Protect lone workers at waste water treatment sites

Suez's wastewater sampling technicians travel to sites across the UK

Suez Advanced Solutions UK is one of the entities forming the SUEZ Group specialising and leading the way in smart environmental solutions. SUEZ is a specialist in water network services, developing wastewater treatment solutions that are adapted to local conditions, meet health standards, and protect water resources and biodiversity. They also specialise in providing water utility clients with digital solutions such as those for monitoring the condition of their network systems and smart metering.

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Day-to-day hazards for lone workers

Wastewater sampling technicians at SUEZ are often tasked with travelling to wastewater treatment sites across the UK to obtain water samples. These sites are often unmanned, remote and carry a range of risks to the lone workers. The risks associated with this type of work can include working at heights, exposure to large bodies of open water or sludge pits, as well as slips, trips, and falls.

All staff at SUEZ are trained to work effectively and efficiently alone in remote locations but EcoOnline's lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, provides back-up ensuring that if an incident were to occur, someone is always aware of the lone worker’s location to send help should they not respond within their timed session.

The need for a better safety solution

Previously, SUEZ would use a peer-to-peer messaging system to communicate with their lone workers. This naturally came with issues such as delays, limited contact, and periods of low signal when vital contact or emergency services may have been needed. Another issue that SUEZ faced was the lack of visibility and awareness of a lone worker’s location and status, should they ever become unresponsive. These issues led to SUEZ needing a system that was more robust and reliable.

Not only has SUEZ found EcoOnline's lone worker solution, powered by StaySafe, much easier for their lone workers to use, but it is also easier for them to manage. SUEZ now manages their hub and escalation procedures in-house giving them complete control and visibility.

App leads the way for lone worker safety at SUEZ

SUEZ had trialled another lone worker safety solution before choosing and switching to EcoOnline's lone worker solution, powered by StaySafe. SUEZ found this solution came with its own range of issues due to an additional device that the workers needed to carry with them. These devices would occasionally become lost or damaged and SUEZ found that this way of working was outdated.

With the way that most people now go about their day-to-day lives, using an app on a mobile device has proven to be a more effective and simpler way for SUEZ to help protect their lone workers. Habitual and protective behaviour towards mobile phones means that the chance of people losing or breaking them is low, and this results in the app being significantly more accessible and reliable.

Lidia Aleksinska, QHSE Leader at SUEZ Smart & Environmental Solutions comments, “We have found people’s day-to-day behaviour is very strongly linked to their mobile phones so moving the provision of lone working monitoring from a dongle device to a mobile phone has been very effective”.

Areas of low signal have often proven to be an issue in the past for SUEZ due to the locations where the water treatment plants are located. EcoOnline's lone worker solution, powered by StaySafe, has proven to be highly beneficial for SUEZ by adding an extra layer of protection for their lone workers with its low-signal mode.

“The mental awareness of having the app for our lone workers has given them a real sense of comfort and reassurance knowing that the app is active whilst they are working alone. Our workers are using the app in the correct manner and activate sessions throughout their day.” adds Lidia

Onboarding of StaySafe app now an important part of staff training

Staff safety and well-being at SUEZ have always been a vital aspect of the company’s lone working procedures. Staff at SUEZ are now onboarded with the app as part of their induction training generally takes around half an hour to get them up and running and their response towards the app has been positive.

Managers now can also check via the cloud-based hub that the app is being used correctly and this now feeds in as part of the staff’s performance reviews.

EcoOnline's lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, provided comprehensive training which is completed prior to the use of the app to ensure that the roll out of the solution was smooth, and all users understood how to use it. The support provided by EcoOnline's lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, includes tailored training packages, in-app training, and on-going support from EcoOnline's Customer Support team.

EcoOnline's lone worker solution, powered by StaySafe

EcoOnline's lone worker app, powered by StaySafe, is linked to a secure cloud-based hub that provides businesses with real-time updates on the safety status of their lone workers. In an emergency, employers can accurately locate their staff on a map and send immediate assistance to them.

The hub is customisable and allows employers to create tailored reporting lines and escalation procedures to ensure lone workers get the help they need in an emergency.

SUEZ can now easily see who is actively using the app along with their location to ensure that help is sent quickly in an emergency. They can also manage users on the cloud-based hub, view emergency procedures, and access usage reports.

Take charge of lone worker safety with EcoOnline

Our lone worker software solution and app (powered by StaySafe) allows employers to safe guard their employees who work alone.

If you are looking for a solution that:

• Is easy-to-use and roll out to your organization
• Enables staff to check in wherever they are in the field
• Lets you quickly locate employees in an emergency

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