As we’ve mentioned previously, for many workers today, the standard 9 to 5 office hours are essentially a thing of the past. Whether it’s the pressures of hitting deadlines or a desire for an improved work-life balance, many workers are entering and exiting the office at increasingly varied times.
But for those working outside of standard office hours, safety is a key consideration. How can employers ensure the safety of early-risers and late-workers?
The Internet of Things and M2M technology can offer solution!
An interconnected office structure could give building managers an oversight of occupied building space from sensors such as heat or carbon dioxide. This could then be automatically linked to heating and light to optimise resources, as well as implementing an emergency procedure should someone fall ill whilst lone working.
But what about workers outside of a typical office environment? For standard-practice lone workers such as carers, estate agents and tree surgeons, employers still have a legal obligation to reduce risks.
For colleagues who regularly make home-visits, such as carers, social workers and delivery personnel, the connection becomes increasingly difficult – but it’s not impossible. Wearable technology is continually improving and is regularly linked to a smart phone. This could be taken further by linking a colleagues vital signs to a back-end system, again with emergency procedures in place should a problem occur. Live video streaming, such as those used by police forces, would also ensure that office-based colleagues can keep a virtual eye on the lone worker.
Even workers who are part of a team often go-it-alone. Firefighters, for example, often become dispersed during an emergency call-out whilst attending to civilians or combating flames. In instances like this, it would be faster to notify a nearby team member of an issue, rather than waiting for assistance to arrive from back-end colleagues. One solution would be to have a team-linked system in which anyone facing a difficult situation could be found in relation to the position of their colleagues, with a warning system linked from vital signs in wearable technology.
Whatever the sector and whatever the role, it’s clear to see that the Internet of Things could help to significantly reduce the risks for lone workers today.
Communications resellers wishing to make these solutions accessible to organisations across the UK should contact Zest4 on 0161 956 3355 to find out how.
Zest4 have recently formed a partnership with M2M experts, Arkessa. This partnerships enables Zest4 to offer reseller partners complete M2M solutions including expert knowledge, optimised tariffs and competitive commercials. In addition, resellers can benefit from Zest4’s unrivalled service levels and dedicated commercial and technical support.
For more information on M2M solutions from Zest4, visit http://www.zest4.com/machine-to-machine.php.