Best Practices for Remote and Lone Worker Safety in Resource Sectors

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The ability to communicate in real-time, from any location, without the risk of service interruptions is vital to a company’s ability to operate effectively and safely.
The ability to communicate in real-time, from any location, without the risk of service interruptions is vital to a company’s ability to operate effectively and safely. In today’s interconnected world, providing communication solutions to workers is a key component in maintaining remote worker safety. In industries with operations beyond the reach of terrestrial and cellular networks, the challenge to stay connected to remote and lone workers is even greater.

Ridgeline Canada Inc. (Ridgeline) is an environmental company that is a trailblazer when it comes to excellence in lone or remote worker safety and journey management using satellite communications. Ridgeline’s operations span across Western Canada including operations in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Ridgeline consists of three main operational divisions that offer a range of tailor-made environmental solutions such as remediation, reclamation, emergency spill response, and waste management to companies in oil and gas, renewable energy, transportation, mining, power, and utility sectors.

Workers in Ridgeline’s environmental and spill response divisions have been equipped with SPOT X Two-Way Satellite Messengers (SPOT) for reliable communications when cellular networks are not available. Ridgeline has developed innovative check-in protocols to ensure lone worker safety using a host of platform options available through the SPOT Mapping back-office included with SPOT device subscriptions. Automated check-ins from workers’ SPOT devices are sent via satellite to each of their respective managers, with each division assigned a different color to easily distinguish team mapping locations. Using SPOT, Ridgeline’s managers can ensure their team members arrive at their destinations, check-in at pre-set intervals, and receive escalated triggered notifications if check-ins are missed. SPOT provides an affordable and efficient hands-on communications solution for workers – whether on or off the cellular grid – and helps senior management comply with provincial lone worker safety and journey management mandates as well as company policies.

Trevor Meyer is the Health and Safety Manager at Ridgeline. Trevor oversees the daily health and safety operations for all Ridgeline divisions. Trevor stated that “by having the SPOT solution in place, management has peace of mind knowing that they are meeting their remote worker safety requirements and going above and beyond to ensure that employees have reliable communications”.

According to the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, Canada has one of the world’s largest areas of responsibility for search and rescue, covering 18 million square kilometers of land and water. Many industries, including forestry, oil and gas, mining, and environmental sectors encompass operations within the almost 8 million square kilometers outside the reach of traditional cellular and GSM networks.

The SPOT X Two-Way Satellite Messenger with Bluetooth enables reliable connectivity beyond cellular and critical, emergency notification technology to ensure lone worker safety. Every SPOT device includes an SOS button, which is a direct link to emergency responders with precise GPS satellite coordinates.

Trevor adds that “SPOT ensures our employees’ well being is taken care of and that someone is always there for them, at the push of a button. I can’t imagine our teams being without it”.

For more information on Ridgeline Canada Inc. visit www.ridgelinecanada.com.

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