The protection of lone workers is now an essential requirement for many companies in diverse sectors such as industry, construction, logistics, and maintenance. With a wide range of devices available, employers and EHS managers must understand the various criteria for choosing the right safety monitoring device.
This article presents the essential criteria to consider in order to make an informed, secure, and compliant choice.
What is a safety monitoring device?
A safety monitoring device is an electronic system designed to automatically detect distress situations of employees working alone and alert rescue teams. It is an integral part of an employer’s legal safety obligations.
The primary objectives of safety monitoring devices are to:
- Detect an incident.
- Alert rescue teams and responsible personnel.
- Ensure a timely response.
Why Investing in a safety monitoring device?
Beyond regulatory compliance, using a safety monitoring device offers several benefits:
- Reduced professional risks.
- Increased reactivity in the event of an incident.
- A strengthened feeling of security for employees.
- An enhancement of the company’s prevention policy.
Worker safety and protection is not only a legal obligation but also a duty for employers to preserve employees’ health. It is also crucial for ensuring the quality of a company’s services. Indeed, security issues and incidents at a site can have severe consequences on production. An accident may halt production for a period to check site compliance or conduct an investigation.
In this regard, a safety monitoring device is essential to minimize the health impact on the worker after an accident.
The 7 key criteria for choosing your safety monitoring device
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Diversity of alert triggering criteria
The choice of a device depends primarily on the type of detection desired. There are several alert triggering criteria available on the market:
- Loss of verticality (fall detection): The device detects when a person has fallen.
- Prolonged immobility: The device triggers an alert if the user remains still for a predefined period.
- Detection of lack of movement: The device signals a lack of user activity.
- Combination of alert criteria: For example, an alert may only be triggered by a combination of loss of verticality and prolonged immobility.
- Manual trigger (SOS button): Allows the user to manually activate an alert.
Some models combine multiple sensors to offer more reliable and accurate multi-event detection. The precision of alerts is key to effectively protecting isolated workers. Devices with excessive false positives or frequent, unnecessary alerts are hard for operators to use and can lead to alert fatigue.
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Communication Network Compatibility
The communication technology available on the facility is crucial when selecting a device. Safety monitoring devices are designed to transmit alerts via a communication network:
- Public or private 4G network: Offers wide coverage and transmits alerts via SMS, voice call, or data.
- Public or private 5G network: While not yet widely available in industrial sites, some devices can communicate autonomously. These are often paired with a smartphone to function.
- Radio networks (DECT, LTE-M, LoRa): Used for specific environments (indoor/outdoor, white zones).
- Wi-Fi / Bluetooth: Useful in confined spaces or as a supplementary option.
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Geolocation of the Worker in Distress
A good safety monitoring device must enable quick and accurate location of the user in case of an alert. Acting fast is essential to minimize the health impact on the worker.
Therefore, the device cannot merely send an alert; the functionality of accurate geolocation, both indoors and outdoors, is critical, especially in complex environments.
Several technologies exist for precise geolocation:
- GPS: Ideal for outdoor environments, provided the area is not too dense with infrastructure.
- Indoor geolocation technology: Includes Wi-Fi, BLE beacons, UWB, and inertial technology.
- Hybrid technologies: Devices like Sysnav’s can ensure continuous location tracking even without a GPS signal, thanks to a unique and patented magneto-inertial technology.
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Battery life and ergonomics
To provide effective protection throughout a full workday, the device must have specific characteristics in terms of use and battery life:
- Battery autonomy: The device should have a battery life that matches the workday (typically more than 8 hours).
- Comfort and portability: The device should not interfere with the workers’ daily tasks. Its carrying mode must be suited to their activities.
- Intuitive interface: The device should provide clear visual or audible confirmation and alert signals.
- User-friendly supervisory software: The interface should be easy to set up and use.
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Compliance and certifications of the safety monitoring device
Ensure that the safety monitoring device complies with current standards. It must also be certified for use in ATEX environments (explosive zones) if necessary. Some IP markings may also be required depending on the type of activity.
Indeed, under certain environmental conditions (e.g., humid or dusty environments), some safety monitoring devices are not suited or will have shorter lifespan. Choosing a device that meets your site’s specific environmental requirements is crucial.
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Integration into your work environment
A high-performance system should be easy to integrate into your company’s infrastructure, both technically and in terms of cybersecurity. Several elements of the lone worker protection solution must be considered:
- A supervision or remote monitoring system integrated into the site.
- Compatibility with your existing risk prevention policy.
- A secure IT architecture (API compatibility, GDPR compliance, data encryption).
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Consultation with Users
To ensure the solution’s acceptance and proper use, consulting the workers who will be using the device is essential. It’s important to understand their needs in terms of functionality and practical use. Some devices may not be suited to the tasks workers perform, for example:
- The device’s carrying mode might interfere with their tasks.
- The device might generate too many unnecessary alerts if the alert criteria are too sensitive or unsuitable for their activities (e.g., tasks that involve lying down or remaining still).
The risk is that the device might be abandoned if it doesn’t gain the approval of its potential users. Therefore, it’s crucial to consult with the relevant staff to select the most suitable device.
The Importance of tailored support to choose a lone worker protection
Choosing a safety monitoring device should not be limited to just the hardware. It should be part of a broader prevention and training approach. Work with a partner who can:
- Offer reliable location solutions in complex environments.
- Provide training for users and maintenance of the device.
- Propose a solution that meets your site’s specific risks.
- Provide a device that meets your communication network and ergonomic criteria.
- Ensure the device is suited to the operators’ tasks without interfering with their work.
Conclusion: a sustainable safety investment
Choosing the right safety monitoring device is about anticipating risks, protecting your employees, and meeting regulatory requirements. At Sysnav, we develop proven, robust, and GPS-free location technologies adapted to the most demanding environments. Our unique technology allows us to offer:
- An easy-to-install, comfortable device that doesn’t interfere with operators.
- Low incident detection without false positives.
- Alerts without unnecessary interruptions.
- Accurate location tracking indoors and outdoors, and even on the correct floor of the worker in distress for quick intervention.