Page 16 - OHS, July/August 2024

OIL & GAS
Helping Lone Workers Shed the Invisibility Cloak
Satellite messaging and GPS technologies help lone workers overcome challenges
of invisibility, providing transformative benefits for safety and coordination across
industries.
BY TODD WEST
In the Harry Potter books and movies, the young wizard is gifted with a remarkable cloak: The user who wears it becomes invis- ible, able to slip out of sticky situations and eavesdrop on evildo- ers, which of course Harry does.
Many people might wish they had their own invisibility cloaks from time to time. But there is one group of people who would like to get rid of theirs. They are lone workers, whose jobs take them out of usable cellular coverage. According to the FCC, 16 percent of America’s land area has no LTE service. These are the wide-open spaces far from cities and major highways, but where people live and businesses operate that are in need of service.
The Downside of Invisibility
From health care to deliveries, law enforcement to energy, long- haul trucking to repair services, lone workers become invisible as soon as they leave the cellular network. They can’t check in or make support requests. If they are in danger or come to harm, they have no way to signal for help. This is why lone worker regulations exist, but translating rules into action is hard without connectivity.
chitsanupong/stock.adobe.com
Invisibility is equally a burden for their employers, who are challenged to efficiently coordinate their people when they repeat- edly vanish from sight.
There are solutions to invisibility. Cellular text messages can sometimes get through a weak signal even when calls can’t. Satel- lite phones can provide calling and text service wherever there is a view of the sky. But most satellite services are too expensive to supply to every lone worker.
The Right Device
That’s not always the case, however. There is a range of small, hand- held messaging devices that transmit over satellite. In addition to text, they send GPS coordinates with every message. They also come with an SOS button. In an emergency, it signals for help and uses the GPS coordinates to connect with the nearest first respond- ers, who receive the GPS coordinates of the person in need of help.
The right device is rugged, has a long battery life and is simple to use. Its coverage extends everywhere workers may go. Most im- portantly, the device and airtime are inexpensive enough to become
14 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2024
www.ohsonline.com