Data capture system will help boost plant safety

An innovative data capture system designed to facilitate ATEX 137 inspections has helped create a new generation of software-based data capture and plant inspection products

An innovative data capture system designed to facilitate the scheduling and performance of ATEX 137 inspections has helped forge a new working partnership, which aims to create a new generation of software-based data capture and plant inspection products.

IndEX, the pioneering hand-held data capture software package for regulated environments, has helped seal a new partnership between its creator, industrial software developer Terrington Data Management and the Safety Consultancy Division of Aston Dane plc, which has bases in Dublin, Cork, Widnes, Sheffield and Alcester.

The partnership started after Aston Dane, which has 100 staff and works throughout Britain, the Republic of Ireland and continental Europe, as well as having completed projects in Africa and Russia, prototyped an in-house data capture system but realised the benefit of a more flexible product based around an off-the-shelf package.

The company's market research identified York-based Terrington as offering the right type of product, approach and services to become its software provider.

IndEX, which has been widely taken up across UK industry, is an innovative, mobile, secure and scalable system which creates paperless ATEX 137 inspections for electrical equipment through a complete set of one-touch data entry forms for all explosion protection types, schedules, audit and reporting functions.

The system, which has been developed and refined by Terrington Data Management for three years, operates in real-time as captured data is downloaded instantly to a computer, eliminating the time lapse and potential for errors, associated with copying written records.

In the first stage of the partnership, Aston Dane, which provides design, engineering, project management, consultancy and facilities management expertise, is working with Terrington to adapt and supply IndEX to its own existing clients so they can manage their assets and schedule and carry out maintenance and regulatory inspections such as ATEX 137 inspections and maintain activity and audit logs more efficiently.

The two businesses have now integrated their business processes and software solutions with Terrington incorporating the Aston Dane suggested modifications to enable the product to be targeted to a wider range of potential users.

Aston Dane director, Shane Carter, says: "Most software developers aim to create generic products but Terrington combines this with a dynamic, enterprising outlook and was happy to create the additional functionalities we required.

We now have data capture technology with great scope to meet our customers' current and future needs and a robust development partner.

"Now, as well as supplying IndEX, our partnership will combine our broad knowledge of the end-user market with the considerable software development and data capture expertise at Terrington to facilitate the development of new software products.

This is an exciting prospect for both our businesses and for plant safety staff and managers everywhere".

Terrington Data Management managing director, Mark Williams, says: "IndEX and its umbrella system, Transform, are already widely recognised as highly successful products that are proven in a range of regulated environments to work and deliver real operational savings.

We look forward to working with Aston Dane on this and other possible software development projects to enhance plant hazardous area inspections, maintenance and health and safety".

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