The Client
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has the day-to-day
responsibility for enforcing health and safety legislation and its
concerns range from nuclear installations and chemical plants,
through to mines, factories, farms and many other workplaces.
Inspectors frequently have requirements for up-to-date mapping for
their day-to-day inspection tasks.
The Problem
A central web mapping solution was required for HSE and HSL use,
which was accessible, interactive and available.
What We Did
The Geographical Information Systems (GIS) team at HSL have
developed a method of providing mapping and spatial solutions to
users at their desks, without the requirement of specialist
software or training.
The GIS team used a specialist GIS software package to develop an
application that allows maps and data to be delivered in a standard
web browser with
out any plug-ins. It allows the user
to interact with the mapping and use fundamental GIS functionality,
including searching, panning, zooming and querying, without the
need for specialist or expensive GIS software and training.
The GIS team has already produced a successful customized
mapping tool for the HSE Birmingham office to help manage
Legionella outbreak response. This has enabled specialist
inspectors to access detailed and up to date mapping and inspection
data and allowed them to overlay data sets and interrogate them
spatially to provide tailored information. This is helping them
respond more quickly to incidents and carry out their work more
efficiently. The data provided is stored centrally at HSL so it can
be updated regularly and centrally on the main server and is
immediately accessible across HSE nationally. The web based mapping
service can be accessed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be
tailored to the specific requirements of different divisions of
HSE.
HSL's web based mapping capability has led to:
- Increased Productivity, Speed and Availability of data and
HSL's Geographical Service.
- Collaborative Working and Data Sharing.
- Innovative Development in GIS.
Outcome/Benefits
Web based mapping has provided a range of benefits to HSL and
HSE. Enabling specialist inspectors to access detailed and up to
date mapping and data has allowed them to respond more quickly to
incidents and carry out their work more efficiently.
Exploring methods of developing web based mapping for specific
requirements has led to a number of specialised systems where an
inspector's data can be overlaid on OS maps and interrogated to
provide tailored information.
Downloadable pdf of case study
"The web based mapping application developed by HSL has significantly increased HSE's initial response times and will greatly improve many aspects of the management and analysis of future outbreaks. The application also enhances the professionalism and reputation of HSE when dealing with other stakeholders with responsibilities in outbreak situations."
John Healy, Inspector, HSE Field Operations Directorate.
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