Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Energy Workers
Throughout North America, the energy sector provides jobs to millions of Americans and Canadians while helping light and heat the homes in our many communities. The energy sector is the totality of all industries that are involved in the production and sale of energy, including workers in oil, natural gas, coal, and renewable fuels, as well as electricity from clean energy sources, such as wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and nuclear power. Working in the energy sector can be an exciting, lucrative career however it is also a dangerous one where workers face several deadly, if-not-debilitating work safety hazards and risks.
Working alone in the energy sector in the United States
In the United States, the oil and energy industry employs nearly 7 million Americans or 5 percent of total US employment - that’s a lot. According to the 2019 U.S. Energy Employment Report, 611,000 people worked in zero-emission technology industries, including renewables, in the United States. In 2018, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recorded renewable energy employment in the United States at 855,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The United States does not have safety legislation for these people but it does have several health and safety standards and regulations that energy companies must follow. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has several resources for energy workers who have concerns or want to learn more about their legal rights for a safe workplace.
Working alone in the energy sector in Canada
The oil and energy industry contributes about 11% of Canada’s gross domestic product and employs nearly 800,000 Canadians.
Energy Safety Canada (ESC) is the country’s national natural gas and oil safety association. ESC works closely with the natural gas and oil industry to create life-saving practices and training. The ESC prioritizes safety and the environment through the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), which keeps the energy flowing in this country and focuses on areas such as compliance and enforcement, damage prevention, emergency management, environment, industry performance, and safety culture.
Canada has a fairly exhaustive list of federal oil and energy occupational health and safety regulations centered around interprovincial pipelines, building safety, confined spaces, levels of lighting and sound, hazardous substances, and electrical safety. In renewable energy, Canada’s clean energy sector employs more than 430,00 people. By 2030, that number is projected to grow by almost 50% to nearly 640,000 people under the federal government’s new climate plan.
The Problem
With so many people working alone in such a significant industry, occupational health and safety should be a #1 priority. OSHA says the primary areas of energy safety are:
Vehicle collisions
Explosions and fires
Falls
Confined spaces
High-pressure lines and equipment
Electrical and other hazardous energy
Machine hazards
Planning and prevention
Additionally, energy workers face chemical and biological hazards, as well as violence and assault by members of the public. Together, this creates a very complicated OHS puzzle to solve and requires a comprehensive solution, like SafetyLine, that can help address and mitigate a number of the safety hazards while working alone
The Solution: How SafetyLine can help nonprofit organization workers
Using SafetyLine’s lone worker solution, workers can proactively check in, signal an emergency, leverage motion features such as man-down and fall detection, discreet alert of a panic emergency, and integration with satellite devices if a worker is out of cell service, and many more benefits.
Proactive Notifications
SafetyLine is capable of sending customizable safety notifications to the employer/monitor and employee including harmful falls as well as if a worker fails to check in after their shift or task. SafetyLine ensures that no worker emergency or accident is missed by the employer.
High-Risk Check-in timers
Depending on how dangerous a work scenario or situation might be, workers can schedule their check-in duration to under 15 minutes or every hour. If the worker misses a check a monitor will be immediately notified of a possible emergency and be sent the precise location and any other pertinent information the worker previously supplied, such as messages and circumstances.
Emergency Panic Button
SafetyLine also has an in-app panic button feature that can be pressed in an emergency. When triggered, all assigned emergency contacts will be notified of a confirmed emergency and sent a location and other details like messages from the worker.
Full Device Integration
In order to use the safety and security capabilities of SafetyLine, you do not need to purchase any additional devices or technology. SafetyLine can be easily used on ubiquitous devices like smartphones, laptops, tablets, and even landlines and pages. SafetyLine’s design also does not require workers to carry any extra devices or equipment when out on the job.
Compliant with Lone Worker Legislation
Lone worker legislation and regulations vary in every region and jurisdiction. SafetyLine’s lone worker safety features help companies and individuals remain legally compliant with overall occupational health and safety (OSH) laws. Using SafetyLine demonstrates that the organization is demonstrating due diligence in OHS.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Lone Workers in the Energy Industry
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SafetyLine can protect lone workers in the oil and energy industry, as well as those in renewables such as hydro and wind energy, where they can work alone. Because of SafetyLine’s comprehensive suite of safety features, it is adaptable and easily able to integrate into any energy role in which the worker does not have help readily available.
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SafetyLine will only track and monitor the employee during work hours. While they are working, SafetyLine will monitor information such as location and any communication relayed. Once they are done work and they check out, the employee will no longer be monitored.
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SafetyLine is capable of sending a number of customizable safety alerts to the employer/monitor if a worker fails to check in after their shift or task, as well as other features such as motion features. Through its effective notification system, SafetyLine ensures that the employer misses no worker emergency or accident.
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Personalized, audible emergency response alerts will be immediately sent to your device of choice, making sure the employer will know if their team member is in trouble and requires immediate help.
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Yes. SafetyLine can protect workers who are in areas where they do not have cellular reception through GPS and satellite technologies and complementary devices.
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SafetyLine offers several lone worker safety solutions for other safety needs, such as its discreet, Bluetooth panic button, which can be pushed when the employee feels they are in danger or need immediate help. Additionally, SafetyLine’s proactive check-in timers will alert an emergency if the employee does not check in to confirm their safety at a predetermined time or interval.
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SafetyLine provides a selection of health and safety features that can address a range of energy work safety hazards, such as easy check-ins confirming the worker’s safety, reliable location tracking for emergencies, motion features that detect a dangerous impact or if the worker is motionless, a discreet emergency panic button, as well as reliable communication and connection no matter where they are located.