By Ariana Hurtado, Editor and Director of Special Reports
HOUSTON — Magellan X has released the SOL-X SmartWatch, a new technology that provides workers the ability to monitor operations in near real time from a dashboard, integrated Control Of Work tablet or directly from the device on their wrist.
Captain Daniel Alcantara, Magellan X's chief solutions delivery officer, and Alister Leong, chief product officer, discussed offshore safety challenges and solutions and how this technology is keeping offshore workers out of harm’s way.
"Today, companies understand that having proper processes and procedures like auditing and reporting, a safety plan and training promotes a culture of safety and fosters business growth," Alcantara told Offshore. "However, there are still factors that challenge the existing oil rig safety standards such as inconsistent level of safety commitments, a lack of trained safety professionals and seasoned personnel being replaced (i.e., the Great Crew Change)."
The offshore energy sector carries a variety of safety risks, from extreme weather to hazardous working conditions.
"These include fires, explosions and other accidents, and the use of potentially hazardous chemicals and materials used in the production process," Alcantara explained. "Exposure to these can lead to serious physical and psychological health problems like respiratory issues. The unique environment also presents unique safety risks for workers like falls, slips and trips resulting from unsafe locations, slick surfaces and hazardous conditions."
Leong added, "The offshore energy sector should focus on the development and implementation of safety technologies to reduce the risks associated with offshore operations. This could include the development of automated systems to monitor environmental conditions and the implementation of remote communication systems such as satellite and 5G. Such technologies can help to improve safety standards in the sector and provide assurance of greater safety in offshore operations."
Fortunately, technology continues to evolve to help increase worker safety and address the challenges faced offshore. Recent innovations, like Magellan X's new SOL-X SmartWatch, aim to improve safety in the energy industry.
"Overall levels of operational visibility can be raised through the use of IIoT technology," Leong said. "In particular, the SOL-X SmartWatch allows for near real-time monitoring of operations, which in turn enables personnel to respond quickly to any potential dangers that may occur, rapid deployment of emergency response teams and the safe evacuation of personnel in the event of an emergency.
"Technology is crucial for managing safety risks in the offshore energy sector. With digitalization and automation, companies can quickly respond to emergencies and detect potential hazards before they escalate into significant problems. These improve safety and risk management, ensuring a safe working environment for workers."
The difference
So how is the SOL-X SmartWatch different from other wearable technologies on the market?
"Unlike the SOL-X solution, other technologies may not utilize IIoT sensors to capture near real-time, certifiable data and produce actionable analytics using artificial intelligence [AI]," Alcantara explained. "Moreover, these technologies may not be tied to sustainability and compliance requirements. In comparison, the SOL-X solution uses a connected worker platform that can reduce workers’ risk exposure to potential incidents and improve compliance workflows."
He continued, "In general, most organizations are unable to uncover the underlying cause of accidents and tend to concentrate on direct causes, due to insufficient real-time information toward underlying causes and pre-conditions. For example, the unsafe behavior of workers is one of the underlying causes of worksite accidents. At times, workers may become complacent and neglect safety protocols by taking shortcuts. Also, it is common for workers to not always be conscious of their surroundings. Such unsafe behavior, coupled with a hazardous working environment, can have the propensity to result in serious accidents."
The Magellan X team emphasized the importance of not only identifying a potential incident but also the cause of an accident. The smartwatch technology helps prevent dangerous situations with real-time monitoring of data.
"Early detection of unsafe behavior is important to execute interventions and targeted trainings," Leong said. "As such, it is crucial to obtain real-time human reliability data to assess the cause of an incident, and subsequently execute preventative measures effectively. By leveraging IIoT and AI technology, the SOL-X improves visibility and situational awareness for workers involved in hazardous operations, thereby helping to reduce overall frequency of accidents and incidents. Through collection of data and data analytics, leading indicators can help management and HSSE [health, safety, security and environment] teams identify early trends and take proactive action, resulting in positive behavior change."
Magellan X says the SOL-X technology allows workers to better manage dangers by gaining near real-time enhanced situational and safety awareness through the ability to monitor vitals like heart rate, fitness, heat stress exposure and receive alerts regarding rest management and hazardous work zones, and by tracking the location of lone workers in remote or dangerous locations.
Such information is also made available to worksite supervisors and office personnel via the SOL-X connected worker platform, which grants supervisors better operational visibility during hazardous operations and emergencies and allows the relevant department to plan and implement workplace improvements where necessary.
Leong added, "Technology plays a crucial role in detecting unsafe behavior of workers at hazardous locations. Therefore, it is imperative that organizations have safety solutions backed by digital frameworks in the work site to minimize accidents. Today, wearables like smartwatches have the capability to detect anomalies and prevent accidents."
Offshore applications
The technology’s capabilities and offshore applications include location tracking, virtual geofencing, workforce optimization, vitals monitoring and guided intervention.
Tracking workers who are spread across an offshore site requires digital technologies to connect workers and their supervisors. “Location tracking technology in smartwatches enables supervisors to track employees’ location in real time at a work site, no matter how remote it is or how hazardous the working conditions are,” Alcantara said. “A human movement overview on the dashboard and the ability to pinpoint the indicative location of a worker during an emergency will accelerate rescue operations and provide swift medical aid.”
In addition, virtual geofencing technology in smartwatches can detect and alert a worker when they are approaching a hazardous area. “Over and beyond notifying the worker of direct hazards, technology can provide the supervisors with additional insights to evaluate sufficient manpower on site, workers’ work and rest hours, heat exposures, etc.,” Leong said. “We strongly believe situational awareness can be accelerated when human reliability insights become more visible or prominent.”
Sometimes workers completing long shifts on rigs are tired and/or stressed, thus less focused, resulting in accidents on the work site. “They tend to get injured due to fatigue and loss in concentration,” Leong added. “Also, the monotonous nature of the job can lead to workers ignoring safety protocols, causing harm to themselves and others.”
Alcantara explained the importance of recognizing and correcting such behaviors to prevent serious accidents. “Leveraging on IIoT with a digital safety framework can deliver workers’ behavioral insights and provide guided intervention,” he said.
Moreover, SOL-X can function as a full on-premises solution, supported by a local area network, which means no internet connectivity is required. “This is particularly valuable for offshore environments that may lack consistent satellite connectivity and can also be helpful from a cybersecurity perspective,” Leong added.
Future of wearable tech
Wearable technologies continue to evolve to promote worker safety and provide alerts to potentially dangerous situations.
“Wearable technology is a growing trend in the offshore energy sector to help keep workers safer, access information and support directly offshore, and conduct essential job functions more efficiently,” Leong said. “It is of particular use in heavy industrial environments where workers are expected to work with their hands. Carrying extra equipment such as laptops, mobiles or tablets in addition to tools and protective clothing is often more of a hindrance than a help. Wearable technology, such as watches and glasses, solves this problem by giving workers access to digital resources without increasing the amount of equipment they need to carry.”
The offshore energy sector is full of hazardous situations and environments, and companies continue to seek out additional safety solutions for their personnel.
“For remote offshore sites, the ability to enable workers to self-monitor their own safety and environmental conditions through IIoT is even more valuable as the cost of remote monitoring and intervention continues to rise,” Alcantara concluded. “Giving onsite workers the means to reduce their overall risk by handing them the tools to immediately intervene themselves is a far more effective and efficient way to manage HSSE rather than rely on third-party, onshore based (reactive) solutions (e.g., telemedicine, rescue and evacuation services).
