Accenture Life Safety Solution Deployed at Robinson, Illinois Refinery
NEW YORK; April 4, 2011 - Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today announced that Marathon Petroleum Company LP (Marathon), a wholly owned subsidiary of Marathon Oil Corporation (NYSE: MRO), is deploying the wireless-based Accenture Life Safety Solution at its Robinson, Illinois refinery. The solution integrates Wi-Fi and location-based technologies with multi-gas detectors to allow companies to remotely monitor incidents in locations previously not suited for wireless networks.
The Accenture Life Safety Solution breaks new ground by using Wi-Fi technology in plant environments to alert central controllers of incidents and of workers’ locations. It is designed for working environments such as refineries, chemical plants and other locations where dense steel infrastructure can make wireless safety solutions difficult to introduce.
Marathon will implement the Accenture Life Safety Solution across its refinery, which has approximately 20 process units covering 1,000 acres, after having successfully piloted the technology at two units in 2010. Marathon will use two variants of the solution: fixed Wi-Fi access points will provide integrated wireless coverage for distinct refinery units, and mobile Wi-Fi access points will be installed in trucks to provide flexible coverage for workers moving around larger open units, such as tank farms. These mobile units will then be connected to the Marathon’s central communications room by cellular networks.
“Our deployment of this pioneering solution follows extensive evaluation of its functionality and costs,” said Don McCord, operations manager, Illinois Refining Division, Marathon. “The tested solution gives our workers a greater sense of confidence that their safety is being monitored in ways that have never been possible before in our industry. In addition, its proven cost effectiveness has allowed us to deploy the solution across the entire refinery.”
“Our work with Marathon demonstrates that a comprehensive, continuously monitored safety system is affordable and effective in difficult working environments,” said Colin Fulton, director of Accenture Plant and Automation Solutions. “Marathon’s deployment will set the example for how to improve worker safety in a range of industries with similar conditions.”
The Accenture Life Safety Solution uses Wi-Fi triangulation to locate workers. The patent-pending solution includes design, installation and deployment. It uses a lapel-based wireless four-gas detector, which has a panic button and a motion sensor to detect when a worker stops moving for a period of time.
The solution integrates the Ventis™ LS multi-gas detector from Industrial Scientific, Cisco’s Unified Wireless Network and Mobility Services Engine, and AeroScout’s Wi-Fi Tags, Location management and user front-end technology, MobileView. Industrial Scientific also provides iNet® – the company’s unique Gas Detection as a Service solution.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 215,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. The company generated net revenues of US$21.6 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2010. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
Contact:
Christine Yee Fields
Accenture
+1 330 234 6406
christine.fields@accenture.com
Matthew McGuinness
Accenture
+44 77 400 38921