What is Sentinel?
Sentinel is one of the premier safety systems in use across the Rail Industry. We provide rail workers with a passport to work on the rail infrastructure across the United Kingdom.
To make Sentinel smart, safe and simple we use the very latest smartcard technology, a secure and trusted database, and multiple platforms such as smartphones. This allows workers’ competence and fitness to work to be verified simply and effectively in near real time.
Sentinel is growing. There are presently 176,424 users on the system across the Network including Transport for London who has adopted the scheme. The technical capability was improved in 2016 with new functionality (Site Access), to improve the management of workers’ hours and reduce their exposure to the risks of fatigue.
And what it is not…
There are some misconeptions about what Sentinel does, so we feel it is important to clarify what Sentinel does NOT do! It is:
- not an HR Management System (HRMS)
- not a Competency Management System (CMS)
- not a Training Management System
- not a Medical Records Management System
- not a Work Planning and Delivery System
- not a Time and Attendance System
- not a technical data interface engine
However, interfaces from and to such systems owned by Network Rail may exist.