39 Technology
Clockwise : Nick Delacamp , Martin Fullard , Dom Garner , Martin Richardson , Guy Meyer
for a test , do I give them my phone to fill in the details , or do they have to have the app ?
A : The person recording the test has to have access credentials to our system . At the moment , we are waiting for the Government to determine what they are going to do , in terms of opening up access to an individual ’ s records . The problem they ’ ve got at the moment is that such a system doesn ’ t exist .
Q : So , it works on the basis that you are setting up your own private network , there is no link to any official certification or Government data ?
A : In terms of capturing the result you ’ re absolutely right . There is a legal requirement if you ’ re doing private testing to report every test to PHE , and we do that . We are ready to receive data from Government when it is available .
Q : When we run an event , people need to register online , and in many cases download an app too : have you looked at integration with these platforms ? What matters is that we don ’ t make things too complicated .
A : Our system is built with that in mind . We have a very open approach to the architecture of our solution , and it is built to integrate with existing apps . In the commercial space , people use the sorts of things you ’ re talking about for their own access control purposes , so it can be added to an existing app .
Q : So , it ’ s another step in the process , depending on the what the Government mandates .
A : Yes .
Q : Why is blockchain important to us in the events industry , through the contexts of health and safety and checking in ?
A : Any sector that works within a framework of regulations works under a spectre of litigation . If you breach the regulations , you are liable for prosecution . For example , one of our clients uses this for fire door inspections . It sounds simple enough , but if a door fails and someone dies as a result , you may be liable for corporate manslaughter . The same is true if someone were to fall off scaffolding , or a lighting rig , for example .
This is where blockchain comes in : the infallible records which cannot be altered , only added to . This has stood up in court previously . What Catenae provides is proof of service , and proof of work .
Garner went on to add that as organisers – an agency in the case of Ten Thousand Hours – they did have some culpability . “ But it is our clients – the event owners – who are feeling the overall pressure ,” he said . “ Mainly they are worried about the risk to their reputation . While there is broad desire for a return to live events , many blue-chip clients are facing hesitancy from their HQ .”
Meyer noted frankly that there is clearly a need for a risk-mitigation solution .
Richardson concluded by saying that there may be a need for agencies to record what is happening at multiple events over the course of a wider programme , but added that there were already adopted systems that have worked well before . Yet , he added that if an agency is required to be more open with their client about their processes , then a solution such as Catenae would be very good to implement .
At the time of press , it is not known whether or not the Government will mandate the need for Covid-status certification , but what is certain is that clients will only ever evolve to be more risk-averse . The question all organisers and agencies should be asking themselves is : who is liable ? Answer that , and solutions like Catenae should be explored more thoroughly . www . conference-news . co . uk