Keeping track of lifting gear
February 1st 2011 Electronic tags promise to make the asset management of lifting equipment an easier
and more cost effective endeavour says Scafftag
The Safetrak system is designed to replace the paper process
that is commonly used to track and inspect items of heavy
lifting equipment. The supplier of the system, Scafftag,
says the benefits are speed (with RFID line of sight is not needed
to find equipment), and ease of use and reliability, as the
electronic collection system easily syncs with an electronic asset
register.
Under the LOLER and PUWER regulations it is a legal
requirement to keep an asset register. In addition,
Jonathan Edwin, general manager, Scafftag claims
the technology created 20% efficiency savings for
one inspection company, purely on time taken.
"The technology will work with any type of kit
but we are focusing on cranes, hoists etc at the
moment.
"Imagine you are inspecting 1,000 pieces of
lifting equipment at a site. It can be difficult to find
exactly where everything is, there might be six
pieces of kit looking the same, with each needing
to be identified individually.
"Using RFID, a handheld can zap the
equipment, identifying the equipment's history etc
and then the inspection can be carried out.
"A lot of companies are unaware of how much kit they go
through, how much they lose, how much gets damaged and
stolen, because they don't have a good tracking system." Edwin
sees Safetrak as applicable to both end users and to inspection
firms.
The Safetrak solution is made up of several integrated
components:
Visual tagging systems enclosing an automatic identification
chip (principally RFID or barcodes).
Mobile computers.
Safetrak core software (planning and reporting function).
Plug-in software modules for managing specific equipment eg
lifting equipment.
Ancillary hardware such as PC RFID or barcode readers and
mobile computer docking stations.
Edwins explains: "It is very important to be sure of the integrity
of each piece of equipment at a given time, say for example, when
it is hired out. This makes an up to date and complete asset
register invaluable.
"Our partners have won contracts on the basis of being able to
show clients the benefits of this system - speed, ease of use, and
the creation of a reliable
electronic database." More articles from Scafftag Limited: | 
