindr)

The new system, Zonr, was developed in collaboration with one of the UK’s Rail Contractors, the QTS Group. The company says that a proximity alarm alerts workers when a vehicle or other hazard comes close, or if they step into a high-risk area - guiding them through a workplace to avoid potential incidents.

The system gives site operators real-time data over incursions, enabling interventions to be made at the moment, as well as providing holistic data to enable the overall health and safety process to be improved.

Zonr relies on a combination of GPS tracking and ultra-wideband technology to locate workers and hazards, and create a dynamic virtual barrier – or exclusion zone – around those hazards.

Ben Sturgess, chief technology officer at Pathfindr, said, “Zonr has been designed to keep people and machines apart, so that workers can focus on doing their jobs efficiently, knowing they’ll be altered to a hazard. No technology will eliminate the need for continual vigilance, but Zonr reduces the risk of a serious incident and helps site operators manage their liability for the safety of site workers.”