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 200 billion data-points and initiated over seven million emergency alerts. For more information, visit BlacklineSafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Blackline Safety’s G7c personal wearable is the world’s first connected gas detector and lone worker safety monitor certified to the newly-upgraded BS 8484:2022, the standard that underpins the UK’s lone worker safety leadership.
Lone worker legislation –protecting your most vulnerable workers
Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision. Employers have a legal obligation to manage any health and safety risks before their employees can work alone.
In addition to the almost 700,000 incidents of violence at work in the UK in 2019/20 (Health and Safety Executive), lone workers face the risks of slips, trips, falls, health events, extreme weather, vehicular accidents and a number of other potentially harmful events. There are also concerns related to stress and mental health, medical suitability to work alone, and the workplace itself, for example, if working in an isolated or remote area. Ensuring the safety of these at-risk workers has always been a top priority for Blackline Safety.
“Considering employee safety, wellbeing and security at a strategic level leads to a culture of safety at work at the operational level.” BSI (British Standards Institution) states, “Lone worker protection might be a consideration for both safety and security strategies. It contributes to the organisation's governance, management of risk and compliance with both company policies and legal obligations.”
Lone Worker monitors enable you maximise your workers’ safety with incident detection and emergency response services to ensure your most vulnerable team members are always accounted for and return home safely to their families at the end of each working day.
Lone working in the United Kingdom
Due to stringent Health and Safety laws, outlining the responsibilities of employers in significant detail, the UK is considered one of the safest places in the world to work. Strict regulations and industry best practices help ensure employers offer an unparalleled duty of care to their workers. BS 8484:2022 defines the industry-leading code of practice for lone worker equipment and monitoring services in the UK.
“The UK’s thorough safety regulations help ensure we consistently achieve success in keeping people safe while at work,” said Natalie Hays, QHSE & Compliance Manager, at Blackline Safety Europe Ltd, a fully-owned subsidiary of Blackline Safety Corp.
“The BS 8484:2022 standard underpins the UK’s safety leadership by providing lone worker product and service providers with a code of practice that allows the despatch of a police Level 1 response. Blackline Safety Europe, Ltd are very proud to be among the first businesses in the UK to be accredited to the new upgraded BS8484:2022 standard.”
Every Second Counts
BS8484 enables certified service suppliers to offer the highest level of emergency response, bypassing the central 999 system to make the process as efficient as possible.
Robust lone worker policies combined with innovative employee-worn technology can mitigate potential risks faced every day by those working alone. G7c’s lifesaving man-down and lone worker protection features include:
- Integrated connectivity wirelessly links your team to live monitoring personnel
- True Fall Detection™ and no-motion alerts
- Missed check-ins immediately identify when a team member fails to confirm their safety status with a scheduled confirmation timeframe
- Reliable communication with two-way text messaging, two-way voice calling and push-to-talk options
- G7c’s emergency SOS latch generates an instant visible and audible alarm, alerting monitoring personnel should a worker be faced with a threatening or dangerous situation
- The Silent SOS feature enables users to discreetly call for help by pressing the red latch for three seconds so there are no obvious signs of activation to an aggressor. This can be used in situations where a user knows they need help, but may not want to draw attention to themselves.
G7c automatically communicates man down and gas alerts to monitoring personnel who are equipped to deploy a potentially life-saving emergency response when and wherever needed, up to and including the police. Worker location and safety status are easily viewed on a live map, so responders know exactly where to go.
Innovation drives regulation
Blackline’s G7c is the all-in-one cloud-connected solution, disrupting the safety monitoring and gas detection space by integrating 4G connectivity and industry-first capabilities to enable efficient and reliable lone worker monitoring. The risk that an employee's call for help could go unanswered is mitigated by connecting workers directly with live monitoring personnel, from wherever they are working.
Optimised emergency response
Connectivity is necessary to ensure the fastest possible emergency response. The live monitoring team follows tailored emergency response protocols and when required, escalates to the highest levels of police, ambulance or fire service, only permissible when using a BS 8484:2022 certified solution. G7c is the only BS 8484:2022-certified combination lone worker monitoring and gas detection product currently on the market.
Lone worker checklist
| Real-time wireless communication | Continuous, bi-directional communication that ensures employees can work confidently knowing their safety is being monitored |
| Automatic fall detection | Detects slips, trips and falls as differentiated from other activities |
| Automatic no-motion detection | Detects when an employee has not moved for a pre-configured amount of time |
| Scheduled automated check-ins | Confirms employee well being |
| Gas detection | Detects toxic, asphyxiant and explosive gas leaks |
| Manual SOS feature | Allows employees to call for help manually, without looking or potentially pressing the wrong button |
| Intrinsically safe design | For hazardous locations, electronic devices must be intrinsically safety as to not trigger a potentially explosive atmosphere |
| Durability and ingress protection | A device should be rugged and protected from water and dust |
| Location technology | Assisted GPS technology provides accurate positioning outdoors, while location beacons provide accurate indoor locations where GPS signals may be weak or not available |
| Floor and site plans | The location of employees working indoors should be mapped in context of their surroundings |
| Web-based monitoring portal | Monitoring software should be web-based and not require software installation |
| Two-way voice communication | Monitoring personnel should be able to communicate with lone workers via speakerphone |
| Employee messaging | Monitoring personnel should be able to communicate with lone workers via two-way messaging |
| Evacuation management | Monitoring personnel should be able to trigger and monitor an evacuation as it is happening |
| Employee mass notification | Employees should be notified to hazards, events and even weather alerts |
| Advanced configurability | Lone worker devices must be configurable for a broad range of scenarios and worker roles |
Explore our Lone Worker Risk Assessment Checklist blog article to discover additional considerations on how best to meet the safety needs of your lone workers.
| Can we help you? Please contact us if you’d like to discuss how these how Blackline’s connected safety solutions can help you monitor the well-being of your employees who work alone and respond instantly should something happen. |
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by Natalie Hays |