The Challenge
The process-manufacturing industry requires a significant amount of data collection for operations that ensure process safety. Antiquated, paper-based data capture in hazardous field locations doesn’t allow for crucial real-time communications or collaboration. Transcription of paper-based data can introduce errors or cause loss of information that is crucial to a facility’s operational integrity. Additionally, manually captured data does not enable authenticated and validated (time and location) auditable inputs. A series of small and often undetected errors can lead to a major catastrophic incident; thus, a system is needed to identify and mitigate those errors. And, yet, the thousands of alarms and alerts that go off each day create “noise” and confusion without context or access to expert input to pinpoint what is most important or whether a risky confluence has occurred.The potential for creating sparks prevents the use of most mobile computing devices (laptops, tablets, cameras, or phones) in Class I Division 1 or ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 hazardous locations. Only devices that are intrinsically safe – certified to not cause an explosion – are permitted as a means of connecting personnel to the Cloud and enabling them to manage critical and validated information more quickly and accurately
