Staff Alarm Systems


A smart choice of alarm system


Personal alarm and critical communications specialist manufacturer Atus Systems’ origins are founded in the Personal Security Product division of the Bosch Group. Here Darren Swindlehurst, Atus Systems’ managing director, considers staff alarm product selection, and discusses the key considerations when specifying such equipment for healthcare establishments.


As technologies evolve, and markets expand, a wider range of products becomes available, each with its own individual features and benefits. Staff alarm systems are no different, but the fundamental basis of any product selection starts with identifying two basic needs – where the equipment is going to be used, and the specific requirements of the end-user. Today, of course, staff – and this very much


applies to those working in hospitals and other healthcare facilities – may not be based in a single location, but may rather roam from site to site, or visit service-users in locations away from the ‘traditional’ acute or primary care setting. The ensuing needs and risks need to be considered when, for instance, specifying staff alarm solutions for lone workers, and indeed when supplying such equipment to any environment where aggression towards staff is perceived as a potential danger. Staff alarm systems have traditionally fallen


into two categories – on-site localised systems, and wide area systems. The wide area products, known as ‘LWDs’, are governed by BS8484, the ‘Code of Practice for the provision of lone worker device (LWD) services’, which was first published in 2009, and revised in 2011. Product selection for wide area use is assisted greatly by the 11 essential device functions defined in the standard.


KEY FUNCTIONALITIES FOR ‘WIDE AREA’ PRODUCTS BS8484 states that all types of LWD supplied to customers should, as a minimum, possess the following functionality: • Communications capabilities to transmit position information and LWD identity.


• An audio facility to aid the controller when determining the nature of the lone worker’s situation.


• A signal strength indicator. • The capability to communicate a pre-activation message.


• The ability to communicate an activation message.


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• The ability to initiate an audio connection January 2015


THE NETWORK


Key workers can be targeted with specific messages integrated from other systems, enabling prompt, efficient care.


to the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), or to retry until connected.


• The ability to receive a discreet signal from the controller to indicate to the lone worker that the audio connection has been acknowledged.


• The ability to be remotely accessed by a controller.


• Battery life as stipulated in the contract between supplier and customer to meet the customer’s requirements, and, as a minimum, to allow for one activation of 15 minutes, and a minimum of seven pre- activations of two minutes, working in an ambient temperature of -5˚C to 40˚C.


• A low battery warning. • The means to minimise accidental activation.


A MORE COMPLEX CHOICE As no such standard exists for on-site or localised systems and devices, the choice is somewhat more varied and complex, since


each product’s activation method is principally defined by its manufacture, as are the technologies employed, and the communication paths used. ‘Traditional’ systems have used infrared,


others radio, some a combination of both, while more recent developments have seen products become available that utilise Wi-Fi, DECT, and triangulation. The decision as to which technology to deploy can be determined by an understanding of the end-user’s needs, and some simple choices that stem from this understanding. Constructing a ‘one size fits all’ model for


what, in essence, is a unique piece of equipment, always brings an element of risk, but the key parameters that allow for a robust design and decision-making process are: • What is the device’s principal function? • Where is the device to be used? • What is the user’s perceived risk? • What will be the primary means of alarm activation?


• What degree of accuracy of the user’s location is required?


• Where is the alarm to be sent? • Who needs to be notified that an alarm has been generated?


• Is there a need for speech? • Are different types of alarm activation required?


• How is the alarm to be reset?


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