Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to inspection and maintenance of building equipment and, in particular, to a system and method of verifying the conduct of maintenance at a site or location.

The invention has been developed primarily with respect to the conduct of the inspection and testing of building systems and equipment, and maintenance and cleaning of buildings and security inspections thereof, and will be described hereinafter with reference to these applications. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use and is applicable to other locations requiring inspection, maintenance and testing of systems and equipment.

Background Art

It is well-known that commercial buildings are required to comply with regulatory requirements such as fire codes for example. These codes require various equipment and systems in a building to be tested on a regular basis. Such systems and equipment includes the operability of fire doors and the operational integrity of an emergency exit light or sign including availability of battery backup power.

Emergency exit lights are typically disposed within or about a building and provide a level of background lighting to facilitate movement toward a nearest safe exit in the event of an emergency condition such as complete power outage. Emergency exit lighting is typically composed of a plurality of spaced apart stand-alone emergency lighting units that detect loss of mains power and activate accordingly. As part of regulatory requirements in Australia, for example, each emergency exit light and/or emergency exit sign must be tested regularly for some minimum period that is conceptually sufficient to allow a building to be evacuated in the event of an emergency condition or power failure. Other jurisdictions have similar requirements.

Similarly, with fire door inspection for operability, for example fitness of automatic door closers or the integrity of the door itself, or the functioning of fire alarms systems and sprinklers in commercial buildings where regular inspection is mandated and a technician or inspector must physically inspect such on a regular basis. Such regular inspections of building equipment are obviously very important for minimising risk to building users in emergency situations. However, such inspections are also valuable for building owners, tenants, regulatory authorities and insurers to ensure that any needed maintenance, inspection or cleaning, for example, is observed on a periodic basis so that it can be corrected if necessary. Unfortunately, it is known that technicians or inspectors may not actually physically inspect each required element of a building, or may make only a cursory inspection. While this can indicate that a technician has visited the building for inspection, it does not assist in confirming that correct inspection of all necessary elements has occurred.

It is also the case that there are significant non-regulatory requirements for maintenance, inspection and cleaning at specific sites or locations that must be conducted. This may be to satisfy a company policy of, or contractual obligations by, a business owner. Such activity is not limited to constant cleaning for general safety or health reasons, although this currently is an obviously very important task. This is not just in customer facing businesses, but is also critically important in workplace operation procedures to avoid viral infection, or falls by virtue of uncleaned floors, for example. Such cleaning activities include work areas, or equipment such as desks and keyboards or tools, and can also include toilets, and areas people are likely to physically contact such as elevator controls or bathroom tap handles.

Currently, many businesses are operating under plans requiring them to follow strict cleaning regimes and some companies, for example, have forms at a site which a worker conducting maintenance or inspection fills out at the time they are there. Unfortunately, sometimes these forms are removed or damaged by others. In addition to any legal liability that may arise by a lack of cleaning, landlords can require a business to conduct certain cleaning and other inspection and maintenance activities to follow mandated or agreed procedures for which a business is liable. Of course, other cleaning activities such as maintaining pedestrian walkway surfaces, or the like, are commonly known to be required to meet regulatory, legal or contractual responsibilities. One attempt at a solution to the problem of determining if a task is completed is disclosed in US 2019/0385113. Here, a geo-fenced area is defined and a user is tracked within that area. A client computing device is detected within the geo-fenced area and an algorithm is used to automatically determine if the client computing device was in a particular geo-fenced area for a period of time long enough to complete a task. However, there is no task actually associated with the technician, nor any confirmation or interaction with him. A record of the presence and length of time within a geo-fenced area is recorded. However, this does not determine whether any activities were conducted, instead whether someone was in a geo-fenced area and for how long are recorded.

In EP 3,457,375 a service management system is disclosed based on an asset management tracking system. In this system, an RFID tag is installed on all equipment being tested without exception. Each RFID tag is read by a technician computing device during service activities.

Unfortunately, this solution does not allow for non-asset-based activities, such as bathroom or stairwell cleaning, to be included as part of the management system.

In WO 2016/159953 a system and method are provided for maintenance of multiple washroom facilities that have at least one consumer product dispenser that requires periodic refill. This disclosure aims to ensure that customers using washrooms do not run out of liquid soap, for example. This disclosure provides a method for building maintenance staff to conduct the activities but there is no means of independently verifying that this is the case although it does state “industry would benefit from the system and method wherein maintenance personnel are provided with specific instructions.. This system does provide, via sensors, an indication of liquid soap levels or paper towel levels, for example, but it cannot validate that any tasks have been completed beyond observing that liquid soap levels are sufficient.

In another prior published document, AU2017101287, there is disclosed the monitoring of human cleaning activities and specific movement or actions involved with those activities. Here, detected physical movement is compared by an algorithm to expected values corresponding to a particular movement for a specific task. This system requires significant sensing apparatus to understand the orientation of, say, a cleaner and the changes in that orientation as a function of time. The system of this disclosure is particularly useful to determine whether a sufficient time has elapsed to allow an activity to have been completed.

Genesis of the Invention

The Genesis of the invention is a desire to provide a system and method of verifying the conduct of location specific maintenance or inspection at a site independently of the technician, or to provide a useful alternative.

Summary of the Invention

In accordance with a first aspect of the invention there is provided a building site maintenance and inspection verification system comprising: one or more spaced apart stationary verification beacons disposed at predetermined locations at the site, each verification beacon having a power source and a wireless communication means with a predetermined communication range proximal to each verification beacon powered by said power source, each verification beacon being configured to wirelessly broadcast identification data; a mobile data logger device having a timing means associated with it, the data logging device being configured to define one or more maintenance and inspection activities required to be undertaken at the site and a time or range of times or frequency of maintenance and inspection of anticipated execution of the one or more activities; the data logger device being configured to receive the broadcast verification beacon identification data and to be physically associated with a maintenance or inspection technician; characterised in that the data logger device is configured to associate received verification beacon identification data with the anticipated time or range of times or frequency of maintenance and inspection such that the data logger is configured to alter state to indicate completion of the one or more activities.

Preferably, the verification beacons wirelessly continuously emit identification data indicative of the completion of the one or more activities, or the verification beacons wirelessly broadcast the identifier data to the data logger in response to a request generated by the data logger, the request being indicative of the completion of the one or more activities.

In preferred embodiments, each verification beacon is integral with, or associated with, an emergency exit light, emergency exit sign, smoke detector, fire door actuator or holder, electromechanical locks or other powered building system or equipment. Preferably, the verification beacon identification data includes data indicative of the verification beacon and/or its location, and the time and date the data is broadcast.

Preferably, each verification beacon includes an audible and/or visual alarm such that each verification beacon is configured to receive a wireless communication signal from the data logger device whereby in response to the verification beacon not receiving the communication signal within a predetermined period of time of the dates, or date ranges, or frequencies, the audible and/or visual alarm is actuated to alert users at the site adjacent to the verification beacon of a failure to conduct the maintenance or inspection.

In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of verifying inspection and maintenance at a building site using the system described above, the method comprising the steps of: providing one or more spaced apart verification beacons disposed at predetermined locations at the site, each verification beacon having a wireless communication means with a predetermined communication range proximal to each verification beacon and a power source, providing a data logger device having a location determination means and a timing means associated with it; configuring the data logging device to define one or more maintenance and inspection activities required to be undertaken at the site and a time or range of times or frequency of maintenance and inspection of anticipated execution of the one or more activities; configuring the data logger to be physically associated with a maintenance or inspection technician; configuring each verification beacon to wirelessly broadcast identification data to the data logger device; and configuring the data logger device to associate received verification beacon identification data with the anticipated time or range of times or frequency of maintenance and inspection such that the data logger is configured to alter state to indicate completion of the one or more activities.

It can therefore be seen that there is advantageously provided a method of independently verifying that a technician has been on site and proximal to one or more verification beacons. This removes the possibility a technician has claimed to have been at a site or location and conducted maintenance or inspection when they were not on site or not proximal to the verification beacons. This has the additional advantageous effect of allowing interested parties to confirm contractual or regulatory obligations have been satisfied in those inspections. The method also allows use as part of a quality assurance system for the life of an asset having proven maintenance, inspection or other information histories to a party carrying out due diligence such as a potential purchaser or tenant of a property, or to an insurer of a building or property.

Brief Description of the Drawings

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of a site implementing the method according to the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the operation of the method of the preferred embodiment;

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a data logger device of Fig. 1; and Fig.4 is a schematic diagram of a verification beacon of Fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Referring to Fig.l, there is shown part of an exemplary building site 1 having various building systems and equipment that are required to be inspected and/or maintained on a periodic basis. This view is a cross-sectional schematic side view indicating emergency stair exit 2 in the building 1. In this description of the preferred embodiment, reference is only made to limited building systems or equipment and particularly that related to emergency exit lighting on the site. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not so limited. A plurality of emergency exit lights 3 are disposed along the path of the stairs 2 so as to provide a level of lighting sufficient for safe egress from the building 1 in an emergency condition. The stairwell 2 is shown extending between four floors, however, it may be many more or less floors. The site can also be a single-storey and spread over a considerable area. Other sites requiring maintenance and visual inspection of equipment disposed there are also possible.

At the top floor, the building ceiling is used to support the emergency exit lights 3. In the preferred embodiment, emergency exit lights 3 such as can be found commercially available from Enlighten Australia Pty Ltd, are referred to. Particularly, see https://www.enlighten.com.au/products/chamaeleon-3 (which is also described in US Patent No. 9,839,087, the contents of which are incorporated herein in their entirety). Two lights 3 are shown disposed one to either side the entry door 4 at the fourth floor and another from the fourth floor light 3 above a midpoint landing on the way to the third floor. For the second part of the descent, an emergency exit light is disposed on the underside of the fourth floor (third floor ceiling) and one over the underside of the midpoint landing above. This is similarly the case for each of the lower floors where the landing or descending stairwell above provides emergency exit lighting for the areas below. On the outside of each stairwell emergency exit door 4 is disposed an emergency exit light 3 and a spaced apart emergency exit sign 5.

It will be appreciated that building system or equipment can include fire alarm and sprinkler systems, fire doors 4, as well as emergency exit systems including emergency exit lights 3, emergency exit signs 5 and any other building system or component that requires inspection or maintenance periodically. These include smoke detectors, fire door holders and electromechanical locks.

For example, fire doors are required to be physically inspected and tested by a technician on a six monthly basis for common property under Australian fire codes. This includes the doorframe, door hardware, automatic door closer as well as the general condition of the door and whether it seals correctly. That is, a technician must visit and physically inspect each fire door 4. Whilst fire doors 4 are inspected every six months in the preferred embodiment to ensure their operational integrity, it will be appreciated that independently emergency exit lights 3 are tested under simulated emergency conditions. In this test a technician ensures they operate for a period of time sufficient to allow a building to be safely evacuated, which is typically 90 minutes in Australia. This is similarly the case with emergency exit signs which are also intended to operate for a period of time to allow safe egress from the building in the event of power loss. Each light 3 or sign 5 must be physically inspected approximately every 6 months, or less, to ensure compliance with relevant Australian standards.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a method and system of independently verifying conduct of maintenance or inspection of building systems or equipment including fire doors 4 at the site 1. A data logger device 10 associated with a technician is configured to define one or more maintenance or inspection activities to be carried out at the site 1 and a date or date range for completion of those activities. The data logger device 10 is shown schematically in Fig.3. Here, the data logger device 10 includes a location determination means which allows the device 10 to record its location, as well as a timing means to match the location determining data with a time. The data logger device 10 is provided to the technician prior to the conduct the maintenance or inspection activities at the site 1.

Emergency exit lights 3 are disposed either side of fire doors 4, and each light 3 has associated with it a verification beacon 11. It is noted that the emergency exit lights 3 in the stairwell 2 intermediate floors are not shown with associated verification beacons 11, however, in other preferred embodiments each emergency exit light 3 includes an associated verification beacon 11. It is also noted that outside each fire door 4 only a single emergency exit sign 5 has associated with it a verification beacon 11. However, as is the case with lights 3 in other preferred embodiments, each emergency exit sign 5 has a verification beacon 11 associated therewith.

A schematic diagram of a verification beacon is shown in Fig.4 and it can be seen that this device includes a wireless communication means, a timing means, a location means and a power source. The verification beacon 11 operates continuously and entirely independently of the emergency exit light 3. It will be appreciated that verification beacon 11 is disposed in an emergency exit light 3 for expedience as these are known to have normally continuous power supplied thereto. In the case of the Chamaeleon 3 emergency light 3 referred to above, this is advantageous as it can be configured to operate normally on mains power and isolate the emergency exit lighting circuit so that it can be tested with mains power on. In this way, verification beacon 11 can be powered by the mains power supply operating the emergency exit light 3 so that power is not interrupted to the verification beacon 11 during a test or inspection.

It will be appreciated that most emergency exit lights commercially available require disconnection of mains power to them in order to switch to emergency mode and operate under battery power for the period of the test. In such emergency exit lights 3, the verification beacon 11 is either connected to an additional separate battery for providing power when mains power is disconnected during testing, or can be connected, if desired, to an existing emergency exit light battery.

The emergency exit lights 3 are preferably maintained emergency lights which provide light from mains power under normal conditions and switch to operate under battery power when mains power fails. Verification beacon 11 is electrically connected to draw power from the emergency exit light 3 battery (not illustrated) or the mains power supply. Of course, it will be appreciated that in other preferred embodiments of the invention, non-maintained emergency exit lighting can be used whereby the emergency exit light is only illuminated when there is a failure of mains power. In such cases the verification beacon 11 can be connected to either, or both, of the mains electricity or the light battery.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention, not illustrated, only selected emergency exit lights 3, or emergency exit signs 5, may include the verification beacon 11. This is on the basis that as shown in the example of Fig.1, only a single beacon 11 is required to be adjacent a fire door 4 on the inside of the building and emergency exit lights 3 disposed over the midpoint of a stair landing or at the top floor on the ceiling may have a verification beacon 11 sized so the entire stairwell can be within a communication range. Yet further, whilst the verification beacons 11 are disposed in, or associated with, the emergency exit lights 3 and/or emergency exit signs 5 it will be appreciated that the verification beacons 11 may be “stand-alone” and not be associated with any building system or equipment, thereby requiring beacons 11 to have their own power supply means. In the described preferred embodiment, power already provided to emergency exit lights 3 or emergency exit signs 5 is expediently exploited.

Each verification beacon 11 is configured to wirelessly broadcast an identifier data 13 (shown schematically in Fig.2) to the data logger device 10 in response to the technician and their data logger device 10 coming within a predetermined proximity of each verification beacon 11. In the preferred embodiment, data logger device 10 is configured to automatically broadcast a signal and upon receipt of that signal a verification beacon 11 broadcasts identifier data 13 in response.

The data logger device 10 communicates wirelessly with the verification beacon 11 and in a preferred embodiment employs wireless communications in the form of Bluetooth™ protocols over a predetermined approximate range over which verification beacon 11 and data logger device 10 communication can be defined.

In the alternative, the verification beacon 11 can be configured to communicate wirelessly with the data logger device. It automatically broadcasts a signal which is received by the data logger device 10 and is acknowledged via a return signal to the verification beacon 11, which then broadcasts the identifier data 13 in response. In the preferred embodiment of Fig. 4, the verification beacon 11 includes a location means and the identifier data 13 includes data indicative of the location of the beacon obtained from the location means.

However, in other preferred embodiments, not illustrated, verification beacon 11 can have its location pre-configured during installation, for example, and that pre configured location data is included in the identifier data 13. It will also be appreciated that the data logger 10 shown in Fig. 3 need not have a location means whereby location information is included in the identifier data 13 (either preconfigured location data or location means from the verification beacon 11). This way, the identifier data 13 provides data logger 10 with the location information so as to verify that the data logger 10 was proximal to the verification beacon 11.

Once the identifier data 13 is received by the technician’s data logger device 10, the data logger device is configured to associate the received identifier data 13 with data indicative of completion of one or more of the inspection and/or maintenance activities. The identifier data 13 is then stored remotely (for example in the “cloud”) together with data indicative of completion of the activity (together with any other data as preferred).

It will be appreciated that the remote storage of the data in a remote compiler device 15, as further described below, can be accessible to any desired party whereby the accessing party can confirm the data logger device 10 of the technician 14 was within communication range of the verification beacon 11 by virtue of the identifier data 13. In this way, the activities of the technician 14 can be independently verified in a manual or automated manner to have been proximal to the corresponding verification beacon 11.

Whilst the preferred embodiment describes the use of Bluetooth™ wireless communications, any preferred wireless communication means can be used such as radio frequency signalling or light signalling. In the preferred embodiment, Bluetooth™ protocols standard is employed, but others such as Wi-Fi including the 802.11 standard could be used. As well, as LiFi communications which employ light signals to transmit information can be used whereby a direct line of sight is required between the technician data logger device 10 and the verification beacon 11, further ensuring the technician 14 was proximal to the verification beacon 11. It will be appreciated that data communication between verification beacon 11 and data logger device 10 can also be encrypted if desired.

In respect of the identifier data 13, this preferably includes data indicative of the time and date the data is broadcast by the verification beacon 11, as well as the location of the verification beacon 11 which has sent the identifier data 13 to the data logger device 10. Preferably, the identifier data 13 sent to the data logger device includes data indicative of completion of each activity. More preferably the data indicative of completion of each activity includes data indicative of the technician 14, for example, the MAC (media access control) address of the data logger device 10, or other data indicative of the technician associated with the device 10.

In other preferred embodiments of the invention, not illustrated, the data logger device 10 associated with the technician 14 requires some form of biometric identification to allow access to the device 10 and for it to operate the instant method. For example, a technician 14 can be required to use their face, iris, fingerprint or other biometric means to log on to data logger device 10. Identifier data 13 can, once communicated to data logger device 10, include additional data indicative of the technician 14 whose biometric data was used to log on to the device 10. Here, a record of a particular technician rather than a particular device alone can be made.

As noted above, the data logger device 10 is preferably configured to receive and store (either on data logger device 10 or remotely therefrom in, for example, a remote compiler device 15) the identifier data 13 and the data indicative of completion of each activity. The data logger device 10, or remote compiler device 15, is configured to allow access to the stored identifier data 13 by parties other than the technician, or those associated therewith.

It is noted that while any remote compiler device 15 can be employed, a distributed database (not illustrated) is preferred. In such an embodiment, the remote compiler device 15 is formed from a plurality of individually remote compiler devices (also not illustrated). In these embodiments, each remote compiler device 15 is configured to individually store the identifier data for each activity or predetermined sets of activity. This can be advantageous in minimising interference of the remote compiler device 15. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that identifier data 13 associated with a predetermined maintenance or inspection activities sent by the data logger device 10 of the technician 14 can additionally be stored as a block and associated with a distributed block chain database.

This adds additional security to remote compiler device 15 from interference so far as each block that is formed is referenced with the unique identifier of the block prior to distribution and each distributed remote compiler device 15 validates each block of data. If each block contains the record/s of one activity or activities at one site, these can be verified in a conventional block chain manner. Thus each subsequent block has the unique reference or hash value of the block before, thereby removing the ability to undetectably modify data in a block, for example, to indicate that a maintenance task of activity had or had not been undertaken.

In such an arrangement, each interested party can form part of the distributed remote compiler devices 15 so that each party validates each new block as it is created. This can have the effect of providing all interested parties with a record of maintenance or inspection activities, including specific times, with the knowledge that the technician was located physically within some range of verification beacons 11.

In the case of an example where the inspection and necessary maintenance of forty fire doors defines an activity to be conducted by the technician at each specific location then the preferred embodiment can be configured to provide separate blocks of data corresponding to either confirmation of the inspection or maintenance of all forty fire doors or each block could be allocated for the inspection or maintenance of each door individually. This is similarly the case with inspection of other essential building equipment such as emergency exit lights 3 or signs 5, as well as to the cleaning of floors or tables in a cafeteria for example.

Although not illustrated, it will be appreciated that the identifier data 13 can be used whereby that data is stored as associated with a ‘smart contract’ being an agreement between two or more parties. Here, the smart contract automatically documents the conduct of activities from the remote compiler device 15, such as fire door checks in the described example of the preferred embodiment above. Preferably, the smart contract documents the activity together with the identifier data 13, or data indicative thereof, and this is recorded as fulfilment steps of the contractual agreement.

This can have the added benefit of the smart contract itself automatically administering and enforcing the contract subject to information received, or not, from the identifier data 13. It will be appreciated that similarly, the smart contract can be updated automatically in response to the receipt of verification data 13 for a task that is not received by a predetermined time or date. In other words, predefined inspection or maintenance activities and a completion date are provided in the smart contract and receipt of verification data 13 indicates that this has been completed. Non-receipt of verification data 13 for any particular activity will be indicative of maintenance or inspection that has not been completed, and this is automatically recorded in the contract.

In other embodiments of the invention, the above method and system is substantially identical to that described above with respect to the preferred embodiment of the invention, except that each verification beacon 11 is configured to wirelessly broadcast identifier data 13 to the data logger device 10 in response to the technician 14 causing the data logger device 10 to send a signal to verification beacon 11. The sending of such a signal by the technician 14 will be indicative of the completion of one or more activities, causing the data logger device wirelessly requesting the identifier from the verification beacon 11.

That is, the technician 14 provides an input via the data logger device 10 to indicate to the verification beacon 11 that the activity has been completed, which provides an additional layer of verification in addition to simply remotely sensing the presence of the technician at the site. This can help provide a record that a technician 14 was present to conduct the activity of inspection, maintenance, cleaning, etc and has expressly indicated by communication with the verification beacon 11 that the task had been completed, subsequent to which the verification beacon 11 broadcasts the identifier data 13.

It will be appreciated that in this way, the identifier data 13 can be automatically obtained when the technician 14 is in proximity to a validation beacon 11 at the site 1, or the identifier data 13 can be provided in response to prompting by the technician 14 via their data logger device 10.

In addition to the above described system and method according to the described embodiments, additional variations are contemplated. For example, each verification beacon 11 can be pre-programmed or pre-configured whereby the dates or date ranges of maintenance or inspection or cleaning or other activity to be conducted, for example, must occur. In the case where such inspection or maintenance is not conducted and no identifier data 13 is broadcast by that date or date ranges as desired, the verification beacon 11 is configured to sound an alarm to alert adjacent users of the location of the beacon 11 to a problem with maintenance or inspection.

It will be appreciated that in some preferred embodiments, use of an alarm or alert by the verification beacon 11 can be employed as a secondary step in the case where emergency exit lights 3 are connected to a local control network. Here, verification beacon 11 can send an electronic message to one or more relevant parties to indicate there has been a lack of maintenance, inspection, cleaning or the conduct of some other activity. Should that message be ignored, or necessary activity has not occurred adjacent the verification beacon 11 within a predetermined period of time, the local alarm means can be activated.

This can act as a backup means of preventing maintenance or inspection from happening and going unnoticed. Any preferred type of alarm can be used in such an embodiment but the alarm needs to be audible and/or visible to passing users of the site.

It will be appreciated that the method and system of independently verifying that maintenance or inspection of building systems or equipment at a site 1 has been conducted by verifying the presence of the technician 14 and their data logger device 10 proximal to, or within communication range of, each verification beacon 11.

As such, wireless communications protocols having a predetermined range of communications are most preferably employed, for example, Bluetooth with 5m, 10m or 50m ranges depending on individual preferences and site size and configuration. Bluetooth as an example is helpful across separate floors of a building but it is also noted directional antennae can be used to more accurately provide a signal to, or adjacent to, specific locations. This can, amongst other things, prevent identifier data 13 being sent to a data logger device 10 when that device 10 is a distance away from the fire door 4, for example, a distance too far for the door to be properly inspected.

In addition to independent verification, the identifier data is generated automatically by beacon 11 with no input from technician 14 thereby removing a possibility a technician can claim to have been at a site when there is no independent corresponding identifier data provided by a verification beacon 11. Yet furthermore, it will be appreciated that third parties such as owners of the site 1, their insurers or lenders, or regulatory authorities, tenants or potential tenants, property purchasers or visitors, can access identifier data 13 in the remote compiler device 15 to confirm that a task or activity is completed. This can be particularly important for those sites that are shopping centres, schools, nursing homes or hotels to provide potential customers or visitors with a means to ensure proper cleaning had occurred in a regular manner. It will be appreciated that the term technician as used throughout this specification includes those who not only inspect, maintain and conduct tests of building systems and equipment or sites, but also includes those who may be engaged in any activity at a site that is required such as welfare checks, security & pest inspections and cleaning tasks, for example.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications, obvious to those skilled in the art, can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term “comprising” (and its grammatical variations) as used herein is used in the inclusive sense of “including” or “having” and not in the exclusive sense of “consisting only of’.