Ensuring workplace safety is of the highest possible standard is of utmost importance regardless of the industry you work in. Many jobs though pose much more risk to employees than others. Lone workers for example, have to contend with long periods working by themselves. Should an incident occur, it can be many hours before someone passes by or arrives to take over the shift. By then, injuries or criminal activity could have developed into something much worse.
Luckily, many businesses have lone worker policies in place to ensure lines of communication remain open, periods of lone work are reduced, and security features are enhanced.
For workers in retail, security, care, construction, agriculture and transport, among others, lone working is common. Such industries can see safe working practices become risky and without the appropriate policies and procedures in place, the chances of injury or crime can be vastly increased.
This is why many businesses now look to arm their workers with a robust man down alarm device alongside other safety measures. In this blog, we look at how you can arm your team with the right man down alarm for your business, and make sure safety is enhanced at all times.
What is a man down alarm and how does it work?
A man down alarm, also known as a fall detection alarm, is a feature provided by lone worker focused safety device companies.
Should an employee fall from height or have a slip or trip, a lone worker device will activate its man down or fall detection feature and alert an alarm receiving centre.
It may then open up a two-way channel of communication between the person who fell and the handler at the receiving centre. This will allow an assessment of the situation to be made where contact with emergency services will be made if needed. The call handler will then also contact the relevant people such as other workers in the vicinity or the fallers management team.
Why is a man down alarm necessary?
With lone working perhaps more prominent than ever, it is important for businesses to arm their teams with appropriate safety tech. Man down alarms provide an added element of safety and should be given to all lone workers to help with:
• Increased feeling of safety and wellbeing when completing tasks that may put them at risk.
• Rapid response should an accident occur
• Preventing risks to health and safety
• Giving team members peace of mind that they are protected
• Safety compliance and regulatory guidelines
How do you choose the right man down alarm for your business?
The lone working safety device industry is filled with an array of products, each lending themselves to various situations and industries. Some might be more suited to loud environments; others may be better by being discreet. Some will provide live monitoring; others will offer connections to a dedicated alarm receiving centre. Thankfully, most bases are covered by the assortment of devices and features on offer. We’ve highlighted a selection of the things you should take into consideration before choosing the man down alarm you need.
What does your company need?
Before choosing a man down alarm, look at the security risks for employees within your business. As we mentioned earlier, a discreet alarm may be a preferred choice in some cases. What is the working environment your employees will find themselves in? Do you need a loud alarm? Something streamlined perhaps? Or simply an app added to their phone.
Consider ease of use
You want a system that is easy to use and possibly integrates with your existing tools. Safety doesn’t have to be complicated so look for a device or app that provides comprehensive support but simple operation.
Assess reliability and responsiveness
You want a man down alarm that can provide support no matter the working environment or time of day. Risk can spring from anywhere, so it is better to ensure employees are protected no matter what. Many devices and apps offer rapid connectivity to an alarm receiving centre and offer 24/7 coverage. Ensure your choice of man down alarm provides this and that it can trigger its alarm effectively and quickly.
Durability and performance
A man down alarm is there to alert people to falls, slips, and trips, if these occur at height the impact could be significant. You need a robust device that won’t see its performance compromised if it takes a sudden impact.
Location reporting
Many fall detection alarms offer live location tracking, enabling help to be sent to the precise location of the incident. With built-in GPS or a What3Words integration, a speedy resolution can be made possible.
Check-in & check-out features
Should lone workers be spending long periods working by themselves, it can be handy to set a protocol for informing colleagues of their safety. For example, you could have it that every three hours, an employee makes colleagues aware that they are ok. Many devices and apps allow for this and have this feature as standard.
Taking the above into consideration, you should be able to find a suitable lone worker alarm with fall detection that gives you and your team not only added peace of mind but full coverage in the event of an incident.
