Why Does Your Business Need a Duress Alarm System?
As a business leader, you are responsible for putting the right measures in place to protect your employees. Their safety is very important, especially when they are working alone or visiting potentially dangerous locations. You will need to invest in comprehensive security solutions in situations where there’s a higher risk of danger or medical emergencies.
Many organisations have started taking this seriously and have adopted personal duress alarms to provide continuous protection for their high-risk employees. These organisations understand that workplace duress alarms and monitoring systems have become non-negotiable when it comes to calling for help. With the push of a button, help can come over to save you from workplace violence, medical emergencies, threats, or accidents in remote or isolated environments.
What is a Duress Alarm?
A duress alarm system is made to protect individuals who may be at risk of violence or other dangerous situations. A personal duress alarm is a device or system that allows people to call for rapid assistance during emergencies. These devices look like a necklace, a wristwatch, or something that could easily hide in your body.
How Does a Duress Alarm Work?
A duress alarm system has three main parts: a device worn by the person in danger, a monitoring centre that receives the alert, and a response team that can be sent if needed. When the person presses the alarm, the signal goes to the monitoring centre, which checks what’s happening and calls for help if necessary.
3 Major Components of Duress Alarm Systems:
Activation Devices: It’s a part of the duress system that sends an immediate alert, notifying others of an emergency.
Notification Systems: This system alerts designated individuals or groups through phone calls, SMS, or an alarm within a facility.
Monitoring Station: Some duress alarm systems are monitored by a central station that delivers real-time updates as the situation unfolds.
Together, these components allow the system to quickly detect emergencies and get the right help to the right place.
Who Needs a Duress Alarm System?
Duress alarms are ideal for individuals who may be exposed to increased risk, including:
Lone, isolated, and high-risk workers
Employees who may encounter workplace violence, threats, or aggressive behaviour
Workers with medical conditions that could require immediate assistance
At-risk employees operating in vulnerable or unpredictable environments
Elderly individuals and people living with disabilities who may need rapid support
Life is truly unpredictable. There are times when people find themselves in situations where help isn’t easy to reach. A duress alarm could be life-saving, helping them quickly and quietly, so employees or anyone at risk can feel safer.
How Can You Protect Lone Workers?
Any company with staff working alone takes on substantial additional financial risk by employing lone individuals. You may want to increase the safety of your lone workers but may not know how. Using personal duress or lone worker alarms to protect high-risk employees is the most effective way to ensure their safety.
Providing your employees with high-quality alarms allows them to signal for help whenever an unfortunate incident occurs or automatically in the event of an environmental hazard (such as a slip, trip, or fall) or a medical emergency that cannot be prevented. With just the press of a button, a lone worker can get help in a moment of need.
Why is it Important?
Workplace accidents can happen in an instant. Some of them could be far deadlier than one realises. According to a study, the number of people who die due to slipping and falling is 6X higher than those who die in fires or from injuries from chemicals.
In real time, the duress alarm and the SOS panic alarm monitoring room will inform and update managers and the personnel responsible for deploying emergency assistance. Because every second matters, particularly for employees working in high-risk areas or with medical vulnerabilities.
A duress alarm provides benefits that go far beyond just having help just a push of a button away. The benefits include:
Ensuring the safety of those working in high-risk areas
Staying compliant with health and safety regulations
Peace of mind for individuals working in an unsafe environment
Obtaining assistance promptly during a time of crisis.
Closing Thoughts
Safeguarding employees who are exposed to high levels of danger is vital. Lone workers, in particular, need protection from the moment they start their shift. Emergency duress alarm monitoring can play a crucial role in protecting their lives. These alarms have proven beneficial for many organisations. If you haven’t already, investing in a high-quality duress alarm for your lone, isolated, or high-risk staff ensures they can summon help quickly in the event of any incident.
Even if your organisation hasn’t experienced an incident that required a duress alarm, it’s important to recognise the risks, especially in workplaces with varying conditions. Workplace violence and aggressive behaviour are on the rise, and accidents are being scrutinised more closely than ever. With OHS regulations and industrial manslaughter laws now strictly enforced, organisations face serious legal and financial consequences if incidents occur and precautions are not taken. Directors, managers, and safety officers could be held personally accountable, including imprisonment and significant fines.
Don’t wait for an emergency to act; protect your staff today with a reliable duress alarm system. Ensure peace of mind, compliance, and rapid response in every situation. Explore GPS Geo Guard now to choose the system that keeps your team safe.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How quickly can a duress alarm get help to a lone worker?
Alerts are sent immediately to monitoring staff or designated personnel, who can despatch help within minutes.
2. Can a duress alarm detect incidents automatically?
Yes. Many duress alarm systems detect falls or inactivity, sending alerts even if the worker can’t press the device.
3. How do duress alarms protect my business from legal liability?
They show proactive safety measures, helping meet OHS laws and reducing potential fines or legal consequences.
4. Are duress alarms suitable for all lone workers?
Yes. They work for isolated, high-risk, night-shift, or medically vulnerable employees.
5. What features should I look for in a duress alarm?
Wearable, discreet, easy to activate, compatible with monitoring, and capable of automatic alerts.
