Ctg sit23 hub banner.jpg

Environmental watchdog goes mobile

Agency will issue mobile devices to improve flexibility and co-ordination of field testers

A field worker using the device

The Environment Agency is to introduce a new system for collecting samples using handheld devices that it hopes will deliver 20 per cent cost savings by 2011.

The agency will issue 170 devices to sample-collecting teams and introduce a new fieldwork planning and scheduling system, available through the computers.

The system enables teams to take samples in the field and send results back to be analysed centrally, said Andrew Wood, deputy director of operations at the Environment Agency.

"At the moment we have skilled people in the field taking samples," he said. "We want to bring them back in-house to do analysis and train others to do all the collection work."

Pilots will go ahead this autumn, with a rollout by April next year.

The current system is locally accountable and paper-based, and sees experts in a particular field collecting the samples only for their particular branch of analysis.

The environmental watchdog spends £50m a year on environmental monitoring, with the gathered data collated in its State of the Environment reports.

If the system is successful, it could be rolled out to 1,000 staff.

"We could use it for those inspecting landfill sites, asset inspection and flood defence testing," said Wood.

ABeam Consulting will help the Environment Agency introduce the system.

Environmental watchdog goes mobile

Agency will issue mobile devices to improve flexibility and co-ordination of field testers

Leadership

ORION: Revolutionising UK's Fibre Network planning and Survey

Public Sector

National Grid is turning analogue to digital - Ctrl Alt Lead podcast

Green

AI to blame for Google's rocketing greenhouse gas emissions