LWP

What does lone working mean?

According to France's National Research and Safety Institute, lone working refers to an activity performed by a person who is alone in a work environment where they cannot be seen or heard directly by other people, and where the probability of being visited is low or zero.

How can you improve safety for lone workers against the threat of unforeseen incidents, such as accidents, illnesses, falls and attacks?

The answer lies in lone worker protection devices. If an incident strikes, the device fires off an alarm to the people who are authorized to take swift action. The faster the response, the greater the likelihood of minimizing the risk of a serious incident.

• Powered by a highly open design, ALERT is capable of centralizing all types of alarm sent by lone worker protection devices (LWP). Once the alarm has been received, it can be pinpointed on a plan or map and disseminated to a mass audience over the wide range of media supported by the solution (voice calls, text messages, remote monitoring systems, etc.). Depending on the type of call and device, the lone worker's location can also be provided to ensure a faster emergency response.

DECT-based LWP

The market is awash with DECT systems for ramping up mobility and keeping employees connected throughout the workplace. The most sophisticated DECT devices may offer features for protecting lone workers (LWP) when necessary.

ALERT is embedded with a broad array of drivers for interconnecting with most professional DECT systems (Alcatel, Ascom, Mitel, Cisco, Spectralink, etc.), meaning that it is capable of sending out information to devices, while receiving and processing their LWP alarms.

DECT networks are driven by a vast micro-cellular network of devices or access points, which allows ALERT to easily and quickly pinpoint alarms issued by a LWP DECT device.

Radio-based LWP

Digital radio networks represent a viable solution in cases where rolling out a DECT network would prove overly expensive or too technically challenging. A single antenna provides extensive coverage, and radio devices offer similar advanced features to DECT handhelds.

ALERT contains drivers for communicating with digital radio base stations, meaning that it is capable of sending notifications to walkie-talkies as well as receiving and managing LWP alarms from radio handhelds.

Radio devices offering LWP features can also capture geolocation data from GPS systems, Bluetooth access points and RFID tags (depending on the device's compatibility) before sending that information to ALERT.

GSM-based LWP

If companies have not installed a private communication network (DECT, radio, etc.) or if they are required to provide services across a geographical area that stretches beyond the boundaries of their legacy system, several solutions based on GSM devices are available in the marketplace.

Whether cell phones with hard-coded LWP features, dedicated man-down alarms or smartphones with special LWP apps, ALERT can receive and process the alarms generated by most of these mobile devices.

Micromedia International has also developed its own ALERTMobile app for smartphones (Android and iOS). This app brings advanced alarm management capabilities and includes LWP features for transforming your smartphone into a real lone worker protection device.

Depending on the GSM device, alarms may include geolocation data from GPS systems and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth access points with varying degrees of accuracy.