Real-life Incident: Bram’s Story – Attacked with Broken Glass

Utility worker attacked by a stranger, pulls SOS latch for help 

Rain drizzled from dark, ominous clouds as Bram—a utility worker who had just finished repairing streetlights—walked along a busy Amsterdam sidewalk on his way home from work. It was a Friday night, and the pubs and restaurants were packed, making the narrow street crowded as people made their way from work to their evening plans.  

Suddenly, Bram heard crashing and yelling coming from a pub he was passing by. People spilled out onto the sidewalk. Pain resounded in Bram’s shoulder as he was knocked sideways. He found his footing and stood upright, only to have a broken bottle thrust into his chest.  

Recognizing that he was in danger, Bram lurched back and instinctively pulled the SOS latch on the G7 lone worker device he wore on his lapel.  

Answered in seconds 

Within seconds, an agent with the Alarm Receiving Center (ARC) monitoring Bram’s device responded. The agent heard scuffling, shouting, and swearing. When she didn’t hear a response, she tried again.  

“Bram?” the agent said. “Are you okay? What help do you need?” 

Bram finally responded through his device’s two-way voice capability. He confirmed he had shaken off his attacker.  

“I’m okay,” he said. “Someone just attacked me with broken glass.” 

 “I’m sending help right now,” the agent replied. 

It took the agent less than a minute to dispatch help and confirm the police were on their way to Bram.  

“I’m so thankful for I could use the SOS on my device and instantly talk to someone,” said Bram. “The attacker heard the ARC agent respond, and it scared them off.”  

Thanks to his G7, which got him immediate help and scared off his attacker, Bram made it safely home that evening. Luckily, because he was wearing a thick work jacket, he was not injured by the glass.  

1.3 million non-fatal violent crimes in the workplace occurred annually in the U.S. between 2015 and 2019. 

A  joint study  by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) 

Connected and protected 

Blackline's connected safety technology protects workers—both on the job and in the community—in over a dozen industries, from utilities and water & wastewater to energy and transportation. Our cloud-connected wearables, area gas monitors and monitoring software can be configured to mitigate just about any risk, at any operation, anywhere in the world.  

Providing  cloud-connected lone worker wearable safety devices, paired with 24/7 live monitoring of alerts, is proven to reduce the risks to workers, according to  recent research from the National Safety Council.  

As Bram discovered, nothing can replace a real voice responding when there’s an incident. When seconds and minutes can make the difference between life and death, real-time response and two-way voice let workers know that someone is looking out for them and will stay with them until help arrives. With Blackline at their side, workers are never alone and unprotected. 

Read more on how to protect your lone workers from violence

This real-life incident is a true story. Names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people involved. 

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