US-20260127524-A1 - ELECTRONIC WORK PERMIT FOR MANAGING FIELD WORK

US20260127524A1US 20260127524 A1US20260127524 A1US 20260127524A1US-20260127524-A1

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a computer implemented method for analyzing a video from a location to enable obtaining electronic work permit authorizing a scope of work to be performed at a location. The method is being performed by a client application executed at a second electronic device. The method comprises receiving, from a first electronic device at the location, a permit authorization request message comprising an input identifying the scope of work to be performed at the location. In response to receiving the permit authorization request message. the method comprises transmitting a response message to the first electronic device indicating whether or not the work permit is authorized for the scope of work.

Inventors

Matthew Lewis
Joshua WOOD
Yulia Lamonova
John Haynes

Assignees

FYLD LIMITED

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20221004

Claims (16)

1 .- 15 . (canceled)
16 . A computer implemented method for analyzing a video from a location to enable obtaining an electronic work permit authorizing a work to be performed at the location, the method being performed by a client application executed at a first electronic device, the method comprising: analyzing a video captured at the location; determining a set of characteristics of the work based on the analyzing of the video; for the determined set of characteristics of the work, prompting, via a user interface, an input from a worker; transmitting a permit authorization request message comprising the obtained input to a second electronic device; and in response to transmitting the permit authorization request message, receiving from the second electronic device, a response message indicating whether or not the work permit is authorized for the work.
17 . The computer implemented method according to claim 16 , wherein the permit authorization request message further comprises the video of the location.
18 . The computer implemented method according to claim 16 , wherein the step of determining the set of characteristics of the work comprises identifying one or more of: a set of one or more items of equipment for performing the work; a set of one or more hazards identified based on the analysis of the video; a personal protective equipment, PPE, required for performing the work; and one or more competent workers to perform the work.
19 . The computer implemented method according to claim 18 , wherein the step of determining the set of characteristics of the work further comprises identifying one or more of: a type and/or category of work permit required for the scope of work; a unique identifier, ID, for the scope of the work; a set of one or more items of hazard mitigation for performing the work; and at least one skill required for at least one competent worker to safely perform the work.
20 . The computer implemented method according to claim 16 , wherein the input comprises one or more of: availability of one or more equipment, an identifier, ID, of one or more workers, competency information of one or more workers, hazards identified at the location and availability of a personal protective equipment, PPE.
21 . The computer implemented method according to claim 16 , wherein the response message comprises one or more of: an authorization for the work permit, a date of expiry of the work permit, a time interval indicating the expiry of the work permit, a rejection of the work permit and a reason for rejection of the work permit when the work permit is rejected.
22 . The computer implemented method according to claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises: receiving a permit expiry indication message from the second electronic device indicating an expiry of the work permit prior to the expiry of the work permit; and receiving the response message from the second electronic device comprising an extension of the work permit when the work permit is about to expire.
23 . A first electronic device configured to analyze a video from a location to enable obtaining an electronic work permit authorizing a work to be performed at the location through a client application executed at the first electronic device, the first electronic device is being adapted for: capturing a video of the location; determining a set of characteristics of the work based on an analysis of the captured video of the location; for the determined set of characteristics of the work prompting, via a user interface, an input; transmitting a permit authorization request message comprising the obtained input to a second electronic device; and in response to transmitting the permit authorization request message, receiving from the second electronic device, a response message indicating whether or not the work permit is authorized for the work.
24 . The first electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the permit authorization request message further comprises the video of the location.
25 . The first electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the first electronic device is adapted for determining the set of characteristics of the work by identifying one or more of: a set of one or more items of equipment for performing the work; a set of one or more hazards identified based on the analysis of the image and/or the video; a personal protective equipment, PPE, required for performing the work; and one or more competent workers to perform the work.
26 . The first electronic device according to claim 25 , wherein the first electronic device is further adapted for determining the set of characteristics of the work by identifying one or more of: a type and/or category of work permit required for the work; a unique identifier, ID, for the work; a set of one or more items of hazard mitigation for performing the work; and at least one skill required for at least one competent worker to safely perform the work.
27 . The first electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the input comprises one or more of: availability of one or more equipment, an identifier, ID, of one or more workers, competency information of one or more workers, hazards identified at the location and availability of a personal protective equipment, PPE.
28 . The first electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the response message comprises one or more of: an authorization for the work permit, a date of expiry of the work permit, a time interval indicating the expiry of the work permit, a rejection of the work permit and a reason for rejection of the work permit when the work permit is rejected.
29 . The first electronic device according to claim 23 , wherein the first electronic device is further adapted for: receiving a permit expiry indication message from the second electronic device indicating an expiry of the work permit prior to the expiry of the work permit; and receiving the response message from the second electronic device comprising an extension of work permit when the work permit is about to expire.
30 . A non-transitory computer readable medium, having stored thereon a computer program comprising program instructions, the computer program is loadable into a data processing unit and configured to cause execution of the method according to claim 1 when the computer program is run by the data processing unit.

Description

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of work management systems. More particularly, it relates to computer-implemented methods, electronic devices and computer program products for usage of an electronic work permit for managing a work to be performed at a location/work site. In general, industries such as, but are not limited to, construction industries, energy and utilities industries, or the like, involve day-to-day work (also be referred to as field work, field operations, or the like) to be performed at a location/work site. The work at the location has to be performed in compliance with field work management requirements defined based on state, local, and federal laws, a type of work, a work site, and so on. The field work management requirements include multiple regulations, codes and standards with regard to health and safety of workers, environmental protection, and quality management. For performing the work in compliance with the field work management requirements, a worker entitled to work at the location has to obtain a work permit from an authorizing entity (for example, managers, work site administrators, authorizing engineers, officers in charge of the location, or the like). Not having the work permit is a blocker for the worker to carry out the work at the location. In conventional approaches, the worker can obtain the work permits by following legacy paper based processes or using dedicated permit-management digital solutions. The legacy paper based processes involve obtaining the work permits in written forms/paper-based forms being completed and signed by the authorizing entity. In order to obtain the work permits in the written forms, the worker has to pause the work, drive to an office of the authorizing entity, complete request forms and obtain the written forms being signed by the authorizing entity. In some scenarios, the authorizing entity needs to drive to the location to ensure that all the required set up to perform the work at the location is in place to authorize the work permit. In some scenarios, the authorizing entity may not have immediate visibility of which work permits are open, and which are about to expired and need renewal. Thus, obtaining the work permit in accordance with the legacy paper based processes consume time and delay the work to be performed at the location. Further, the legacy paper based processes involve providing the work permit to the worker by focusing on managing longer-term local council permissions at the location, which are obtained weeks or days before the work starts. The dedicated permit-management digital solutions can allow the worker to obtain the work permits in digital forms by providing information about the work and/or the location. However, such digital forms are authorized without any evidence/validation of the information. SUMMARY STATEMENTS The following statements summarise some aspects and embodiments of the disclosed technology, however, the scope of the invention is as defined by the accompanying claims. It is important for a worker to obtain a work permit for performing work at a location/work site. However, the work permits can be in paper-based forms or digital forms, wherein obtaining the paper-based forms consume time and delay the work to be performed at the location and the digital form can be authorized without validating information provided by the worker. Moreover, the information required to obtain a permit may be dependent on the location as different regulations may apply for the same scope of work at different locations, for example, where a permit for a scope of work at a location is governed by a different regulatory authority to the regulatory authority granting permits for the same scope of work at another location. Consequently, there is a need for an improved method and arrangement for usage of an electronic work permit for managing and/or performing work at a location, wherein the electronic work permit authorizes a scope of work to be performed at a location. Therefore an object of the present disclosure seeks to provide computer implemented methods, electronic devices, a computer program product, and a work management system for managing a work at a location using an electronic work permit authorizing a scope of work to be performed at a location, which mitigate, alleviate, or eliminate all or at least some of the above-discussed drawbacks of presently known solutions. This and other objects are achieved by means of computer implemented methods, electronic devices, a computer program product, and a work management system, as defined in the appended claims. The term exemplary is in the present context to be understood as serving as an instance, example or illustration. According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, a computer implemented method for providing an electronic work permit authorizing a scope of work to be performed at a location is provided. The method is being perform