Who Can Benefit From a Duress Alarm
Lone workers and those who work in high-risk situations can utilise a duress alarm to get help if they are under threat. These devices can be used by security guards, meter readers and even the elderly.
Duress alarms can be activated manually or automatically (common in a man down alert), silently or audibly. Most are connected to internal escalation systems like Tunstall’s MePACS which will contact a manager or emergency response service.
What is a Duress Alarm?
A Duress alarm is a personal panic button that can be activated to request help when someone is in danger. The device, usually the size of a pendant or watch is worn around the neck and can be pressed to alert the response centre to an emergency situation. The signal is sent through to the response centre and answered by trained professionals who can identify what type of help is needed through talking to or listening to the user and send it accordingly.
Lone workers, those working alone in remote areas, the elderly & medically at-risk individuals can all benefit from having a duress alarm. It can give them the confidence to go about their day knowing that if they ever feel threatened or at risk, they have access to immediate help.
The alarm will also send a GPS location of where the person is to a nominated carer or monitoring centre. This allows authorities & caring family members to track them down if they have been in danger, as well as provides evidence against perpetrators if an incident does occur.
Ring’s duress feature is only available with professional monitored service and can only be accessed with the duress code (which you can create or reset in the app). You can use the duress button to request help when Ring is Armed Home, Armed Away or Disarmed. You must press the duress button for more than 3 seconds to activate a signal, after which time you will not be able to cancel it or receive a notification.
How Does a Duress Alarm Work?
Duress alarms in their most simple form feature a button that can be pressed to alert responders on the other end. Depending on the type of situation and the system in use this may prompt a range of pre-determined actions that could include calling emergency services, contacting a manager, or sending a text message to a trusted contact.
They can be activated either manually by pressing the alarm, or automatically (common in a man down alert) when the wearer is not moving. They can also be activated when a specific event triggers the alarm such as if the user falls or if they’ve crashed their vehicle. Many systems can even be triggered by the presence of an intruder and will send a signal to headquarters immediately.
Lone workers, people who regularly visit clients at their home and those who work in high-risk situations can benefit from a personal duress alarm. If during a client visit a patient, family member or dog becomes aggressive the worker can press their duress alarm which will alert the appropriate team of staff to assist.
This will reduce the risk to the lone worker by enabling them to call for help without being seen or heard. In addition to this, it will give them peace of mind that they are protected whilst carrying out their duties.
Who Should Use a Duress Alarm?
Many types of people can benefit from using a duress alarm, especially those who work in isolated or dangerous environments. This includes healthcare workers like doctors and nurses, social workers, psychologists, pathologists, and elderly care and disability support workers who may find themselves in situations where they feel unsafe or at risk of harm. It also benefits people working in high-risk industries like security and lone worker protection, as well as people who work alone at stand-alone buildings or sites such as mining & factory environments, or truck or delivery drivers.
Most personal duress alarms have a discreet panic button that can be activated to alert people on the other end of the device that they are in danger and require immediate assistance. The panic button can be pressed either manually, automatically (common in man down duress alarms) or silently. The signal will then send an alert to a contact or monitoring centre who will dispatch help and monitor the situation until it has been resolved.
As a bare minimum, all organisations should ensure their employees are equipped with a personal duress alarm so they can summon help quickly and easily in a crisis. However, it’s crucial to examine the different options and features available in order to select a system that best fulfils your organisation’s safety policies and procedures, legal compliance, and operational management requirements.
What Should I Look for in a Duress Alarm?
There are a few things you should look for when choosing a duress alarm. First, choose a device that’s easy for you to access and hard for others to see or tamper with. You should also consider how the device will communicate with the monitoring centre and if it has any additional features to increase safety. These features could include a man down feature that alerts headquarters when a person is unconscious or incapacitated; two-way communication which allows people to check in with each other and headquarters; voice communications; waterproofing and intrinsically safe designs that align the devices with the environment they will operate in.
Lone workers who are working remotely or in isolated areas, like security guards or healthcare professionals, can benefit from having a personal duress alarm. This enables them to discreetly call for help should they feel threatened or unsafe, whether that’s when they are visiting a client at their home, or as they travel from site to site.
The best duress lone worker safety alarms have a panic button that’s discreet, and it can’t be tampered with or activated accidentally. It will have an indicator light to let you know it’s active and also a GPS function so that the monitoring team can locate you. The alarms are worn around the neck, wrist or belt and many have a key fob to allow for quick activation and ease of use when under threat.
