Safety Apps Keep You and Your Family Safe

Safety apps allow users to share their locations with family and friends, allowing them to send a silent alarm to those within a designated circle of trust. They can also track driving habits to help keep safe behind the wheel.

First Aid, from the American Red Cross, puts life-saving information in your pocket with easy to digest tips and instructions.

Personal Safety

Whether you are walking to your car in the dark or alone on a trail, a safety app can help ensure that you and those who care about you have peace of mind. Personal safety apps allow you to share your location with trusted contacts so that they can track your journey, and some even have a button to call for help in case of an emergency. Some apps also have features like an alarm or a fake phone call that can scare off a potential attacker.

Some personal safety apps are free to download, but others have a subscription or require a specific device to use. Others may include in-app purchases or are ad-supported. While apps that promote behaviour change are often subject to rigorous scientific testing, research into the effectiveness of personal safety apps is limited. This raises concerns that vulnerable individuals may rely on apps that claim to prevent violence without proper evaluation or regulation.

An essential feature of any personal safety app is an easy-to-use emergency SOS button that sends an alert to a predefined list of trusted contacts, or directly to local law enforcement services. Personal safety apps also need to be able to track and share a user’s real-time location with those they trust, or local law enforcement in an emergency situation. This requires the use of a database, and popular options include PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB.

Workplace Safety

There are a wide range of workplace hazards that can contribute to accidents and injuries. Among these are physical hazards like tripping or falling, chemical hazards from hazardous waste and adverse weather conditions. While many of these are beyond a business’s control, the right apps can help employees avoid hazards and work safely.

For example, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health have developed an app called “OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool,” which uses your location to calculate a real-time heat index and provides hourly forecasts of risk level for outdoor workers. This app is available in English and Spanish.

Other useful apps are available for various types of workers. Ladder safety is an important concern for construction and maintenance workers, so the CDC has an app that guides ladder selection, inspection and use to prevent falls from heights. Other apps address common workplace concerns such as noise exposure, the dangers of distracted driving and hazard identification for specific occupations.

Some apps, such as the popular iAuditor, make it easy for employees to conduct audits, inspections and observations in the field using offline mobile functionality. Other apps allow workers to document and report incidents directly to managers, which promotes a culture of transparency and accountability.

Community Safety

Safety apps are a powerful tool for community members to play a vital role in helping law enforcement stay ahead of dangerous incidents. They allow the public to report information, such as a suspicious person or activity, that can help police respond quickly and effectively.

Some safety apps also provide real time incident updates and crime reports, allowing users to see the latest information on crimes that may be happening in their area. This type of information can be helpful to both local residents and visitors who want to keep up-to-date on the most recent crime activity in their city or town.

Many safety apps also include features such as a personal safety timer, which allows app users to set a timer for how long they will be out and then notify their emergency contacts when the timer is up. This can be a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones when you are in danger, such as walking home from a nightclub after dark.

Another feature of some safety apps is the ability to share your location with friends and family, which can be useful if you are concerned about someone following you or being followed by a stranger. For example, the Yale PD app has a feature called SafeWalk that lets friends and family “virtually walk” each other home by tracking their locations on a real-time map.

Emergency Response

The minutes between a threat or emergency event and the arrival of dispatched 911 responders can be the most critical for successful outcomes. Think Safe (Android, iOS) is a suite of apps that support the coordination and management of key resources used during these events. The apps allow for more accurate location information than calling 911 which relies on cell-tower triangulation to determine the user’s position.

Users can also download FEMA’s disaster app which includes a tool for building an emergency kit and tips on general preparedness. Red Cross apps such as First Aid (Android, iOS) provide step-by-step instructions on how to treat injuries including head injuries and broken bones. Man Down Devices The app can also be used to locate hospitals and has links for volunteering both time and blood.

Another useful emergency app is ICE Medical Standard (Android, iOS) which puts the user’s medical information and emergency contacts on their lock screen. It can be useful for those with allergies, pre-existing health conditions and other medical issues. The app can also be used to notify family members if they are in danger and is easy for even the most technology-averse person to use.