ConocoPhillips has introduced an RFID-enabled system to help insure the safety of workers on its offshore oil rigs along the Norwegian Continental Shelf. The energy giant uses technology from IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ WatcherSeries to keep track of workers in a dangerous environment often made more treacherous by severe weather.
All offshore personnel are issued active RFID tags. This enables an electronic map of the facility to establish a real-time head count of all employees. Readers are also placed at all emergency mustering points, so that supervisors can quickly establish the location of everyone in an emergency. In the event of an evacuation, the real-time head count makes it easier to determine when all personnel have made it to safety.
IDENTEC SOLUTIONS’ WatcherSeries technology is specifically designed for tracking personnel in environments in remote and isolated locations, where access to real-time employee information during an emergency situation is vital. Officials with ConocoPhillips note that several other North Sea oil rig operators plan to install the system soon. ![[end]](/resources/bullet/rfidnews-4.gif)
