What’s the difference between a man down alert and a duress alarm under the NZ Health and Safety at Work Act?
A man down alert is triggered automatically when a device detects incapacitation[cite: 95]. A duress alarm is manually triggered by a worker who feels unsafe[cite: 96]. Both are recognised safety controls under the NZ Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 [cite: 97].
Understanding the Two Types of Lone Worker Emergency Alerts
These two features address fundamentally different risks[cite: 99]. Man down is passive — it watches for signs of physical harm without the worker needing to do anything[cite: 100]. Duress is active — the worker consciously triggers an alert when they perceive a threat[cite: 101]. The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requires New Zealand businesses to identify specific hazards and put proportionate controls in place [cite: 102].
Matching Your Controls to Your Hazard Profile
- Physical roles in remote locations typically need man down protection above all else [cite: 105]
- Customer-facing or community roles often carry threat-based risks requiring duress capability [cite: 106]
- A silent duress option is essential in situations where activating an audible alarm could escalate danger [cite: 107]
- WorkSafe NZ inspectors look at whether controls match identified hazards — document your reasoning [cite: 108]
- Most comprehensive lone worker solutions offer both in a single device or app [cite: 109]
Complete Coverage in a Single Solution
Guardian Angel Safety includes both man down detection and manual duress alerting as standard[cite: 111]. Workers in New Zealand can trigger a discreet duress alert while the system monitors them passively for physical incidents at the same time[cite: 112]. We help you identify which features are appropriate for each role type during onboarding[cite: 113].