The common ground among workers in the utilities industry is the need for proper safety equipment and monitoring
Working to provide citizens with fresh water to drink, gas for their stoves to cook on, and electricity to watch television and stay connected is a very rewarding job, but this job does not come without challenges. There is a vast range of utility workers who conduct completely different activities. Utility workers often find themselves working in the pouring rain, in the middle of the night, in the scorching sun or underground. However, the common ground among workers in the utilities industry is the need for proper safety equipment and monitoring.
Common Challenges
Some of the main challenges faced while working in the Utilities industry include:
Slips, trips & falls
- Slipping and tripping over equipment, uneven ground, or obstructed walkways
Fall from heights
- Utility workers are often required to work at heights e.g. powerlines
- Potential fall from heights due to fatigue / heat stress, or faulty machinery
Electrical shock
- Electric shock when conducting maintenance on powerlines
- Water and electricity mix
Struck-by, caught-in & caught-between equipment
- Injury due to getting stuck in moving machinery or falling equipment
Explosions and Fires
- Burns, electrical shocks, hazardous electrical activity
Toxic gas / dust inhalation
- Inhalation of toxic gasses leading to lung damage and severe long-term effects
Exposure to infectious bacteria
- Sewage workers are exposed to bacteria and diseases which can lead to severe complications
Our Solutions
Universal Site Monitoring (USM) design and develop Australian-made advanced connected worker safety monitoring solutions: an integrated system of wearable personal safety monitoring devices, mobile apps, communications hubs, reporting, and management software, plus ancillary products, providing essential safety data accessible from anywhere, at any time.
Our Personal Safety Monitors & Mobile Apps collect live data and feed it into the fully integrated Universal Data Interface smart alert and navigation system. This live data enables proactive decision making, prevention of rising emergencies, and can save lives in case of an emergency.
These are some of the connected worker solution highlights that address the common challenges of the utilities industry:
Real-time Data Streaming and Communication
- Live data allows proactive decision making from facility controllers
- Live and automatic emergency call & text messages (cellular)
- Push-to-talk & text messages (mesh)
Real-time Location & Motion Sensing
- Find a worker’s location indoor, outdoor and underground
- Monitor a no motion event, speed over ground of the worker
- Show the vertical geo-location of the worker, i.e. the level within a confined space where the worker is located, to be there as fast as possible in case of an emergency. This is possible thanks to the uni-, bi-, trilateration localisation capabilities of the Universal Site Monitoring’s proprietary Mesh Access Point system.
Slips, Trips & Falls
Monitoring & Alarm Capability
- Reporting G-Force events thanks through an in-built accelerometer in the Personal Safety Monitor PSM Hero 825 & 715
Biometric Monitoring
- Detecting early signs of heat stress/fatigue: heart rate monitoring & alarm capability
- Detecting early signs of infection: body temperature monitoring & alarm capability
- Ambient air temperature & atmospheric data monitoring & alarm capability
Geo-Fencing
- Ability to restrict areas where dangerous machinery is operating, where hazardous chemicals are stored, or high temperature zones
- Example of a check-in entry point geo-fence alert
