The U.K. firm is hoping to enhance the information available on grave stones.
Since the dawn of time, humankind has wondered about the mysteries related to death and since the beginning of society, efforts have been made to try to memorialize those who have died, with QR codes being the latest effort in that regard.
These quick response barcodes are being used by a growing number of cemeteries on their grave markers.
In this effort, a company called Hyphenalia, from Tonbridge, Kent, U.K. is now working to add QR codes to gravestones and murals, so that people who are visiting these grave markers will be able to learn more about the deceased individual who is buried or memorialized there. The company is owned by a woman named Wendy Nash.
This use of QR codes is appearing on a growing number of grave sites across the United States, and the world.
Headlines have been made from a number of American cemeteries that are now offering QR codes as an added feature on their gravestones, but they are also appearing in places such as China, and even in Wales at a cemetery for war veterans.
According to Nash, she came up with her own idea for using QR codes on gravestones “because I have always had a fascination with headstones and eventually I thought to myself ‘is that it? Am I just going to be a name on granite?” She pointed out that for most people, a name and a date is all that is available to tell visitors about the deceased individuals to whom the grave markers are making reference. She feels that it is “a shame and a wasted opportunity.”
It is the hope of Nash that this will provide future generations the ability to avoid the current struggle with making sure that the achievements of ancestors are not forgotten. The QR codes provide families with the ability to use the internet to share a much larger amount of information about their deceased loved ones than their names, the years in which they were alive, and a possible additional word or two.
Nationwide Platforms, a rental company, has added the quick response barcodes for use by smartphone owners.
The rental company, Nationwide Platforms, has just announced that it has affixed QR codes to its equipment in order to make it easier for smartphone users to be able to lower the risk of emergency situations.
Though print documentation is already available, the barcodes are used to provide this and additional information.
QR codes were selected because they are now recognized by many people, and because the majority of individuals have a smartphone or tablet that is able to scan these barcodes in order to obtain the related info. Most of the fleet at Nationwide Platforms has already been fitted with its stickers, which provide a direct link to guidance to lower emergencies.
The QR codes are customized for each distinct equipment model or group of models across the United Kingdom.
Nearly all of the fleet’s units will have QR codes affixed to them by the end of the year, according to the plans of the program. This includes those that the business will purchase throughout 2013. The barcodes will be printed on stickers that are fitted directly onto the base of the machine.
Beyond using the QR codes as a type of practical tool, the company is hoping that this effort will also have a broader impact that will help to better the awareness surrounding the importance of becoming familiar with the safety procedures associated with the equipment.
Mark Keily, the QHSE director, stated that “Improving the way we manage welfare and wellbeing means improving the way we engage with all of those who come into contact with our products or services. With that in mind, we’re proud to have harnessed the power of technology to give our customers even more opportunities to get the guidance which could truly make a difference in an emergency situation.”
Similarly, Peter Douglas, the operations director, added to that statement, saying that using powered access is being increasingly recognized as among the most effective and safe techniques for functioning with the greatest levels worldwide. He said that as the market leader in the United Kingdom, it has become their purpose to add to and achieve greater safety accomplishments, be that through “innovation, investment, or simply taking the lead in making a difference.” QR codes fit into this strategy quite smoothly.
