Two thirds of the UK’s water companies now use Blackline connected technology
Durham, UK — Durham, UK-based Northumbrian Water Group (NWG) has announced that it has selected global connected safety technology leader Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN) to help uncover safety hazards and protect lone workers at two of its water treatment sites.
The water company – which provides clean water and wastewater treatment services to nearly five million people across northeast and southeast England – is the eighth of the UK’s 12 water companies to choose Blackline’s safety devices.
The technology includes Blackline’s leading cloud-connected G7c personal gas wearable and EXO area monitor, enabling NWG to consolidate gas detection, communication and lone worker connectivity into a single device.
NWG’s decision to turn to Blackline was spurred by the risks inherent in its operations, including exposure to gases, hazardous or contaminated water, explosions from hot work or combustible gas, confined space entry and lone work. An explosion at a different company’s treatment plant within the wider water industry, where four workers died, also prompted the company to invest in a robust and versatile safety solution.
“Feedback we were getting from the team on-site was that they just want to do their jobs but had too many devices, apps and things to think about, and anything we could do to simplify the process would be beneficial for everyone,” said Dan Woodward, Process Safety Business Partner at NWG. “We were looking for a solution that addressed the need for gas detection and lone working features within one device and could significantly improve our safety and operational efficiency.”
While NWG had in the past used portable gas monitors to detect hazardous gases, and mobile phones to maintain communication with workers, these devices had limitations – from cross-sensitivity issues that led to missed or faulty detection, operational downtime due to needing to send the devices off-site for calibrations, and mobile phones posing an ignition hazard in biogas-rich environments. Workers also had walkie-talkies, adding both complexity and cost with an additional device to manage.
Blackline’s all-in-one solution has significantly simplified the process for the water company. The EXO monitors, for example, remotely monitor gas levels in known high-risk areas. The G7 wearables enable multi-gas detection and reduce downtime as they can be calibrated on site. The personal devices’ integrated capabilities – such as remote monitoring and instant worker location identification – significantly boost lone worker safety, and push-to-talk capabilities (using the device like a walkie-talkie) means workers now have reliable communication while only needing to carry one device.
NWG is already seeing the benefits of Blackline’s solution. With the help of EXO, they discovered a previously unidentified hazardous area on-site, reaching 75% of the explosive limit during operations. Upon receiving a high gas alert from EXO, NWG was able to respond immediately by issuing a ‘stop work’ order, notifying workers and safely evacuating the area. Preventative measures were then able to be implemented.
NWG also noted that the Blackline devices have seamlessly integrated into their daily operations, staying connected even in underground environments where cellular signal strength can be problematic. Analytics reports from collected device data highlight areas of concern, such as previously unknown high-gas exposure zones.
Northumbrian Water will join Blackline Safety at the Health & Safety Event in Birmingham, UK, on April 9, 2025, to share insights on their decision to enhance worker safety through connected technology.
You can read the full NWG case study here.
About Blackline Safety: Blackline Safety is a technology leader driving innovation in the industrial workforce through IoT (Internet of Things). With connected safety devices and predictive analytics, Blackline enables companies to drive towards zero safety incidents and improved operational performance. Blackline provides wearable devices, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and enhance overall productivity for organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, Blackline provides a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 250 billion data-points and initiated over eight million emergency alerts. For more information, visit BlacklineSafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
About Northumbrian Water Group: Northumbrian Water Limited supplies 2.7 million customers in the North East with both water and sewerage services, trading as Northumbrian Water.
Essex & Suffolk Water provides water services to two separate supply areas, in the East of England with water services, trading as Essex & Suffolk Water. Our Essex area has a population of 1.5 million and our Suffolk area serves a population of 0.3 million customers.
In 2024, Northumbrian Water Group was named the world's most ethical water company for the 13th time and received accreditation for the third time to the Good Business Charter. The company was also recognised as one the UK’s Best Workplaces (Super Large) by the Great Places to Work Institute for the fourth consecutive year and awarded Centre of Excellence in Wellbeing status.
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