Commute plan uses tech to keep Queensland miners COVIDSafe

The resources sector employs a high percentage of frontline and mobile workers, many of whom FIFO (fly-in, fly-out), DIDO (drive-in, drive-out), or work and move in remote or isolated locations. Monitoring and communicating with these workers can be challenging, posing risks to safety and wellbeing as well as operational continuity for the resources sector. To address this problem, the Queensland-based remote worker management software company, JESI, has provided a technology platform that allows workers to digitally log their journeys to and from any geographic location, including a COVIDSafe plan, enabling resources companies to monitor their remote and travelling workers on the platform. JESI will launch the ‘Resources COVID Safe Commute Plan’ in collaboration with Microsoft Australia and Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS).

With other integrations coming soon, users will be able to remain within Microsoft Teams when interacting with JESI. JESI can also incorporate data from travel itineraries and in-vehicle monitoring systems. The software can also be used by companies if required, to provide real-time data to Queensland Health of any potential ‘at risk’ travellers, with quick identification of COVID exposure locations and impacted workers. The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomed the initiative as an opportunity for companies to quickly locate regional and remote workers in the event of a COVID outbreak. QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources sector’s priority from the outset of the pandemic has been to protect employees and the communities in which they live and work from COVID. “As the pandemic continues, technology like this will play an increasingly important role in monitoring and managing outbreaks to minimise disruption to people’s lives and to resources operations,” Macfarlane said.

Keryl Bradshaw, Resource Industry Lead for Microsoft Australia, added that the COVID Safe Commute Plan will help ensure workers are safe, thereby enabling organisations to maintain business continuity and health services to monitor and manage COVID outbreaks. Adrian Beer, METS Ignited Chief Executive Officer (CEO), added that the adoption of technology was already improving the productivity, safety and sustainability of the resources sector before COVID-19. “Queensland mining equipment, technology and services (METS) companies are at the forefront of working with the resource sector across Australia and the globe. In the immediate response to COVID, METS companies assisted many great local solutions and JESI is another great example. Through this JESI initiative, we can use this technology to protect the industry’s workforce and its performance from COVID,” Beer said.

JESI is an eight-year-old Queensland firm that provides cloud-based, mobile workforce management solutions and services. Its software application makes the movements of workers safer by monitoring and reporting across multiple working geographies. JESI’s platform allows workers to stay in touch wherever they are, and sends reminders to check in and out of locations and journeys, and comply with appropriate safety and reporting protocols. JESI CEO and co-founder, Joe Hoolahan, said the opportunity to partner with METS Ignited and Microsoft demonstrates what can be achieved when aligned parties engage with innovative technologies to tackle industry and broader community challenges. “JESI prides itself on providing near real-time journey management solutions for the resources sector to manage their remote and isolated workforce. We are excited about this opportunity to extend our offerings to the broader resources sector. COVID demands safe, real-time-notified working environments and worker movements, and the JESI suite of services is particularly appropriate,” Hoolahan said.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Kings Access