Gassco Puts Trust in TETRA
Summary
The Challenge Gassco needed to expand the functionality of its existing analogue two-way radio system to be able to pinpoint the location of personnel and improve safety by automatically alerting the operations centre should a member of staff be injured and unable to respond.The potentially explosive nature of gas distribution plants necessitates stringent safety regulations and this meant that communication devices had to comply with the required levels of protection for safe operation near hazardous materials.Previously, if a member of staff was lost in the plant, we had great difficulty in locating them.” Gassco also plan to make use of the DIPM system’s short data service for their electronic work permit system.When it arrives at Dornum, the gas pressure is reduced, then it is heated and metered before it enters the downstream distribution network.The ChallengeGassco needed to expand the functionality of its existing analogue two-way radio system to be able to pinpoint the location of personnel and improve safety by automatically alerting the operations centre should a member of staff be injured and unable to respond.It also required an increased number of communication channels to accommodate operators inside and outside its plants as well as to co-ordinate different maintenance teams more efficiently.This is particularly important during shut-down periods when multiple work groups need to collaborate.Thus, both locations needed to be connected onto a central network.The potentially explosive nature of gas distribution plants necessitates stringent safety regulations and this meant that communication devices had to comply with the required levels of protection for safe operation near hazardous materials.The SolutionMotorola distribution partner AIRadio Deutschland and local reseller partner FSN Neermoor proposed a Dimetra IP Micro (DIPM) TETRA system, which would allow Gassco to make a smooth transition to a digital radio network that could provide business-critical voice communications and short data services simultaneously.A web-based network management interface and ease of deployment allows for the simple operation of the DIPM system, minimising disruptions and making it easier for users to adapt to the new technology.Two lightweight MTS2 TETRA base stations have been installed to provide best-in-class receiver sensitivity for optimum radio coverage while their compact size lowered installation costs.The DIPM systems at Emden and Dornum are connected via a local area network to a central switch which enables the operation centres at both locations to control each site.