The challenge
CLC Utility Services, a leading provider of essential utility services, face a number of challenges in ensuring the safety of their fieldworkers while maintaining operational efficiency. Working on critical infrastructure such as water mains, in the presence of other underground assets such as electrical cables requires careful management to prevent service damage and manage real-time workflows.
Key challenges include:
- Preventing potential hazards and high-risk incidents during field operations
- Ensuring compliance with strict safety protocols while minimising service damage
Effectively managing communication between fieldworkers, supervisors, and utility providers in real-time - Overcoming delays due to unforeseen infrastructure conditions, such as damaged cables
To overcome these challenges, CLC Utility Services adopted FYLD’s scalable AI-powered platform, which prioritises operational efficiency while enhancing safety and preventing real-time incidents.
The solution
FYLD implemented a comprehensive AI-powered platform designed to support CLC Utility Services’ fieldworkers and supervisors. The key components of FYLD’s solution include:
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Real-time video risk assessments: Enables CLC teams to conduct video risk assessments before beginning excavation work, ensuring that potential hazards are identified early on
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Remote workflow management: Allows CLC supervisors to remotely monitor job progress, providing real-time insights and enabling proactive interventions when potential risks are identified
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Hazard reporting and resolution: Facilitates swift communication between fieldworkers and supervisors, ensuring service damage concerns are quickly escalated to the appropriate authorities
Through FYLD’s platform, CLC Utility Services has achieved significant improvements in operational efficiency and continue to successfully reduce and prevent high-risk incidents during their operations.
Service damage prevention stories
CLC Utility Services’ use of FYLD’s platform led to the prevention of several potential service damage incidents. Two noteworthy examples include:
Service Damage Prevention #1
CLC Utility Services’ team carried out a repair in Brentwood, UK, where a previously damaged cable was identified. The team used FYLD’s Video Risk Assessment and escalation features, enabling swift reporting to their supervisor and the authorities. The cable was later confirmed as redundant, but the prompt actions prevented any potential hazards from being overlooked.
Service Damage Prevention #2:
During a mains repair, the team identified a poorly conditioned cable. Using FYLD’s tools, they stopped work, reported the issue, and raised a job blocker. The cable was found to have a hole in the lead casing, making it dangerous for the teams to resume work. Thanks to FYLD, the cable was repaired, and the team averted a potential high-risk incident.
Improving operational efficiency through partnership:
The partnership between CLC Utility Services and FYLD has been instrumental in improving operational efficiency, preventing service damage, and enhancing safety in the field. By leveraging FYLD’s AI-powered platform, CLC Utility Services was able to proactively identify and resolve hazards in real time, significantly reducing the risks associated with field operations.
This case study highlights FYLD’s ability to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that optimise operations and ensure safer, more efficient utility services.
“It’s always difficult to measure impact. FYLD, when used correctly along with how we monitor the works through FYLD, has enabled prevention of 2 x service damages.” – Dean Pearce, Contracts Director, CLC Utility Services
Proven Impacts
Operational Efficiency
- Reduces operational delays by escalating hazards quickly, allowing for immediate interventions
- Enhances workflow management, leading to better handovers between teams and smoother job completions
- Improves visibility into job blockers, such as waiting for traffic management or materials, enabling CLC Utility Services to reduce downtime and boost productivity
Safety Enhancements
- Prevents double the number of potential service damages, safeguarding fieldworkers and avoiding costly repairs
- FYLD’s AI detects risks that fieldworkers may miss as well as highlighting major hazards to supervisors ensuring that high-risk jobs are identified and escalated quickly
- The platform’s control centre and live chat function, enables managers to provide real-time coaching to operatives, improving safety and team performance as well as providing teams with an auditable job timeline of events and communication
