The rising threat of wildfires to remote workers
If your staff operate in areas that could be at risk from wildfires, there are ways to quickly locate them and send help if they need it.
Wildfires are a common hazard that occur across much of the world. Often caused by a combination of severe hot weather, wind and dry underbrush, wildfires can consume acres of land in minutes.
However, nature is not always to blame; some wildfires are caused by us, such as with the recent wildfires in Greece, where 76 people were arrested for arson.
Recent reports suggest that there are around 70,000 wildfires globally each year – many of these occurring in the United States, Canada, Australia and Southern Europe.
The frequency and severity of wildfires is increasing
Heat waves, droughts, and climate change increase the risk, and alter the behaviour of wildfires dramatically. Changes to the climate are resulting in more widespread fires and longer fire seasons, while we are also seeing an increase in the intensity and frequency of wildfires.
In recent years, we have watched in horror at the severity of wildfires that consume vast swathes of land, taking with them natural habitats, homes, livelihoods and, most harrowingly, lives.
The wildfires that have raged in Greece this summer have been responsible for 23 fire-related deaths, as well as the destruction of much of a National Forest, homes and farmland.
Worryingly, warnings have just been issued to Australia to prepare for 2023 to be the most significant bushfire season since the ‘Black Summer’ of 2019/20, when 59 million acres of land was destroyed.
The wildfires this year have also been devastating in the United States, where 111 people lost their lives in Hawaii, in a wildfire that has now been named as the deadliest in modern US history.
Infact, at the time of writing, 574 wildfires, covering 280,918 hectares of land, are active in the US right now.
Wildfires and the risk to remote workers
Organisations that operate within at-risk zones need to be aware of the dangers of wildfires and take steps to mitigate the risk to their employees.
As well as being caught directly in a fire, the rush to leave the affected area could also leave organisations struggling to locate their employees and get them any help they need.
The risk is heightened further when companies employ remote workers who move between different locations. If disaster does strike, finding out where your employees are and whether they are OK can be even more difficult.
When situations like this arise, employers need to have specific measures put in place to ensure the safety of their workers. This is where specialist safety apps and technology can help.
Ensure every employee gets home safely
If your staff operate in areas that could be at risk from wildfires, there are ways to quickly locate them and send help if they need it.
The StaySafe app and monitoring hub gives employers real-time visibility of their employees’ location and provides staff with a quick and efficient way to signal for help they’re in danger.
Features such as a panic button, timed welfare checks, missed check-in and fall detection alerts help to ensure that employees are found quickly and get help in an emergency – even in areas of low or no signal.
With the number of wildfires increasing, StaySafe can help employees and their families to feel more at ease about working in at-risk environments, whilst enabling employers to maintain their duty of care to staff.
Guide to Lone Working
A comprehensive lone worker guide for employers, managers and the self employed.
Lone Worker Risk Assessment
Three Questions to Ask When Purchasing a Lone Working Solution
Find out more about StaySafe solutions
Lone Worker App
Our intuitive app allows employees to check in safely following a lone working session and raise an alert in an emergency.
Cloud Based Monitoring Hub
Wearable Technology
Satellite Tracking Devices
StaySafe is now available on the SMART-EX® 02 DZ1 and the SMART-EX® 02 DZ2 from the Pepperl + Fuchs brand ecom.
The company develops intrinsically safe phones which can be used in potentially explosive areas as per the European ATEX Directives. Many workplaces may contain, or have activities that produce, explosive or potentially explosive atmospheres.
StaySafe is designed to quickly and easily turn any smart device into a safety tool for lone worker protection. The StaySafe app is linked to a secure cloud-based monitoring Hub which accurately locates each company’s lone workers on a map and provides managers with real-time updates on their movements.
The app also allows users to trigger a panic alert in an emergency. If a panic alert is triggered on the device, StaySafe will notify their managers immediately, allowing an organisation to take appropriate action.
If an employee fails to check in safely during a lone working session or raises an alert, a notification will pop up on screen as well as via SMS text and email, allowing their manager to locate them and get help straight away.
Accurate location tracking allows remote workers to be monitored from the StaySafe Hub so that help can be sent directly to them. For staff that work in dangerous environments such as the oil and gas industry, having assistance readily available is critical in case of an accident or injury.
Karen Jarrett, Team Lead for UK and Ireland at ecom Mobile Safety, comments, “With powerful features, good ergonomics and an optimized accessory concept, the newly developed Smart-Ex 02 is the most advanced explosion-proof smartphone for Zone 1/21 and Div. 1.’
Don Cameron, CEO at StaySafe, adds “Providing the highest level of protection to lone working staff is of utmost importance to us. We’re glad to be partnering with ecom Mobile Safety to help keep as many workers as possible safe from harm”.
With thousands of employees operating in dangerous locations for long periods of time, ecom’s partnership with StaySafe offers reliable protection for lone workers.
To find out more about our lone worker solutions, visit our product page.
To find out more about ecom’s devices visit their site here
