Cogent Deploys Web-based Safety Management System for Canada’s Premier Electric Utility

Working closely with BC Hydro, Cogent has developed a web-based operational logbook as part of the client’s safety lockout requirements which ensure that power lines and electrical/mechanical assets are isolated and safe to work on by maintenance personnel.

Leveraging Cogent’s expertise in Operations Performance Management systems, the new electronic Safety Lockout solution eliminates the need for a paper-based system, allowing simplified coordination between the control centers in the Fraser Valley and Northern BC and the maintenance personnel at power stations all across BC. Rather than filling out paper forms and manually moving them across workflow phases, maintenance personnel can now complete the forms electronically as drafts or for submission on a shared web-based platform. Control centers can then review submitted safety protection forms for approval, speeding up the process of ensuring safe conditions in the field prior to maintenance work.

For this project, Cogent incorporated Human Factors Engineering features to remove clutter, provide data validation (to ensure correct values are entered) and improve the user experience throughout the workflow, making the system highly intuitive, reliable and user-friendly.

Through Cogent’s tailored Operations Performance Management solution, BC Hydro is able to benefit from increased operational effectiveness, reduced data errors, reliable and fast workflows and a greatly decreased incidence of safety issues for maintenance workers across the province.

About BC Hydro

BC Hydro is Canada’s premier electric utility company, being the third largest of its kind in the country. BC Hydro operates 30 hydroelectric generating stations that produce 80% of BC’s electricity. These facilities generate 43,000 to 54,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity annually. The company has a workforce of more than 5800 employees to run its operations throughout the year.