TRUE FALL DETECTION TECHNOLOGY
From natural resources and utilities, to oil & gas and engineering & construction industries—slips, trips and falls are some of the most common workplace accidents, often resulting in injuries and, sometimes, fatalities.
If one of your employees working alone falls right now, how quickly will your team notice? How soon will you be able to send help to your lone worker—minutes or hours later?
The most efficient emergency response starts with the use of True Fall Detection® technology, one of Blackline’s Loner® work alone device automatic incident detection capabilities.
SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS—THE STATISTICS
According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), “workers might be required to access platforms and equipment located high above the ground. OSHA requires fall protection to prevent falls from the mast, drilling platform and other elevated equipment.”
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports 247,120 non-fatal cases involving falls, slips and trips in 2014 and nearly 800 fatalities in 2014, up from previous years. The 2014 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries findings include “falls, slips, and trips increased 10%.”
Meanwhile, the Canadian Centre of Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) reports that more than 42,000 workers are injured annually due to fall accidents. And these statistics show 66% of falls happen on the same level resulting from slips and trips, and the remaining 34% are falls from a height (ladder, roof, down stairs).
Whether it’s an fall-related injury or a serious fall incident, emergency response time is critical to bring needed help directly to your employee.
HOW TRUE FALL DETECTION TECHNOLOGY WORKS
The Blackline Safety suite of Loner work alone devices are equipped with True Fall Detection technology. Each Loner device can automatically detect the signature movements of a fall in contrast to other activities—such as walking down stairs or jumping off the tailgate of a truck.
This patented technology uses advanced micro-electromechanical sensors to continuously monitor an employee’s motion. It can be optionally enabled within an alert profile with Blackline’s Loner Portal cloud-hosted user account. It is also adjustable for sensitivity to suit different employee roles and activity levels.
When an employee falls, there is a drop that is often coupled rotation. If a lone worker falls and does not get back up right away, the Loner device will trigger its audible, visual and tactile alarm that requests the employee to confirm his or her wellbeing by pressing the check-in button.
If the lone worker does not respond within a preset time, the Loner device communicates a safety alert in real time to monitoring personnel who can then manage the most efficient emergency response to the downed employee.
MINIMIZING FALSE ALERTS
Blackline’s True Fall Detection technology brings unprecedented precision in detecting falls. However, if a false fall detection occurs, the employee is able to cancel the pending alert before it’s communicated to monitoring personnel. A quick press of the check-in button returns the Loner work-alone device to normal operation.
ACCOMMODATING SOFT FALLS
Loner devices accommodate soft falls that may occur, such as an employee slumping into a chair from standing. Such a situation may occur with the onset of a health incident. If Blackline’s True Fall Detection technology is not triggered, the Loner device’s no-motion (man-down) detection is able to sense a situation where the employee is motionless for a pre-set period of time. We will discuss this automatic detection capability in our next article.
AROUND-THE-CLOCK SAFETY MONITORING
Blackline’s in-house Safety Operations Center, and Alarm Receiving Center partner in the United Kingdom, delivers 24/7 live monitoring of lone workers.
Together, our SOC and ARC can take on the responsibility of monitoring an employer’s lone workers in North America, Europe and beyond. Comprehensively trained and highly available monitoring agents carefully manage all safety alerts from receipt through to resolution in the most efficient timeframe possible.
CONTACT US
Do you have the right program in place to deliver a real-time, location-based emergency response for your lone workers when a slip, trip or fall occurs?
Let’s talk about how we can help elevate your current safety monitoring program. Connect with us today to book your free demonstration.