What’s the difference between a man down alert and a duress alarm under Australian WHS legislation?
A man down alert is triggered automatically when a device detects a fall or lack of movement[cite: 42]. A duress alarm is manually activated by the worker when they feel threatened or unsafe[cite: 43]. Under Australian WHS law, both are valid safety controls depending on the risk being managed [cite: 44].
Two Different Risks, Two Different Responses
Man down and duress alarms solve different problems[cite: 46]. Man down is designed for physical emergencies — falls, medical episodes, or incapacitation — where the worker cannot raise an alarm themselves[cite: 47]. Duress is designed for threat-based situations — aggression, assault, or feeling unsafe — where the worker is conscious but needs to call for help discreetly [cite: 48].
Choosing the Right Protection for the Right Risk
- Roles with physical risk (remote fieldwork, heights, machinery) typically need man down capability [cite: 51]
- Roles with people-facing risk (social workers, retail, healthcare) typically need duress capability [cite: 52]
- Many roles require both — the two functions are not mutually exclusive [cite: 53]
- A silent duress trigger is important where activating an alarm could escalate a threat [cite: 54]
- Your risk assessment should drive which features are mandatory for each role [cite: 55]
One Platform That Covers Both
Guardian Angel Safety combines man down detection and duress alerting in a single platform[cite: 57]. Workers can trigger a silent duress alert while man down monitoring runs continuously in the background[cite: 58]. No need to manage two separate systems or devices[cite: 59].