The new COMPASS Pro emergency response solution from Safeguard Equipment® is the most innovative and advanced personal voltage and current detector (PVCD) available. The product is a combination of a hardware PVCD unit and Safeguard Equipment’s software interface app that offers unrivaled protection and peace of mind for workers in the utility industry and their loved ones.
The COMPASS line of PVCDs has always represented the cutting edge in providing voltage and current detection assistance to workers, warning them of the presence of electrical fields and the location of energized sources. The COMPASS Pro detection unit is now capable of detecting arc flash, fall, head impact, and man-down incidents.
Coupled with Safeguard Equipment’s integrated cell-phone based App, the device will initiate a 60-second countdown timer whenever an adverse event is detected. During this period, the user can cancel the alert if no help is needed. Following the countdown, if the alert is not canceled, the app will immediately open a channel of communication between the user and the response team, and query whether the user needs assistance. The app will also enable location services for the user’s connected cell phone. If the user does not respond to the queries, the response team can initiate an emergency 911 call, and provide emergency personnel with the accurate location of the injured party, the exact time of the incident, and the likely nature of the injury.
These added utilities provide assurances to users, colleagues, and managers that crews are safe and can summon emergency assistance when needed, without relying solely on check-ins.
Storm Response and Lone Workers
Safety practices universally advocate using a buddy system for all linework, which is the desired norm. But sometimes, it is just not feasible. There are not enough linemen to fully staff most utility companies, and when a situation demands it, such as when power lines are down, companies are limited in staff and must send out lone workers. A lone worker means additional risk: only one set of eyes and ears, one pair of hands, and no one to assist if something goes wrong.
Lone worker situations are where the COMPASS Pro emergency response solution can demonstrate its mettle. First, it provides a lone worker with a “sixth sense” to detect the presence of electrical or magnetic fields that cannot be seen, heard, or felt. This capability is critical when lines are down; it is not always easy to determine whether a line is dead with just a visual inspection, particularly in storm conditions. Further, if people hook up generators improperly, even a line that was properly de-energized at the power station may still have current running through it.
Second, having arc flash, fall, head impact, and man-down detectors means that if one of these events does occur, lone workers can still notify their company’s internal response team or summon emergency medical help regardless of their condition. The geolocation capability of the Safeguard Equipment app, activated anytime an emergency alert goes off, means home-office and family will know exactly where their work is when anything goes wrong. The instantaneous alert signal and emergency protocol mean that lone workers will not have to suffer through a delay before emergency help is on its way.
Streamline Emergency Response for All Injury Incidents
In chaotic situations, it is easy to panic. This is certainly the case when an electrical accident happens.
Arc flashes, in particular, are not just extraordinarily bright but very loud. Like a firearm discharge, they can cause vision and hearing loss and emit intense heat and pressure waves. Depending upon the strength and duration of an arc flash, workers anywhere within the vicinity can be injured or burned.
Electric shock injuries also emit noise and cause a strong visceral response. When current runs through the body, it causes all the muscles to contract and can burn body tissue. Further, when adverse electrical events occur, it is not uncommon for more than one person to sustain an injury. These events are clearly traumatic to experience, but they are also difficult to witness. Given these facts, it is often asking too much for even the uninjured workers to react and respond calmly, rationally, and methodically. In situations like these, COMPASS Pro brings safety and protection to an all-new level.
Immediate Notification Via The App
Once the hardware unit detects an adverse event, it will start a 60-second countdown, allowing a user to cancel the alert in case of a false alarm. If the user does not cancel the alert, the COMPASS Pro will immediately notify the response team via SMS messages and in-app push notifications. The response team knows who is involved, where it takes place, the type of incident, and which employees are closest to assist. Pre-set responses are provided within the App to help prompt quick responses and streamline an emergency response procedure. If the worker is unresponsive, the response team can quickly initiate a 911.
In addition, the hardware unit and the cell phone App include an SOS button that, when held for 5-seconds, can initiate an immediate call for help. This feature gives workers the power to request aid regardless of whether or not a crisis has been detected. With the press of a button, workers in the field can summon emergency response for car accidents or any other life-threatening.
Not all the risks workers face can be eliminated, which is why the COMPASS Pro emergency response solution is the first PVCD to offer a holistic safety solution. COMPASS Pro guides the teams through every step, from when a threat is detected to when a worker receives aid. Companies and work crews can have peace of mind knowing that when arc flash, impacts, falls, or other life-threatening accidents occur, help is on the way. This is why the COMPASS Pro emergency response solution offers the best service available today in performing its core mission: protecting and saving lives.
For more information or a demonstration of the all-new COMPASS Pro emergency response solution, contact Safeguard Equipment today.