Lone Worker Protection with the eSENTINEL App

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July 27, 2020

Alarm Notifications with Minimal Effort 

To ensure the safety of lone workers at all times, companies depend on solutions that speed up emergency response times. To complement its portfolio of intrinsically safe mobile devices, the Pepperl+Fuchs brand ecom has developed the eSENTINEL app, an easy-to-use tool for improving employee safety. A key consideration during app development was providing users with basic safeguards for everyday use. This makes the eSENTINEL app the perfect tool for lone workers and for higher-risk applications—mobile workers only need the app and a smartphone or tablet. The affordable, easy-to-install solution is easy to integrate into the existing company infrastructure.

Reliable Alarm Function—Automatic or via Push Button

Smart-Ex 02 with integrated emergency button

In emergency situations, every second counts—the eSENTINEL app is user-friendly and efficient so that valuable time is not lost when sending a digital call for help. In ecom’s mobile devices such as the Smart-Ex 02 and Tab-Ex 02, for example, the app is linked to a red emergency button incorporated into the hardware, while third-party hardware provides a red emergency button on the display. This allows lone workers to send an alarm notification at the touch of a button when in danger, saving valuable time.

Smart-Ex 02 with integrated emergency button

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Some work assignments take place in environments where, for safety reasons, only a short stay is possible. If, for example, temperatures are too extreme or toxic gases are present, a longer stay can be life-threatening. In this case, the eSENTINEL app has a built-in timer function that notifies workers of the remaining time (“pre-alarm” notification) even before a real alarm is triggered.

In addition, the app processes a wealth of data that is detected by special sensors built into the hardware. If no movement is detected for a certain period of time, for example, the device triggers an automatic pre-alarm that the employee can deactivate. However, if the employee is unable to move and cannot trigger an alarm, the app automatically informs a predefined emergency center by email, SMS, or phone call. For this purpose, different emergency numbers can be stored hierarchically in the app—if a contact person cannot be reached, a telephone chain is activated. When an SMS alarm is triggered, an SMS is automatically sent to all stored contacts to ensure reliable alarm notifications at all times.

The eSENTINEL app is the perfect tool for lone workers and for higher-risk applications.

Automatic Start and Password Protection

To ensure the smooth operation of the eSENTINEL app and protection of the lone worker, the app can be configured to run automatically at system startup. Password protection prevents accidental contact deletion or settings reversal. If desired, the app can be preinstalled on a mobile device and preconfigured. For all other company-owned devices, the app can be licensed and implemented at a later date—for example, after a four-week free trial—using the online platform for digital products and services.

The eSENTINEL app is the perfect tool for lone workers and for higher-risk applications.

PepperlApp3Highlights of the eSENTINEL App

  • eSENTINEL App significantly improves lone worker protection
  • Automatic submission of alarm notifications in emergency situations
  • Timer function and use of special sensors to protect lone workers in the field
  • Password protection prevents predefined settings from being changed inadvertently
  • Licensing and installation on all corporate mobile devices using the online platform for digital products and services

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