OT Lone working

Hi All, we are looking into the solutions for lone working, there are several of us on site who work in areas that are not often used, so we can be on our own for in some cases 12 hrs,so I was wondering what if any other people have done to to counter the risks in this situation .

Thanks

We carry two-way radios. They have them with panic buttons and digital displays in the control area to show which radio has been activated.

While in an optimum environment the buddy system is preferred I agree that radios are the next best solution. They have, in my experience, called emergency help right away when needed. Its that call that can be a bit erie if something terrible has happened.

In places like blast chills where someone is there for a short time we monitor entrance times and sound an alarm if they don't hit a button every so often. beeper warns when time is about up.
Have also used key chain remotes that close a relay in the room , same as pushing a button.
I've also been in plants where the security people check in on people working alone when they make thier rounds.

This issue has been a hot topic at my facility for a long time, there are systems on the market that activate an alarm when someone doesn't move for a certain length of time. We tried one of these with mixed results. If the person is sitting at a PC and typing there is enough movement to keep the system happy, but if the person is only surfing the net, with a lot of mouse work, and little typing the system gives a false alarm. Also, if the person dozes off you get an alarm as well. There is also a "panic" button, that the person can activate if they fall or trip and can't reach a phone.

In our company there is a two people rule, no one can work alone unless they are just sitting at a desk and we have cell phones, radios and panic phones all around the plant. Safety is #1 in our book.

Boy this can be a tough issue. I have been on both sides of it. In my several jobs in the safety profession I worked alone and the office had no idea of where I was. The work sites varied from logging inspection shipyards, aircraft mfg to hazardous waste sites.

On the other hand I worked at an utility where 2 man rule was not only company policy for wiremen it was in the union agreement. Others truck drivers, meter readers etc etc again by union agreement and company policy could work alone.

ONLY once in my working life has anyone refused to supply a second guy for me. That was at the utility. My supervisor came in as the second guy. Boy was he hot at getting that call at home. He raised holy hell about it.

I guess it comes down to the individual who needs to decide when a second person is called for.

For me if in a hot panel or very close to running machinery I will get a second guy. If they ever dont want to supply it I dont do the work.

Dan Bentler

I'll be Captain Obvious here, nobody mentioned cell phones...

If something happened where you were knocked out, a cell phone will not be of any use.

All the electronics in the world are useless if you cannot use them ie knocked out, wrapped up in a machine, etc etc.

That is why I get real nervous about doing some types of work by myself. At other times I enjoy working on weekends when I have the place all to myself. However I choose tasks that do not involve energized work (electrically the place is a death trap) or running machinery.

If late in a shift and tired I do not do energized work at all. Sometimes I don't even do deenergized work late in the shift. Too easy to make a mistake, so I find something else to do.

Dan Bentler

Neither would a radio - or anything but a good buddy, for that matter.

Ken Moore said:

If something happened where you were knocked out, a cell phone will not be of any use.

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surferb said:

I'll be Captain Obvious here, nobody mentioned cell phones...

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Due to security concerns all cell phones are banned from our facillity. Besides inside most buildings you can rarely get a signal. This was actually tested.
I have a medical issue that has caused me to blackout. I do spend most of my time in my office or where others are and usually tell someone if I am going out to a remote building. I suggested a GPS unit with a mortality sensor (like what is used tracking animals) but no one bit on that. I am restricted where I can go to prevent me from really getting hurt.
All of our maintenance staff carry radios that are monitored in security. The off shifts usually go in pairs if there isn't any production going on.

Or maybe a dog - we need more dogs running around industrial facilities

I think I've been watching too much My Name is Earl ;-)

Fair enough - I was mentioning cell phones in addition to radios, not as the "end all" solution. Out of curiosity, what kind of "security concerns" does a cell phone provide at your workplace? (I have worked at facilities where electronic devices are not permitted, btw).

Would a "mortality sensor" actually detect a blackout? I can't imagine how it could work beyond monitoring your heart rate.

John Soltesz said:

Due to security concerns all cell phones are banned from our facillity. Besides inside most buildings you can rarely get a signal. This was actually tested.
I have a medical issue that has caused me to blackout. I do spend most of my time in my office or where others are and usually tell someone if I am going out to a remote building. I suggested a GPS unit with a mortality sensor (like what is used tracking animals) but no one bit on that. I am restricted where I can go to prevent me from really getting hurt.
All of our maintenance staff carry radios that are monitored in security. The off shifts usually go in pairs if there isn't any production going on.

Click to expand...

The reason we all have cell and radios so your partner can call for help, not the person that needs help.