Frederick Webb

1
Remote Worker Global Positioning Satellite (GPS)
Tracking
Leveraging GPS technology to protect SRS Remote
Workers

• Frederick Webb
• Savannah River Site
• May 2008

2
Remote Worker Definition

• A remote worker is any worker within the
  SRS boundaries who cannot hear an
  installed safety alarm system.
• Some examples of remote workers at SRS are -
  Soil Groundwater Closure Projects (SGCP) -
  U.S. Forest Service workers, - Deer Hunt
  Workers, - Construction Workers, - Savannah
  River Ecology Lab (SREL) in the Field

3
Remote Worker Definition

• Who is not a remote worker? Persons in transit
  on site roadways or performing assignments in
  routinely-occupied buildings with public address
  systems are not remote workers.
• Examples are
• Traveling to another building
• Traveling to and from work
• Workers in a facility or Area
• Workers on a break walking on trails or roads

4
Current Remote Worker Tracking

• Dispatch Centers
• Savannah River Site Operations Center (SRSOC)
• Savannah river Ecology Lab (SREL)
• Site Utilities Division (SUD)
• U.S. Forest Service
• Soil and Groundwater Closure Projects (SGCP)
• Each dispatch center logs remote worker in system
• Places remote worker figure on map location
• Logs remote worker out when notified of departure

5
Current Remote Worker Tracking
6

• Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Phones Scope

• Scalable pilot project using GPS Enabled Cellular
  Phones to track Remote Workers
• Phone serves as primary communication between
  remote worker and dispatcher while acting as a
  tracking device
• Verizon Wireless Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS)
  product "Field Force Manager
• While operating in a Verizon network coverage
  area, sends its geographic position every two
  minutes

7
Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) Phones Scope

• System uses the most current position from the
  workers GPS phone to automatically digitize
  their location when they check out to the field
• System monitors the workers location and
  automatically updates the Geographical
  Informative System (GIS)
• Automated process continues until the remote
  worker checks in from the field
• System automatically notifies Dispatcher when a
  worker approaches a restricted area (Deer Hunt,
  Prescribed Burn...)

8
GPS Phones Benefits

• Safety
• Continuous monitoring
• Accuracy of location
• Accuracy
• Accuracy of worker locations improved from /- 1
  mile to /- 100 feet (autonomous GPS)
• Automating the process
• Labor Savings of digitizing worker locations
• Elimination of Human Error Factors

9
GPS Phones Status

• Pilot Project
• Operational in piloted project environment
• 10 Cellular Phones, 1 Dispatch Center
• Currently preparing business case for site wide
  implementation

10
GPS Phones Issues

• Verizon Network Coverage
• Must be resolved first
• Migration to Production Environment
• Deployment
• How many phones?
• Who gets them?
• What about subcontractors?
• What about U.S. Forest Service?

11
Remote Worker GPS Tracking

• Questions?