Scottish tech company has recast a tracking device that assists employees in sectors such as construction to keep them in a safe distance from their co-workers during the lockdown period because of corona virus.
In Edinburgh-based Reactec, the wrist-worn "Safe distance" monitor has been reconfigured to notify workers when they break the currently established two-meter social distancing rules.
The safe distance was formerly used to shield construction employees who use electrical tools such as drills from contracting the 'Vibration White Finger' situation.
The system will now track workers through Bluetooth if they are closer to one another than two meters. When it happens, the monitor vibrates to warn both users of the breakdown in social distancing restrictions. "We should abide by the rules of social distancing for some time and it is important for people to maintain that consciously when they go to their works", said Reactec Chief Executive Jacqui McLaughlin. He also added, "Our team immediately redeveloped our technology to assist organizations in ensuring their employees work securely."
The company said that the program was established in a record period of only 15 days, as a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the Scottish and UK Governments' social distancing protocols.
Companies in construction and railway sectors are testing the safe distance program with expectations that social distancing strategies must be followed long after lockdown steps are facilitated. The organizations in the UK currently uses over 45,000 hand-arm vibrations (HAV) devices, with the program now being updated free of charge.
The civil-engineering company Keltbray, which has been using the Reactec HAVwear power tool-control system, is one of the companies that is currently testing this method. ''While Reactec came to us for the testing a new device manufactured for maintaining social distance, our confidence in the software was already there. This new deal encourages Keltbray," said Paul Deacy, MD of Civil Engineering and Demolition.
Minister of Scottish Parliament trade, investment, and innovation, Ivan McKee said, "Throughout Scotland, companies have diversified production lines, expanded capacity and exploring new distribution paths to assist in delivering whenever needed in response to COVID-19 pandemic".
Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the UK was criticized after urging people working in construction sectors in England to go back to their works before the Government had announced descriptive and work worthy guidelines on how this could be acquired securely.
