What Are Duress Alarms And How Do They Work?

If your workforce includes employees that work remotely, visit the public, or frequently work unaccompanied in a people-facing role (such as a hospital, care home or detention centre), duress alarms could be a lifesaving security measure.

Designed specifically to protect workers who may be doing their jobs in a challenging environment, duress alarms are a valuable part of any set of health & safety interventions. Here we take a look at what a duress alarm is and how its design enables it to be a valuable aid.

We also describe how a duress alarm works and the various options available. 

A duress alarm is a device that's designed to protect an individual's personal safety, rather than property or possessions. A significant number of employees work in challenging environments where there is a risk to their safety.

For example, solo workers completing tasks that are potentially hazardous (such as those involving electricity or underground maintenance tasks) are at a high risk of accident, due to the nature of the work. Many workers are also at risk due to the people-facing nature of their job - employees completing community visits to vulnerable groups, for example, or those working with offenders, people with a mental illness or people with complex care needs.
 
If the worker discovers they're in a hazardous situation, using a phone to call for backup, or removing themselves from the situation, may not be an option. In these circumstances, a duress alarm is a great solution.

The duress alarm is located somewhere on the individual. In an emergency, a simple activation operation (typically pressing a button) will wirelessly send a message that the worker is in distress and requires assistance. This enables help to be dispatched in a timely manner.

The most basic type of alarm is activated by pressing a button. This sends a signal that the worker requires assistance. The team in receipt of the alert can then respond in the most appropriate manner for the circumstances.
 
In addition to duress alarms that require activation, some personal alarms can be set to trigger if the wearer doesn't log in by a specific time. This type of alarm is particularly useful for workers who go from house to house to conduct their duties. These alarms incorporate a location tracker.

This means that the surveillance team can see at a glance where the individual is - if they don't check in to let the team know that all is well and they're off to their next address (or whatever the agreed protocol is), an emergency response will be generated.
 
Most duress alarms are designed to allow communication between the worker and the surveillance/support team. In most cases, there is a facility for the support team to page the worker, even if no alert has been activated. This enables the support team to proactively check in with workers if they haven't heard from them for a while, or if they have any other concerns about their well-being.
 
Wearing a duress alarm makes a big difference to personal safety. Duress alarms also enhance worker well-being and enable workers in challenging posts to do their work, confident that backup is there if needed.

Whilst a duress alarm is not a substitute for other safety measures, including appropriate levels of staffing and risk assessment so that danger can be minimised, it is a cost-effective security measure that can be used alongside other risk-reduction strategies to improve staff safety.
 
ASEC Group provides duress alarms suitable for a wide range of workers. If necessary we will provide suitable training, so that wearers can use the device confidently.

Contact our team to find out more.