OT Lone working

[surferb]

Makes sense. OPs topic is "Lone working". I take that to mean you'd suggest not to work alone.

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

 

[Singapore_Mats]

I have installed a simple timer, when you arrive it start, and every hour it starts a horn/lights and you have 5min to press a buttom to acknowledge, if you dont press the button a signal goes to another place where they send someone out to see what have happend.

 

[Singapore_Mats]

It wount save your life if you put your hand in switchboard or you are halfway in a meat grinder, but we are all prefssionals who dont do dangerous/stupid stuff, right? ;-)

 

[stevez]

We use a radio that has a panic button as well as a "fallen man switch".If you fall it alerts the security team, BUT they don't always know your location.

 

[leitmotif]

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.

Firemen used to and I think still do carry what was called a PAL.
Basically a motion sensor so if a guy went down and did not move it rang an alarm for others to come and get him.

Seatttle fire (BLACKSTOCK) lost two guys and found them only when sifting thru ashes.

I think the PAL is basically what he is calling a mortality detector. Good concept but someone still has to come and get you.

Another thought on buddy system - they have to know what to do. Participated in a fatality investigation where a kid got killed because of broken conduit. One leg of 440 grounded to a machine and kid got zapped on 277. They complained to mgmt - nothing done. He stayed there gasping like a fish because the other kids did not know how to get him off the circuit how to kill power, did not know CPR, etc. Office door locked (swingshift) so one runs down the block to the grocery store CLOSED. Comes back runs down the other block to a phone. They did not kick office door because afraid of management.

Sabra threw the whole book at management. Guess what it cost -- about 2500 (in 1980).

The bright side of the story was that the contractor electrician called me to pull the red tag and said he pulled in a ground conductor in that circuit, cleaned up the panel, pulled grounds in all other circuits and swore he would NEVER do conduit grounding EVER again regardless of it being OK with NEC.
Dan Bentler

 

[John Soltesz]

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.

DOD and DOE material are produced as well as other governments material required communication restrictions. It actually goes back before cell phones dealing with radio transmitters that security couldn't monitor. So cell phones fall under those restritions.
The mortality sensor is basicaly a motion sensor. For wildlife the time frame is much longer than a "PAL" type of device.

 

[surferb]

Good stuff. I'm an active duty Navy sailor in the communication field, so I know how that goes. I thought we were discussing security at manufacturing/industrial sites.

DOD and DOE material are produced as well as other governments material required communication restrictions. It actually goes back before cell phones dealing with radio transmitters that security couldn't monitor. So cell phones fall under those restritions.

The mortality sensor is basicaly a motion sensor. For wildlife the time frame is much longer than a "PAL" type of device.

 

[John Soltesz]

We are only manufacturing but come under "others" security concerns.
The last special project I worked on was for F1 racing engine parts. It even had a "code name" for the project. We just didn't need a specific clearance for access.

 

[surferb]

Sounds like cool stuff.

We are only manufacturing but come under "others" security concerns.
The last special project I worked on was for F1 racing engine parts. It even had a "code name" for the project. We just didn't need a specific clearance for access.

 

[Lancie1]

The bright side of the story was that the contractor electrician called me to pull the red tag and said he pulled in a ground conductor in that circuit, cleaned up the panel, pulled grounds in all other circuits and swore he would NEVER do conduit grounding EVER again regardless of it being OK with NEC.
Dan Bentler

Dan, I decided years ago to always show ground wires for all circuits on drawings, and make sure that they are installed. It is no longer worth the safety (and liability) risks to use conduit and cable tray as grounding conductors.

 

[SLC_Integrator]

In my previous life I worked at a plant that used two-way radios that monitored movement. They worked great, much to the dozing operators annoyance....

I think its a really tough subject to deal with but to be honest if you work safe and have a radio or cell phone that should be sufficient. If you are wrapped up so much in a machine you cant move I think by the time someone responded to your panic alarm or whatever it might already be too late.

 

[leitmotif]

In my previous life I worked at a plant that used two-way radios that monitored movement. They worked great, much to the dozing operators annoyance....

I think its a really tough subject to deal with but to be honest if you work safe and have a radio or cell phone that should be sufficient. If you are wrapped up so much in a machine you cant move I think by the time someone responded to your panic alarm or whatever it might already be too late.

REDUNDANCY ie a double set of brain and eyeballs and experience is always safer and more productive. I know that several times the other guy has saved me from injury because I did not know or see or think of something.
I firmly believe in two man rule.

Dan Bentler

 

[SLC_Integrator]

This may be a little controversial but I take the view that its a big-boy world and as adults and professional people we should be both sufficiently trained and experienced to work by ourselves, or else we have NO business being in this field.

Sure if its a particularly dangerous activity like live electrical work, confined space work etc then a team is definately the safest way to go.
But for day-to-day general work I think doubling up is too much. I have seen it used and abused way too much as a union tactic and as such tend to be a little more cynical.

 

[surferb]

I tend to agree with you there - no offense Dan.

This may be a little controversial but I take the view that its a big-boy world and as adults and professional people we should be both sufficiently trained and experienced to work by ourselves, or else we have NO business being in this field.

Sure if its a particularly dangerous activity like live electrical work, confined space work etc then a team is definately the safest way to go.
But for day-to-day general work I think doubling up is too much. I have seen it used and abused way too much as a union tactic and as such tend to be a little more cynical.

 

[Stationmaster]

I'll have to side with the "big boy world" comment.

One riot, one ranger.

: )

Stationmaster