Safeguarding Utility Workers During Natural Disasters
Use Case
Challenge
Utility workers play an important role in restoring essential services and maintaining critical infrastructure during natural disasters, often working in hazardous conditions as lone or remote workers. These dedicated professionals often work in treacherous conditions and face great risks while repairing power lines, broken pipes, leaks, water systems, and other critical infrastructure in the aftermath of hurricanes, floods, fires earthquakes, or severe storms.
Guardian Angel Safety recognises the unique safety challenges utility companies face when protecting their lone and remote workers during these high-stakes operations. As a safety manager or operations leader, ensuring the well-being of your utility crews is paramount, especially when they’re scattered across disaster-stricken areas with compromised communication networks. You need to know that when there is a storm, you have the right solution keeping your team safe and it will be activated in the right way should they need help.
Risks
- Extreme Weather Conditions
Workers are exposed to unpredictable and often severe weather, which can change rapidly and pose immediate dangers. For electrical line workers, this can make repairs difficult and increase the risk of a fall.
- Environmental Hazards
Fallen debris, unstable structures, and flooded areas create treacherous working conditions, increasing the risk of injuries. Electrical hazards such as live wires and damaged electrical systems present a constant threat of electrocution. Travelling through compromised roads and low-visibility conditions increases the risk of vehicular incidents.
- Communication Barriers
Often in Natural Disasters, there is a lack of cell service or systems are overloaded. Team members must be equipped with devices that can work in all scenarios.
- Heath Emergencies
Medical issues such as falling debris, falling from a height or an individual falling into engorged waterways can quickly become critical without immediate access or the ability to notify emergency services. Long hours and stressful conditions can lead to more fatigue-related accidents and impaired decision-making.
- Device Battery Life
In natural disasters even if there is somewhere to charge a device, responders will often not have time to wait for a device to charge.
Solutions
By equipping utility field workers with Guardian Angel Safety solutions across devices, monitoring and response, utility companies can ensure their teams are protected and able to perform their duties effectively.
We take care of your employees’ safety while you can take care of the critical infrastructure during a natural disaster.
Key Features:
- Robust Durable Devices
Guardian Angel Safety has devices designed to withstand harsh conditions, ensuring they remain operational in extreme environments. They are waterproof, dustproof, and virtually indestructible, making them reliable in disasters. Durable devices with long-lasting batteries ensure continuous operation, even in prolonged disasters, allowing responders to stay connected and safe throughout the emergency. - Shared Devices
We make sharing devices easy, especially in natural disaster settings. This is perfect for remote locations where there is no cell cover where there normally would be. Learn more about sharing devices with Guardian Angel Portal. - GPS Location Tracking
This feature ensures that the exact location of each responder is known at all times, even without cellular coverage. Accurate location tracking is crucial for rapid assistance and coordination, ensuring that help can reach workers quickly. - Emergency SOS Button
The emergency SOS button provides immediate alerts for rapid response. Utility field workers can quickly signal for help in critical situations, improving their chances of receiving timely assistance. - Two-Way Communication
Guardian Angel Safety devices enable direct contact between workers and command centres, ensuring continuous communication even when traditional networks fail. - Fall Detection and Man-Down Alerts
The no-movement fall detection feature automatically sends alerts if a utility worker falls and remains motionless, allowing for a swift emergency response. - Long-lasting Battery Life
Extended battery life keeps devices operational throughout long shifts, reducing the need for frequent charging in areas where power may be scarce. - Automated Welfare Check-ins
Guardian Angel Safety’s technology automates welfare checks, reducing reliance on manual processes and ensuring regular monitoring of employees’ safety. - Geofencing Capabilities
Set up virtual perimeters to monitor worker movements and receive alerts if they enter high-risk areas. - 24/7 Monitoring and Response
Our A-graded professional monitoring team is available round-the-clock to respond to alerts and coordinate emergency services when required. This ensures that help is always just a button press away, even in remote locations. Learn more about monitoring.
Benefits for Utility Companies
Implementing Guardian Angel Safety solutions for your utility workers during natural disaster response offers numerous advantages:
- Enhanced Worker Safety: Immediate access to help in emergencies significantly reduces the risk of serious injuries or fatalities.
- Improved Operational Efficiency: Shared devices, real-time location tracking and communication enable better resource allocation and faster response times.
- Increased Worker Confidence: Knowing they have a reliable lifeline, workers can focus on their tasks with greater peace of mind.
- Compliance with Safety Regulations: Our solutions help meet and exceed industry safety standards and regulations.
When land networks are down, satellite networks save lives
‘When Hawke’s Bay Civil Defence realised they were flying staff into isolated communities with no power or cellular comms, they took six handheld radios and six Guardian Angel Safety Garmin inReach devices. Because the Guardian Angel Safety devices were so effective, the army then borrowed them. Civil Defence then kept our six devices and we have since purchased six more radios and six more devices. Our radio network struggled after a couple of days due to battery life in some of our repeaters and we lost that channel on day 2 of the solution for a lot of our communications.’
Marcus Hayes-Jones, Corporate Asset and Support Lead, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council
Partner with Guardian Angel Safety today
Get in touch to start your journey of keeping your utility workers safe during natural disasters. Contact Us for a Free Consultation.
