Savings and Streamlining, Siemens Show Significant Results

• 24/7 site access without a staffed desk
• Automated fatigue compliance checks
• Digital inductions with expiry tracking

To help with some upcoming works, Siemens Mobility initially reached out to innDex as an SME local to Wales to implement a digital solution to improve their site access control and to have 24/7 availability without the need for an operative employed to occupy a desk.

The project team needed a system that could keep site access secure around the clock across its Wales, Devon and Cornwall signalling sites while also meeting Network Rail's strict safety and competency requirements. innDex let workers sign in and out within 50 metres of an access point before completing a safety briefing, with gate photos used to confirm they were at the correct location.

The platform also handled inductions, collecting health assessments and competency records with expiry date tracking, and ran fatigue management alerts aligned with Network Rail's Fatigue Risk Management System, which was central to why Siemens Mobility chose innDex over continuing to rely on a manually staffed access desk.

Delivering signalling renewal work across multiple sites in Wales, Devon and Cornwall meant Siemens Mobility needed site access control that could run continuously, without relying on a dedicated operative to staff an access point around the clock. The project team also had to meet Network Rail's strict competency-verification and fatigue-management standards across a dispersed, changing workforce.

Moving away from a manually staffed desk meant finding a way to confirm workers were signing in at the correct location, keep induction and competency records current with expiry tracking, and monitor fatigue in line with Network Rail's Fatigue Risk Management System, all without adding administrative burden to the site team.

Prior to implementing innDex, Siemens Mobility relied on a manually staffed access desk to control who entered its signalling sites, which made it difficult to offer secure access around the clock without dedicating a person to the gate at all times. Inductions, competency checks and fatigue monitoring were handled through separate manual processes, making it harder for the project team to keep an up-to-date, verifiable record of who was on site and whether they were fit and qualified to be there.

Adopting innDex gave Siemens Mobility a way to run site access control around the clock across its Wales, Devon and Cornwall signalling sites without needing a dedicated operative to staff an access point. Workers could sign in and out within 50 metres of an access point after completing a safety briefing, with gate photos confirming they were at the correct location, removing the need for constant manual supervision.

The platform also strengthened compliance by securely collecting expanded induction information, including health assessments and competencies with expiry date tracking, and by automating fatigue management alerts in line with Network Rail Fatigue Risk Management System requirements. Site messaging let the team distribute safety information with tracked viewing and acceptance records.

By streamlining how quickly workers could clock in and out of site, innDex let the workforce start working sooner, get the job done quicker and go home earlier, while giving Siemens Mobility clearer, more current oversight of who was on site, whether they were fit to work, and whether critical safety messages had been seen.

The innDex Fatigue Management feature being used by Siemens Mobility allows shift scheduling and monitoring of operatives on site to make sure Working Hours Policies are not breached, with alerts being set out automatically when an individual’s shift is about to finish. This is all in line with the new Fatigue Risk Management Systems by Network Rail (NR/L2/OHS/003). By securely gathering the appropriate information about each operative on a project, the management team can monitor and reduce the workforce’s carbon footprint as well as individuals’ commute times, contributing to managing fatigue across projects. Site Messaging enables smoother communication, keeping everyone on and off-site connected and informed at all times. One example is that Siemens Mobility distributes safety-related information to the workforce – which can be accessed at any time, anywhere – by keeping a register of individuals who have viewed and accepted their understanding. Everything is viewable through dashboards to give project teams a holistic view of all data being collected. This results in more accurate and automated KPIs to give full transparency over what is happening on-site at any given time: for example, the number of hours on-site, home location of operatives who have been inducted in relation to the project location, and the number of first aiders within the team.