Kiwi software guards Olympic stadium

BY SIMON COLLINS

If anything goes wrong at Sydney's Stadium Australia after the Olympics, New Zealand software will be the first thing managers will consult.

A software package designed by Takapuna firm Risk Management Systems has been installed at the stadium to manage risks ranging from keeping track of contractors to evacuating the stands in an emergency.

The Takapuna team claims its system, originally developed for a local cinema chain, has the potential to earn tens, and possibly hundreds of millions of dollars internationally in the next few years.

"Our methodology is unique," said managing director Denis Fetherston.

"It's an area that has been very difficult for the risk management business, because it's hard to turn subjective things into calculated results, such as with people or processes or things that might happen."

Executive director Garry Venus said the system could be used to monitor things, such as pollution or the names of people on a site, and then alert managers by immediate e-mail or cellphone text messages if anything went wrong.

For Stadium Australia, the package includes accident management, hazard management, managing contractors and emergency evacuation.

Sydney consultant "Mitch" Mitchell said he chose the Kiwi package for the stadium because it was "simple to use."

He has used it to keep track of contractors during the buildup to the Olympics, and although separate systems will be used in the next two weeks, the New Zealand package will be used for the stadium's risk management after the Games.

The system may also have applications at stadiums such as Hillsborough in Britain, where soccer fans were crushed to death because of overcrowding and poor escape routes.

Said Mr Venus: "Say they [the Australians] have to get 109,000 people out of there in 15 minutes. The plans will all be drawn up. If there is a need for an evacuation, Mitch will have all the information at his fingertips in terms of a route for evacuation, response planning, who is to be notified.

"There is a whole raft of information on staff training and competencies and information on resources required. Our system allows all the information regarding any particular incident to be linked with those other databases."

Risk Management Systems is privately owned by Mr Fetherston and his family, Mr Venus, and their 10 employees.

It is negotiating with international partners who Mr Fetherston expects will allow the business to expand dramatically. "It will take the company right across the world with the software solution and will develop into quite a major export potential."