Blog Archives

Work Alone Safety: University Laboratories

11/27/2013

Recognized by OH&S as the best work alone safety solution for 2013, the Loner SMD and Loner IS has set new standards for safety and is quickly becoming the standard solution for work alone safety within university laboratories.

The reason being .... it solves two critical challenges:

Automatic notification if the user is unconscious
Accurate indoor GPS locate within multi-floored buildings

No Motion Alert Awareness

The Loner units provide the ability to automatically signal an alert when the user has become unconscious or has experienced a serious fall. Critical when working alone and with hazardous substances. The units also provide Panic, Silent and Missed Check In alerts.

Accurate Indoor Locate

With many campus buildings being multi-floored, GPS technology is challenged in being able to identify which floor the user is on. Along with different types of building construction (i.e.: concrete, bricks, metal, etc.), getting an accurate GPS locate may also present a challenge. So how do you quickly and accurately locate an individual who is working alone in a chemical lab on the 3rd floor and requires immediate assistance?

Recommended Solution

When paired with the recently introduced ANThill Indoor Location Beacon, the Loner system will provide a highly accurate GPS locate of where the user is located who has requested assistance, even in areas that have weak cell coverage.

With the placement of ANThill Indoor Location Beacons inside labs (ceilings/walls), not only will you know which floor to respond to, but you will also know which lab and whereabouts in the lab the situation has occurred. With an accurate locate and immediate notification being provided via web portal, email and text messages, assistance is quickly and accurately dispatched.

With on-site or third party Monitoring Services, 24/7 safety coverage is provided throughout the campus.

Contact Blackridge Solutions for further information on how to make your campus labs safer and how you can initiate a pilot program on your campus.(www.BlackridgeSolutions.com)

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Do You Have a False Sense of Security?

11/26/2013

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OH&S Magazine: A Safety Scenario:
Gerald arrives at work early one morning. He puts on his hard hat, greets co-worker Angela, and turns on his personal safety monitoring device.

During the second half of his shift, Gerald moves behind a medium-sized piece of industrial equipment so he can take apart a large industrial pump for maintenance. The work floor is a noisy place with a large amount of activity going on in various areas, and although Angela is only steps away from Gerald, she cannot see or hear him. While exerting his body to take apart the pump, a sharp pain passes through one side Gerald’s body, and within seconds he slumps to the ground, unconscious. Time is of the essence now because, according to the American Heart Association, every minute that Gerald goes without defibrillation reduces his chances of survival by 10 percent.

The device Gerald is wearing on his belt detects that he has become inactive. It immediately notifies the floor supervisor by text message, email, and web alert. He sees in which part of the building Gerald is located and runs over to him. Within seconds, Gerald’s unconscious body is found, and a defibrillator is brought in.

A False Sense of Security

Organizations have a variety of choices when it comes to monitoring the safety of their employees. Manual phone-in systems, pagers, radios, so-called “buddy systems,” and smartphone monitoring apps have all been adopted by organizations of all sizes. While this is positive in that these products and services indicate a shift in industrial attitudes toward greater safety compliance and duty-of-care, many of these solutions can provide employees and employers with a dangerously false sense of security.

Phone-in systems, most radios, and smartphone applications have several major downsides, with the principal one being potential failure to alert emergency response personnel. In Gerald’s case, his smartphone (which could have been equipped with a safety monitoring app) would have been of no use in that situation. Because Gerald was rendered unconscious, it would be impossible for him to unlock his phone and press the panic button or call for help. Additionally, it could have been up to an hour before his next check-in would have been missed and noticed by management, which the American Heart Association’s statistic indicates would translate into a very high probability of death.

Use of a phone for safety monitoring also carries a trade-off between system effectiveness and workplace productivity. For instance, many companies deploy a check-in system in which employees are required to phone in hourly. If an emergency were to occur at any time in between calling intervals, the emergency could be left undiscovered for up to an hour. The only way to reduce the risk of an undetected emergency is to decrease the length of time between check-ins, thereby reducing time spent working, which may be an unjustifiable cost to the organization.

As a safety tool, smartphones have several shortcomings. Because these devices have multiple functions, the time spent checking in every hour can balloon with employees checking email, text messages, and perhaps the newest Angry Birds game, as well. These same functions of a smartphone also take a toll on its battery. Thus, a safety monitoring app cannot provide reliable, long-lasting coverage over an entire shift without the risk of a power loss. Depending upon the number of check-ins each day and the workforce deployed with these types of systems, thousands of hours of labor can be wasted each year performing a task that could be done instantly using a dedicated device.

As in Gerald’s scenario above, employers that deploy buddy systems to improve safety still expose their employees and themselves to unnecessary risk. Sending an additional employee as accompaniment for safety purposes quickly increases labor costs and can result in greater complacency in personnel. Moreover, if an event like the one described above renders both employees injured or incapacitated, response personnel may not be made aware until the next missed check-in or until neither employee returns to home base at the end of their shifts. Gerald’s case demonstrates how having a second person accompany the first still does not guarantee fast and effective safety monitoring.

What You Can Do

While admittedly some organizations have been successful in deploying call-in and/or buddy systems, many have discovered their selected safety monitoring methods were highly fallible when they suffered late discovery of emergencies, missed check-ins (and the associated false alarms), higher operating costs, and even commercial negligence charges.

For this reason, many organizations have elected to make the switch to dedicated person-worn safety monitoring devices. More robust than smartphones and usually containing a suite of automated alerting features (such as fall detection, man-down alerting, automated check-in), these types of products ensure that no emergency incident is ever left undiscovered. Using person-worn safety monitoring devices, employees can automatically or manually notify safety monitoring personnel instantly if an emergency has occurred.

If you would like to learn more about which safety solution is best for your company, contact Blackridge Solutions at (778) 686-5799 or info@blackridgesolutions.com

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Is Technology the Key to Aging Well?

11/12/2013

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Philips and the Global Social Enterprise Initiative (GSEI) at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business released a survey this month that found both baby boomers and Generation X (Gen X) place high value on technology as they age. However, 95 percent believe today’s technology needs to be better developed to help them successfully age at home, or age in place, for as long as possible.

While 73 percent of boomers and Gen X surveyed want to age in their own home, they believe they will have significant barriers to achieving this through the aid of technology, such as access and adoption, cost, privacy, complexity of use, product integration, and public policy.

These barriers, which need to be addressed for future generations, already have a deep impact on how seniors currently use technology today. For instance, only 18 percent of those over 65 own a smart phone and only 56 percent use the Internet.* These behaviors are echoed in the Philips/GSEI study as both Gen X and boomers feel that their aging parents (age 60+) are not utilizing technology as well as they could. Findings include:

53 percent of boomers and Gen X believed it would be a good thing if their parents used technology more with 45 percent of these stating that it will help them stay better connected with friends and family.
Only 9 percent of those surveyed believe that their parents are savvy or extremely savvy when it comes to technology use.
Boomers and Gen X want their aging parents to utilize monitoring technologies, such as home health monitors (45 percent) or security systems (43 percent). However, only 17 percent are using home health monitors and 12 percent have a security system.
40 percent of boomers and Gen X said their parents think technology is “too hard” to learn. Respondents point to the fact that the time involved in learning to use a device and fixing potential problems discourages use.

“For people to live independent, fulfilling lives in their own homes and communities as they age, technology must continue to become easier to learn and use while also being better integrated with adjacent technologies, including patient care,” said Bill Novelli, distinguished professor of the practice, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, and member of the Philips Aging Well Think Tank.

The results of this study and the individual barriers were discussed in an expert round-table at Georgetown University facilitated by Philips and GSEI in October 2013. Meeting participants included thought leaders with expertise in aging, health care, technology, and policy.

Contact Blackridge Solutions at (778) 686-5799 or info@blackridgesolutions.com to learn more about how the Health Care Personal Safety device is improving the quality of life for seniors who are preferring to age while at home. (www.BlackridgeSolutions.com)

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Work Alone Safety: Breakthrough Technology

11/5/2013

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QUESTION:
How does an organization provide proper employee safety to employees who are working alone or out-of-sight of co-workers, inside a structure with no cell coverage (manufacturing plants, tunnels, etc.) or in remote "Satellite Only" locations and yet be able to quickly locate them if they have failed to Check-In or are in distress or incapacitated and require immediate assistance?

ANSWER:
The Loner BRIDGE ..... a self-contained vehicle tracking system that incorporates dual-mode Satellite and Cellular communication. Through redundant communications, the Loner BRIDGE is able to operate anywhere globally via satellite communications and in nearly every country using cellular networks. Additionally, the Loner BRIDGE incorporates a 900 MHz radio link to supply communications capability for up to ten (10) employee-worn Loner 900 safety monitoring devices.

When communicating with Loner 900 devices, employees are able to work up to ten (10) km's away from the Loner BRIDGE by line of sight and up to three (3) km's away with obstructions such as buildings or terrain. The combination of the Loner BRIDGE and Loner 900 marks the industry's first comprehensive safety monitoring solution in extreme conditions, anywhere on Earth ... even inside buildings!

The Loner BRIDGE is self-powered via internal rechargeable battery pack and can be hard-wired to a vehicle for charging and operation. The portability of the Loner BRIDGE enables use on vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, boats and even backpacks ....it will go anywhere you go.

KEY FEATURES:

Bi-directional Iridium Satellite Communication
Use of Iridium Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications ensures optimum satellite reception at high latitudes, minimizing obstruction compared to geo-stationary satellite systems such as Inmarsat

100% Global Satellite Footprint (Anywhere in the world)
Iridium communications capability provides a true global footprint

Bi-directional Cellular Communications
Cellular networks provide cost-effective and redundant method of communications when geographically available

900 MHz Radio Communications
900 MHz communications provides the option of enabling the remote monitoring of employees using the Loner 900 safety monitoring device

GPS and Cellular ID Location Technology
GPS provides precise positioning when in open areas, however when GPS signals are unavailable, such as buildings, cellular location technology provides an additional method of locating the Loner BRIDGE system (when in cellular coverage)

LCD Display and User Interface
Designed for cold-weather environments, a built-in heater ensures a responsive interface

Internal Rechargeable Battery
The Loner BRIDGE will continue to operate for up to three (3) days without vehicle power for portable operation, if required

Works in 80 countries (Cellular Coverage)
When using cellular based communication, the Loner BRIDGE is able to operate in over (80) countries at one affordable price-point, with an additional (70) countries available for an additional fee.

For further information on the Loner BRIDGE and how it can be an integral part of your work alone safety procedure, contact Blackridge Solutions at (778) 686-5799 or sales@blackridgesolutions.com

www.BlackridgeSolutions.com

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The Coolest Gift Just Got Cooler ... inReach SE

11/4/2013

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From LOL to SOS and every message in between, the inReach SE works wherever cell phones don't to provide two-way messaging anywhere on the planet. Whether used alone or with a compatible smartphone, the inReach SE offers true peace of mind for anyone travelling or working in remote locations.

When you purchase the inReach SE this holiday season, it includes up to $79.95* of additional value for the recipient. (*based on the Expedition plan)

With the mail-in rebate your gift includes:

NO Activation Fees
One FREE Month of Service

There's never been a better time to give -- or get -- the coolest satellite communicator on the planet, inReach SE .... order yours from Blackridge Solutions before December 31st!

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BONUS OFFER

inReach SE now ON SALE until November 30th from Blackridge Solutions

$299.00 (MSRP: $319.00)
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PRO SUBSCRIPTION PLANS "NOW AVAILABLE"

Exclusively from Blackridge Solutions, "Byte-Based" and Feature Enhanced plans for Professional users and Enterprise organizations. PRO Plans are designed to optimize the value of your airtime with use-based pricing that applies to any usage type, as compared to event-based pricing (i.e.: tracks and messages), along with adding additional features to better manage multiple inReach SE units.

No annual contracts .. invoiced monthly
Switch between plans at any time
Suspend your service in the off-season
Allocate data towards any usage type (track/message)
Create/Manage Groups
Broadcast Messages
One Minute Tracking

Note: PRO Plans available only through Blackridge Solutions

Click Here for more information on the inReach SE

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To order yours today, contact Blackridge Solutions at:

(778) 686-5799 | sales@blackridgesolutions.com
www.BlackridgeSolutions.com

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Work Alone Safety: University Laboratories

Do You Have a False Sense of Security?

Is Technology the Key to Aging Well?

Work Alone Safety: Breakthrough Technology

The Coolest Gift Just Got Cooler ... inReach SE

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