No matter the industry you’re in, safety is always a top concern. For workers in hazardous environments, the key to getting the job done and remaining safe lies in easy-to-use communication solutions with proven safety-enhancing features.
This blog is part of a series focusing on what factors you should consider when selecting a portable radio – you can find the other posts here.
Workers who understand and trust their radios feel safer, and more confident. They know that should an accident, injury or emergency occur, their radios’ safety features ensure they’re not alone.
Worker safety features can operate across different networks to provide real time visibility in to where workers are and what they’re doing, so you know instantly when and where help is needed.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at at some key Worker Safety features you should look for in a portable radio.
Emergency Keys
In emergency situations, making a call is not always an option. In these sorts of situations it is vital to have instant access to support, at the push of a button. A radio with an Emergency Key can instantly request assistance, allowing you to respond quickly and increase the safety of your workforce.
Lone Worker & Man Down
Working alone can be dangerous. Whether it’s doing repairs out in the field, long hours on the road or being the sole worker on-site, working alone brings unique risks. Lone Worker and Man Down are portable radio features designed to mitigate these risks.
When the Lone Worker mode is activated, workers will be prompted to ‘check in’ through their portable radios at intervals programmed by your team. If a worker does not respond within the predetermined time frame, an alarm is triggered at dispatch that they may be in danger and require assistance.
Man Down is another popular safety feature, using a tilt sensor and timer to recognize abnormal movements or angles of a worker’s radio that could indicate a fall or injury. This enables Man Down to automatically send dispatch a notification of a possible incident so they can check in and act accordingly.
Location Services
In some industries, it is important that workers know their location or altitude, while knowing the location of people and assets is important to virtually all industries to keep staff safe.
In these cases, radios with GPS functionality are essential; certain radios with GPS functionality can tell workers in the field their location via their screen, and software location solutions can show you exactly where your workers are, enhancing worker safety, and reducing incident response time.
Geofencing
Satellite-based navigation such as GPS allows radio networks to use automated location controlled behavior through GeoFencing, reducing the complexity of every-day tasks. Geofencing can be integrated with your radio network as a software solution to give you insight on where the radios of your workers are and alert you when they enter dangerous zones or leave zones.
Portable radios with this feature can also be programmed to independently and automatically use their own location data to trigger pre-configured actions. After you define and programme your various geographic zones and the actions associated with those, the radios will operate independently – connection to a network or location software application is not required.
Intrinsically Safe (IS)
For workers in hazardous environments, the key to getting the job done and remaining safe lies in the right communication tools. Intrinsically Safe (IS) portable radios are rigorously assessed to ensure they won’t ignite explosive atmospheres in hazardous locations, even under improbable fault conditions.
There are varying levels of IS protection to match particular work environments (different types of gasses or particles, different temperatures, different densities), and various certifications for IS equipment. IECEx is the widely adopted international standard, but local regulations are also still in use. When looking for an IS radio, check that the protection it offers is suitable for your working environment, and it carries the certification you require.
Tait Worker Safety Features
Tait portables are packed with a range of safety-enhancing features, such as Man Down and Lone Worker modes, a programmable Emergency Key and GPS Location Services, and the GeoFencing option of the TP9000 series portables keeps your team safe with preprogrammed location-based action even when they are outside your network’s coverage area.
Tait Intrinsically Safe (IS) portables are engineered to operate safely in hazardous environments, and meet global IS standards. They are made in the internationally recognized blue color for Intrinsically Safe portables, ensuring instant recognition in the field.
Download our Free Guide to Learn More
If you want to find out more about worker safety and other important factors to consider when choosing a portable radio, download our free Portable Radio Selection Guide.
