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Biometric tracking: an imperative for security and productivity

When it comes to Lone Worker Protection (LWP) and Lone Worker Assistance Device (IWAD) issues, an ideal security system combines location and situational status sensors. Status acquisition for the operator is possible through the addition of biometric/physiological sensors and threat detectors. These will provide an accurate view of the environment in which the individual is operating and how they are reacting to it. By using quality and appropriate sensors, and where space is not a constraint, better productivity, faster response to emergency situations and greater safety for the operator and also for the professionals involved in the first wave of response to the incident are made possible. The measurement of vital signs at a distance and of the physico-chemical risks involved is the key to their safety.

Biometric tracking: remote health status in real time

The emergence of wireless technologies and advances in the design and miniaturisation of body-based IOT sensors have changed the way the conventional healthcare system operates. Indeed, it is gradually being augmented by increasingly complex mobile and connected health devices that are worn directly by individuals. These wearable measurement systems can generate real-time and continuous physiological data as well as embed intelligent risk detection or alerting algorithms to better meet the need to protect/alert/rescue while allowing the operator to focus on the mission.

These remote measurement solutions provide enterprise-wide monitoring to give operations and safety managers real-time information on the physical conditions and physical/chemical/biological hazards that employees may be taking. Knowledge of location and incidents also allows for response and protection of other nearby workers, external stakeholders and the local community.

A wide range of possible measures

Helping isolated (DATI) or more or less isolated workers to stay safe at their location is a crucial daily task. Measuring heart rate, skin or air temperature and loss of verticality are measures that have existed for some years. However, if we take the typical example of a firefighter in an underground car park fire, these data give only a limited view of the situation.
Therefore, in response to increasing security needs, access to new generation sensors provides a more complete view of the situation for operational management. We are thinking in particular of sensors allowing the measurement of breathing and therefore calculations of autonomy for team management, measurement of central temperature rather than skin temperature for the detection of heat stroke, measurement of dehydration, oxygen saturation or the presence of dangerous gases in the environment in which the individual is moving.

Communication constraints to be taken into consideration

In order for the collection of data provided by biometric trackers to be a real advantage for the protection of workers, three essential parameters must be taken into account: determining precisely the type and frequency of information dissemination, and also the question of the sampling frequency of the measurements. Finally, as lone workers often work in restricted environments, it is important to ensure that communication is possible at any point on the site.

It is therefore necessary to have a "data generation/communication of generated data" pairing adapted to the needs, i.e. the risks and the environment. For example, while average actimetry data may be sent every 10 minutes, a fall or shock exceeding an alert threshold must be sent immediately. This implies that the activity is measured continuously and that the communication is flexible, allowing for both regular interval and on-demand sending. In addition, for life-threatening or critical data, it is essential to ensure redundant communication with means adapted to the environment in which the tracker is located. Indeed, there will be many places where standard communication modes (GSM for example) will not be available. Bluetooth communication from the sensors to a mobile phone will therefore be of no use. It will be necessary to know how to adapt the on-board communication tools to get out of a possible "jamming bubble", whether it be environmental (underground car parks, tunnels, white zones) or electronic.

Promoting preventive behaviour

Connected surveillance solutions are varied. They allow remote monitoring of safety, work and compliance of all teams’ actions. This improves productivity, reduces costs and downtime, and helps create a safe and positive working environment. Centralising the data collected at a site, whether anonymous or not, over a sufficiently long period of time can lead to predictive analysis of individual or group/job type risk situations. These analyses, coupled with real-time monitoring and associated algorithms, help to detect upstream non-compliant behaviour or situations that could lead to an accident, a drop in production or a temporary closure that could have cascading consequences. The availability of complete information also makes it possible to review the factors behind the accident and to assist in the preventive training of HSE (Health Safety Environment) teams.

Streamline safety procedures

Continuous real-time monitoring via biometric tracking can alert other workers to intervene or avoid the incident. Indeed, having data on the incident environment in real time and the situation of the victim can prevent an over-accident; the urgency is not the same if the victim can be rescued or if the situation has reached a critical point and would jeopardise the intervention teams for a victim who has already died. The information generated can be immediately passed on to local response teams and public authorities so that informed decisions can be made. This makes command, control of safety, productivity and worker compliance easier to enforce. By also having the history of pre-accident data available, it is possible to provide accurate and tangible evidence for any legal HSE report. This makes training more effective and future incidents more preventable.