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In the modern-day working environment, the health and safety of workers is high priority for businesses, regardless of sector. But, in a world where an explosion, fire, or other hazardous incident can take place, high priority becomes necessity. 

Today, we look at how a digital two-way radio solution, like TRBOCALL, can keep workers safe at utilising a range of personal safety features and software. 

Lone Worker 

Lone working is common in the UK. In fact, it’s estimated that 20 percent of the nation’s workforce is made up of workers who operate in an isolated environment. 

ATEX designated sites are no different, as workers are often required to carry out tasks on their own and operate heavy machinery. This requirement to work in an individual setting, means that workers in other areas of the site need to have peace of mind that they’re not in danger and working productively. 

This leads us onto the Loner Worker alarm – a feature that is built into ATEX digital two-way radios. The alarm system is designed to increase worker safety and allows users to access a dedicated panic button that will alert others that there’s a problem – and if they fail to respond to periodic alerts, it will trigger an emergency alarm. 

Built-in GPS also helps to identify their location in real-time, which could potentially be a lifesaving tool. 

Man Down

Like Lone Worker, Man Down is a feature that sends an emergency call when a worker falls or doesn’t respond. This is achievable thanks to an integrated accelerometer, which can detect when the user has been inactive for a specified period, or the radio is in irregular position. 

Within the radios motion sensor an alarm sequence functionality can be programmed which activates when it is deemed that that hand portable is at an irregular orientation, or if the user becomes inactive for a specified period. The alarm can notify individual team members, user group or a central control room. The notifications are sent in the form of an audible tone, text message or pre-recorded voice message to other radio users, PABX systems, mobile phones, or e-mail addresses.

The radio will emit an audio beacon which allows the person/team searching to locate the injured worker (GPS can also support this method). Some radios with a man down function can also activate an ‘open mic’ mode allowing the other users to hear what is happening in the surroundings.

Panic Button 

Radio users need to have easy access to buttons to speak, or in this case, raise an alarm. Panic Button is a critical feature of a digital ATEX radio. 

Pressing the emergency sends an alarm across the entire radio system to other radio users or summon help with one touch, without having to press the PTT button, enabling help to be deployed quickly and efficiently. 

Transmit Interrupt 

The Transmit Interrupt enables supervisors or dispatchers to seamlessly clear a channel on the radio when urgent messages need be transmitted, or a call must go through, even when the channel is in use. The Voice and Emergency Voice Interrupt capabilities allow a supervisor’s radio to stop a voice transmission and start a new emergency transmission to quickly communicate information to a group or individual in critical situations. 

Voice Recording

When an incident takes place on-site, it’s important to know exactly what happened. Without a viable audit trail, it’s difficult to ensure past events won’t happen again in the future. 

And whilst the copious amount of on-site space is good for business, it can be bad for workers, as dangerous situations can unfold with nobody else in proximity. 

With Voice Recording, the audio of an incident taking place can be recorded, and health and safety professionals can not only use it for audit purposes but for training ones too. 

Accurate GPS tracking

The role of real-time data cannot be underestimated in a climate where dangerous incidents can happen at a moment’s notice. That’s why intrinsically safe radios have built-in GPS location tracking, so you can have full visibility of where workers are at any given time. 

GPS tracking offers great safety enhancements for end users, and allows geofencing to be created around specified parameters – ensuring it’s always “authorised access only”. 

Telephone Interconnect

Telephone Interconnect is a solution designed to connect people who are part of the same network, but don’t necessarily work in the same location. Acting like a mobile or landline, radio users can make calls to other mobile or landline users, giving them the freedom to convey important updates. 

Extended Alarm Management

Extended Alarm Management automatically sends site alarms and updates at the right time, to the right people. If an alarm is raised the Alarm Control System will immediately identify the available employees and escalate the alert until it is acknowledged, resolved, and closed. 

Critical alarms can be activated and delivered to Computer Aided Dispatch systems, radios, phones, and tablets, ensuring end users are always up-to-speed with what's going on, especially in an emergency situation. 

Text messaging and email

When voice communications are not a viable option, the instant text messaging allows staff to communicate and share information quickly and easily.  This feature works best on a radio with a screen and full keypad.

Encryption

Encryption allows secure information to be communicated across two-way radios whilst stopping other people intercepting conversations that may be business or location sensitive. 

Book a FREE demonstration

All the safety features mentioned in this blog are available as part of our TRBOCALL solution offering. If you would like to know more about the ways in which we can improve worker safety for your business, please book a FREE no obligation demonstration today.