I write this, sitting at home. Just like many of my colleagues throughout Yokogawa and in many other companies around the world. And we do it while performing our daily work in a way that six months ago would have been far from the norm.
The phrase “may you live in interesting times” has been used with many connotations. But I’d suggest that seldom have times been quite as ‘interesting’ as these! The Covid pandemic has made a more significant change to the planet’s daily way of working. More than almost anything else that preceded it, and phrases like “the new normal” have become omnipresent. So omnipresent that they are no longer new, but part of everyday life.
Yokogawa RAP have specialised in Control of Work solutions, particularly for high risk plant activities for over 25 years. And what was initially considered a dangerous task may have become even more dangerous. Because considerations of infection prevention must be taken into account and mastered. This is in addition to the general risks associated with the work in question, the conditions under which it is carried out and the instruments used.
Free Covid-19 icon for all Yokogawa RAP users
With that in mind, from this month the team at Yokogawa RAP are providing to our customers, at no charge, the benefit of our Covid-19 knowledge and experience, new and old with the release of the free Covid-19 icon. We understand that these are not only interesting but also difficult times. And this is an opportunity for us to rise to the challenge of helping to keep the plants safe. And we do this without requiring them to bear an additional financial burden for the ability to do so. This is our chance to give something back to those who have placed their trust in us over so many years and over so many millions of hours of risk assessment and work permitting.
The Covid-19 icon, just like all the other 500+ icons that sit within our RAP Cortex is of course, not just an icon. Behind all this lies a specific knowledge base. This is readily available to ensure that all considerations regarding safe working in a Covid-19 environment are taken into account. This includes methods to ensure cleanliness, safe transport, safe movement, teamwork and a variety of other factors. These factors can easily be considered in risk assessments and implemented as required in work permits to ensure maximum safety. All of these are easy to manage, select and set by simple, intuitive steps to make it robust, fast and friendly to use.
How the free Covid-19 icon will support our partners
How the free Covid-19 icon will support our partnersWe believe the free icon release will help our partners to manage the risks associated with the virus. And that more easily and effectively as each one tries to steer their way safely towards mitigating this new challenge to daily operational plant management.
And for those partners we’ve not yet met, please talk to your local Yokogawa team. The team will be happy to help you get you on the road to a safer, smarter facility. Risk assessment is always at the forefront of the work permit process. It should lead to a solution that is far more intelligent than digitizing your current paper-based systems.
Of course I also look forward to a time in the future when it will no longer be necessary to use the Covid-19 icon as a part of daily life. When people can once again gather without fear of infection. But in the meantime, thank you for trusting us to be there for you.
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