Nutrien Ltd., Saskatoon, said on Jan. 26 it is expanding the use of monitoring and contact tracing technology Proximity Trace™ from Triax Technologies, Norwalk, Conn., which it said has emerged as an important tool to help track and combat the spread of COVID-19. More than 8,000 employees are using the technology to date, with an additional 6,500 expected to be part of the expansion in the coming months, representing 65 percent of Nutrien’s global employee base.
To help mitigate the spread of the virus, Nutrien partnered with Triax to help its workers maintain a minimum of six feet of physical distancing and automatically capture data about their interactions with coworkers, as part of its COVID-19 protocols.
Originally deployed last July at Nutrien’s nitrogen and phosphate sites in the U.S., Proximity Trace is now being rolled out at Nutrien’s potash mines in Saskatchewan and at corporate offices in Alberta, Colorado, Illinois, and Saskatoon.
“In the early days of the pandemic, global health authorities called upon the private sector to step up and do our part to help flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Nutrien EVP & Chief Information Officer Brent Poohkay. “Nutrien developed a playbook that articulates a strategy and a plan for handling the virus, and the Triax system has been valuable in keeping our essential workers safe to help ensure a health crisis doesn’t become a food crisis. Now we are expanding the playbook as we redefine the future of work with safety and integrity at the forefront.”
Proximity Trace tags are attached to workers’ clothing or hard hats and produce an audio and visual alert to those who come within six feet of one another. These wearable sensors also automatically log data for leaders to quickly perform contact tracing if a positive case arises, thereby preventing further spread at the site and reassuring those who are not at risk. Since it pinpoints the individuals who may have been exposed, the solution also helps Nutrien minimize operational shutdowns and reduces the risk of associated costs and product delivery delays.
“At the workplace, if you maintain proper physical distancing, then your risk of spreading the virus is very low,” said Dr. Tarek Sardana, one of the medical experts who has been advising Nutrien’s executive leadership team regarding COVID-19 responses and protocols. “I encourage people to think of themselves as if they’re living within six-foot bubbles, and if no one penetrates the bubbles, it’s harder for the virus to spread.”
Since the implementation of the Triax technology, Nutrien said it has been able to safely support as many as 1,700 employees and contractors at a time at its Nitrogen and Phosphate sites. The physical distancing alerts have reduced the number of close contacts, positive cases and quarantines. Additionally, it said the automated data system has improved the efficiency and accuracy of contact tracing.
Nutrien said as it explores how to safely return more employees who have been working remotely to the workplace, the Triax technology will support additional prevention and protection across Nutrien’s North American footprint.