A well-designed emergency alarm system in factories, warehouses, yards and similar industrial spaces is critical for creating a safe environment, with incident/emergency response times kept to a minimum to ensure the least amount of damage to property and injury to workers.
We all know from past experience that no matter how many safety measures we have in place in our workplaces, there is still room for human error or risks out of our control or hard to totally eradicate. Every company aims to have a zero count incident or error report; hence, all safety response and evacuation procedures should be in place to reduce and minimise response time and risk.
Checkpoint Group has a wide range of solutions to reduce emergency response times and ensure onsite safety, with products encompassing:
- Fire Safety
- Home Protection
- Wireless Evacuation Systems
- First Aid & Defibrillators
- First Responder Trolleys
- SiteHUB Safety Stations
- Stove Shut Off Devices
- Bushfire Retardant
One of the most critical aspects of a safety plan, especially in an industrial factory, civil/ shipping/ construction yard, manufacturing plant or any area for that matter that has loud machinery or equipment, a large expanse of land, staff working alone away from other people or a high density of workers in one area, is making sure emergency response times are as lean as humanly possible. This is where emergency alarm system design is key and Checkpoint Group is here to help design the perfect emergency alarm system using our Cygnus wireless system.
The Cygnus wireless alarm system is a tried and tested system, unrivalled in its performance and reliability, raising the bar in the industry, and proving itself to be the most dependable and adaptable wireless safety system available. The system is completely wireless, working with a mesh network that uses each device in the system as a repeater, therefore, strengthening the signal and in turn, the capability of any set-up. When connected with the Cygnus control panel, any one system can link up to 480 individual call point units in up to 15 different zones and can be configured with any combination of units to suit specific site/yard needs. The system can be fully customised and programmed to suit almost any need or specification of our clients.
As we can see, the versatility of this emergency alert system allows its use in so many applications. Some of the most common products from the range include:
- CYG14 – Control Panel; with options for SMS Notification and/or a UHF Radio Voice Module
- CYG24F – Emergency Siren Alarm and Nurse Call Point (with Strobe Light and 110dB(A) Siren)
- CYG24 – Evacuation and Fire Call Point Alarm (with Strobe Light and 110dB(A) Siren)
- CYG5S4 – Evacuation and First Aid Alert Nurse Call Point Alarm (with Strobe Light and 110dB(A) Siren)
- CYG24-85 – Evacuation and Fire Call Point for Offices or Indoor Areas (with 85dB(A) Siren)
Since there are endless configurations available, the Cygnus system provides a simple and smart evacuation/ emergency response system that every factory needs. We also have an endless range of security camera systems and radio options that can be interfaced with the Cygnus system. Checkpoint introduced the first responder trolleys into their range a while ago to meet the demand of our clients when they asked for a lightweight, mobile solution to move the Cygnus call points around as well as attach accident response tools such as spill kits, first aid kits, fire extinguishers etc. The first responder trolleys have endless attachment options and are the ultimate addition to your evacuation/safety plan.
How effective is it to have a factory evacuation system designed specifically to suit the layout and needs of your site? Let’s look at a real life scenario: A worker in a manufacturing plant on a noisy machine 500 metres away from any other people gets his hand stuck in the machine. No one can hear him yell and no one is there to see the accident unfold. Here are the possible outcomes:
1. Without a wireless emergency first aid call point at the machine: The person could potentially be crushed or bleed to death or suffer permanent damage because of the extended amount of time it could take for someone to respond and get medical attention for the person.
2. With a wireless emergency first aid call point at the machine: As soon as the incident happens, the person can hit the emergency nurse call button, which will sound an alarm and report back to the control panel with the location of the incident. Furthermore, if the factory evacuation system is programmed to have SMS alerts sent to selected phone numbers, they will receive a text message that tells them the location of the incident and whether it is a fire/evacuation alert or first aid alert. Therefore, the person who is calling for help can notify others and medical attention can be administered in the shortest possible response time.
In conclusion, we can see that reducing response time between accidents (including fire, first aid emergencies, lockdowns, general worksite accidents etc.) is crucial and can be the difference between life and death; severe structural damage and minor damage; and utter chaos and confusion in the event of an evacuation or lockdown and a smooth quick-to-action orderly evacuation.
At Checkpoint, we have a combined wealth of knowledge and years in the construction, civil, mining, factory, safety, PPE, fire safety and risk assessment fields and we are always here to assist in the process of designing, quoting, ordering, programming, commissioning and installing the perfect wireless evacuation system to suit your needs.
