MITIE secures first outsourced competence card contract

02 April 2013

MITIE, the FTSE 250 strategic outsourcer, has won a five year contract with Network Rail, the owner and operator of the United Kingdom's railway network, to supply the new Sentinel card service - improving site safety, increasing efficiency and reducing costs for the industry.

Under the current industry-wide Sentinel scheme, every one of the 90,000 employees and contractors who work ‘trackside’ on or near Network Rail’s infrastructure must carry a valid card for inspection. The card is used to verify the identity and skills held by the cardholder by reading information directly from the card or calling an automated phone line.

Network Rail chose MITIE and its partner Reference Point to develop and deliver a new service incorporating smart card technology to replace the current basic laminated card. The new, real-time, automated service will deliver:

reduced site registration times using smart technology
a single, long life (up to 5 years) card
100% authentication of ID and skills
improved protection for lone workers
a live register of the people and skills on site
improvements in the way the industry manages fatigue
opportunities to improve and streamline frontline processes

MITIE’s Total Security Management business secured the contract in partnership with Reference Point based upon the proven capabilities of its MiTec technology centre to act as a 24/7 hub along with its track record of providing high quality managed services to businesses working in environments where safety is the key consideration.

The new Sentinel service will be introduced from June 2013.

Gareth Llewellyn, Director, Safety & Sustainable Development, Network Rail said: “Sentinel is the passport for working on our network safely. Technology has moved on apace since we introduced Sentinel originally in 1999 and the opportunity to take advantage of smartcard and smartphone technology will take Sentinel to the next level and also provide us with benefits that we haven’t seen before.”

Darren Gamage, Technology Services Director, MITIE Total Security Management, said: “This is such an exciting opportunity. New Sentinel will be the most advanced system of its kind in the UK. Using current technology along with some re-engineered business processes will greatly improve Network Rail and their supply chain partners’ ability to manage the ‘authority to work’ of staff, as well as delivering some real efficiency and safety benefits.

“We’re delighted to be working on this high-profile project that we hope will become a global benchmark for comparable industries.”

Tanya Morris, Director, Reference Point, commented: “This new system will deliver a simpler and smarter way for Network Rail to provide a safer environment for its trackside workers whilst cutting costs overall for the industry.”