How does the man down function work?

Whether it’s a life-saving device for a first responder or a safety monitoring system for an engineer on a nuclear power plant, a Man Down system can provide immediate support to an employee requiring support.

But how do these devices and this alarm system work? In this article, we’ll take a look at how man down alarms are able to detect when a person has fallen and how they can alert others in the event of an emergency.

Injuries caused by slips, trips, and falls  are some of the most common workplace accidents across all industries according to the latest HSE statistics. On average they are responsible for:

• over a third of all reported major injuries
• 20% of over-3-day injuries to employees
• 2 fatalities per year
• 50% of all reported accidents to members of the public that happen in workplaces
• cost to employers £512 million per year (lost production and other costs)
• cost to health service £133 million per year
• incalculable human cost
• more major injuries in manufacturing and in the service sectors than any other cause.

So how do you safeguard employees and ensure you are meeting your duty of care?

The Man Down Function is a safety feature found on many professional two-way radios and push to talk devices, meaning you do not have to invest in a secondary device.

It provides:

• A system that detects impacts, falls, and inactivity automatically.
• Welfare Checks both locally & remotely, checking in with the device user.
• Automatically triggered alarms if a check-in is missed.
• An audio alarm on the device and in the web based control software reporting the employees location.
• A time-stamped audit trail.

What are the benefits of a man down system?

The benefits of a Man Down system are many and varied, they can include:

• Reducing the risk of injuries
• Ensuring quick and effective responses to potential accidents
• Allowing employees to focus on their work, knowing that they are being monitored

How does a man down system work?

In the event of an accident or injury, your chosen communications system can immediately send out an alert to the designated personnel, allowing for a rapid response:

1. The hand portable will be constantly checking for certain types of movements or lack thereof. If the portable radio or smart device detects a tilt motion/lack of motion for a predefined time, it will begin to emit an Alert Tone.
2. Following a change in the motion of the device for a programmed duration, the two way radio or BBPTT device pre-warns the user with an audio indicator indicating that a change in motion is detected.
3. If there is still no acknowledgment by the user before the predefined reminder timer expires, the radio initiates a Man Down Emergency Alarm or an Emergency Call. At this point, it is the responsibility of the radio/BBPTT device user’s colleagues to check on their welfare.

Here’s how the movement alarms work:

• Tilt Alarm – When your radio is tilted at or beyond a specified angle for a period of time, it plays an Alert Tone (if programmed). To prevent the radio from automatically starting an Emergency Call or Emergency Alert, restore the radio to the vertical position immediately.
• Anti-Movement Alarm – When your radio is motionless for a period of time, it plays an Alert Tone (if programmed). To prevent the radio from automatically starting an Emergency Call or Emergency Alert, move the radio immediately.
• Movement Alarm – When your radio is in motion for a period of time, it plays an Alert Tone (if programmed). To prevent the radio from automatically starting an Emergency Call or Emergency Alert, stop the radio’s motion immediately.

Emergency Alarms with voice to follow
This feature allows you to send an ‘Emergency Alarm with voice’ when in a man down status to a group of hand portable radios, or BBPTT devices. Your radio microphone is automatically activated, allowing you to communicate with the group of radios without pressing the PTT button. This activated microphone state is also known as a ‘hot mic’. It will start transmitting when it detects a loud enough voice (if able), and stop transmitting when you stop talking. This is a useful feature in emergency situations when you need to communicate with a group of people quickly.