A breakthrough in mobile phone technology is set to revolutionise health and safety monitoring of employees and the protection of lone workers.
The Crystal Ball innovation means employers are no longer reliant on installing more expensive GPS tracking boxes in their vehicle fleet – and can also keep on monitoring workers after they have left the vehicle.
It means that, for the first time in the UK, employers can use the same mobile handsets to track fleet vehicles and assets as well as to protect lone workers.
Unlike conventional vehicle-based ‘black-box’ tracking systems, the system can give continuous and extensive live data, giving employers greater peace of mind and providing a fuller solution to firms with lone workers and other personnel out in the field.
The man behind it, entrepreneur Raj Singh believes that only around 20 per cent of businesses are currently using tracking systems and that the number will double or even triple within the next five years, with the low cost of mobile phone tracking applications fueling this growth.
Raj, managing director of Manchester-based Crystal Ball, has a 25-year industry track record, and predicts that much of that expansion will be driven by the duty of care rules, together with health and safety legislation that bosses now have to comply with.
He said: “The amount of legislation that exists out there is frightening and businesses are liable for so many things today. Our technology can help them cope with that. It gives real-time information and is as portable as a phone.”
The downloadable Crystal Ball applications work on popular, GPS-enabled smart phones including Blackberrys, Nokias, HTCs, Sony Ericssons and Samsungs.
The system feeds back live information, recording vehicle speed, journey time, distance and precise location as well as incoming and outgoing mobile phone call and text information through a web-based system.
It has been developed to help businesses locate and monitor workers as part of companies’ duty of care obligations and other important legislation such as the Working Time Directive and Corporate Manslaughter laws.
Raj said that the downloadable smartphone application brings a totally fresh and innovative dimension to lone worker protection and employee monitoring.
The system has a comprehensive reports suite and the information is held for three months on the system so it can be downloaded and saved. Employers can also monitor the information in real time via their computer screen and it can be accessed anytime and anywhere in the world.
Raj explained: “The system’s uses are endless. It can help businesses improve their customer service, productivity, efficiency and profitability and help management protect their employees at a fraction of the cost of conventional vehicle tracking.”
The system is available from only £6.94 per month per handset and is available through hundreds of re-sellers nationwide.
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For further information, go to www.crystalball.tv
