In our ongoing commitment to fostering safer workplaces on our industrial wastewater treatment sites, U.S. Water’s Industrial Group introduced a targeted health and safety initiative with the pilot program of SHEQSY, an enterprise-grade mobile phone-based lone worker safety platform. Designed to be user-friendly, SHEQSY is compatible with Bluetooth wearables and handheld satellite devices, enabling workers to perform real-time safety check-ins and swiftly report workplace hazards through photos and videos from any location. This data, including GPS location, job details, and timestamps, seamlessly populates the SHEQSY dashboard, providing real-time visibility, monitoring, management, and reporting of lone worker activities.
How Safety Check-ins Work
Workers open the mobile application when operating alone or gearing up for a task, creating an appointment detailing the task and estimated completion time. During the task, if periodic check-ins aren’t performed within the allotted time, an overdue alarm automatically notifies the site’s Operations Manager or a designated colleague. Non-response triggers an escalation to an emergency response team, potentially involving local police and paramedics. With the simple, user-friendly design of the app, workers can easily extend task durations if needed or activate a “Panic” duress alert for immediate attention.
Industrial Wastewater Treatment Sites Pilot Program
Over the past two months, U.S. Water’s Industrial Group has successfully piloted SHEQSY across multiple industrial wastewater treatment project sites. Preliminary positive feedback from operators highlights the platform’s effectiveness, particularly in environments with hazards like chemicals, catwalks, and potential slip and trip risks. Given the pilot’s success, the Industrial Group plans to expand SHEQSY to additional project sites a single daily operator is present during shifts.
Industry Insights and Lone Worker Safety Statistics
Recent data from the National Safety Council (NSC) reveals that nearly 70% of organizations have reported safety incidents involving lone workers in the past three years. A survey conducted by TrackPlus, encompassing 250 lone workers, found that nearly 20% had experienced a safety accident where obtaining help was challenging. These statistics highlight the significance of initiatives like SHEQSY in mitigating risks and ensuring the safety of lone workers. U.S. Water’s proactive approach in piloting and expanding the use of SHEQSY demonstrates our commitment to the health and safety of our workforce.
