Safety first for complete management system
Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Original image courtesy of Highways AgencyA-one+, the leading Managing Agent Contractor (MAC) provider for the Highways Agency, has launched an innovative solution to manage training and competency in the highways industry.
The IT based system was developed in partnership with consultancy and software designer Mosaic Management Systems. The Mosaic Network Passport was created to enhance health and safety, but its extensive features also have the potential to revolutionise back office systems, reporting and auditing across the industry.
The Mosaic Network Passport provides complete management of both employee and subcontractor training and competency with automatic updating of records utilising, 'smart card', paperless technology. It manages building access, motorway passes, timesheets; anything where a record from an individual needs to be recorded. The system is fully mobile, combining web and desktop applications and PDAs that managers can use onsite to authorise operatives, ensure all health and safety training is up to date, record data, organise 'Toolbox Talks' and a range of other applications.
The system has been launched in Area 10, one of the Highways Agency areas in England, which carries the highest volumes of traffic outside London. A-one+ maintains Area 10's 500+ Km of motorway and trunk road carriageway, which spans Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and southern Lancashire. Area 10 comprises several strategic routes, such as the north-south M6, the M60 Manchester Outer Ring Road and the east-west M56 and M62, both of which form part of the Trans European network.
David Smith, A-one+ Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Manager said: "Developed by the A-one+ SHE team in partnership with IT software experts Mosaic Management Systems the system allows the organisation to build a definitive and comprehensive library of information capable of highlighting when essential health and safety training is required or needs refreshing. This allows A-one+ to provide a highly trained competent workforce, for the Highways Agency, in a dynamic and demanding work environment.
"A simple and efficient tool for the management of competency records, the system forms part of the organisation's policy to deliver a first class service whilst promoting a strong safety culture and better working environment for its employees and supply chain partners."
John Micciche, Managing Director of Mosaic Management Systems explained the state of the industry and the wide ranging benefits a new system can deliver: "The irony of the highways industry is that it uses some of the most cutting edge technology on the roads, but is still suffering from paper cuts in the office. The industry currently relies on an excess of printed forms to collect data, making inaccuracies commonplace; a mistake on one form often means sending several more back and forth to correct it. Contractors use off-the-shelf software that does not have all the features that managers want, hence more paperwork is used to plug the gaps. The Mosaic Network Passport is intuitive and simple to use, and has the capability to cut out thousands of wasted man-hours, reduce paperwork and ensure compliance with health and safety across the industry."
Mosaic Management Systems is on track to become an industry standard. Consultation is taking place in Area 7 with Area 12 to follow. A-one+ is responsible for Areas 7, 10, 12 and 14. Together they account for one third of the UK highways system; the highest proportion of contracts awarded by the Highways Agency.
The IT based system was developed in partnership with consultancy and software designer Mosaic Management Systems. The Mosaic Network Passport was created to enhance health and safety, but its extensive features also have the potential to revolutionise back office systems, reporting and auditing across the industry.
The Mosaic Network Passport provides complete management of both employee and subcontractor training and competency with automatic updating of records utilising, 'smart card', paperless technology. It manages building access, motorway passes, timesheets; anything where a record from an individual needs to be recorded. The system is fully mobile, combining web and desktop applications and PDAs that managers can use onsite to authorise operatives, ensure all health and safety training is up to date, record data, organise 'Toolbox Talks' and a range of other applications.
The system has been launched in Area 10, one of the Highways Agency areas in England, which carries the highest volumes of traffic outside London. A-one+ maintains Area 10's 500+ Km of motorway and trunk road carriageway, which spans Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside and southern Lancashire. Area 10 comprises several strategic routes, such as the north-south M6, the M60 Manchester Outer Ring Road and the east-west M56 and M62, both of which form part of the Trans European network.
David Smith, A-one+ Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) Manager said: "Developed by the A-one+ SHE team in partnership with IT software experts Mosaic Management Systems the system allows the organisation to build a definitive and comprehensive library of information capable of highlighting when essential health and safety training is required or needs refreshing. This allows A-one+ to provide a highly trained competent workforce, for the Highways Agency, in a dynamic and demanding work environment.
"A simple and efficient tool for the management of competency records, the system forms part of the organisation's policy to deliver a first class service whilst promoting a strong safety culture and better working environment for its employees and supply chain partners."
John Micciche, Managing Director of Mosaic Management Systems explained the state of the industry and the wide ranging benefits a new system can deliver: "The irony of the highways industry is that it uses some of the most cutting edge technology on the roads, but is still suffering from paper cuts in the office. The industry currently relies on an excess of printed forms to collect data, making inaccuracies commonplace; a mistake on one form often means sending several more back and forth to correct it. Contractors use off-the-shelf software that does not have all the features that managers want, hence more paperwork is used to plug the gaps. The Mosaic Network Passport is intuitive and simple to use, and has the capability to cut out thousands of wasted man-hours, reduce paperwork and ensure compliance with health and safety across the industry."
Mosaic Management Systems is on track to become an industry standard. Consultation is taking place in Area 7 with Area 12 to follow. A-one+ is responsible for Areas 7, 10, 12 and 14. Together they account for one third of the UK highways system; the highest proportion of contracts awarded by the Highways Agency.
