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The term dead man's detector, also known as a motion detector, refers to portable security devices that are designed to detect emergencies and automatically trigger a personal alarm to enable faster detection.
This is an electronic device that uses visual and/or acoustic signals to indicate when its wearer remains motionless.
The most important facts in brief
✓ A dead man's detector is a portable safety device that automatically triggers an alarm in the event of immobility or other emergencies to enable rapid assistance.
✓ There are different types of dead man alarms: classic personal emergency signal devices, smartphones with dead man functions and smartwatches.
✓ Dead man's alarms are particularly important in hazardous working environments and for the protection of lone workers and are often required by law.
Types of dead man detectors
There are different types of dead man's alarms that are used in different working environments and industries:
1. classic personal emergency signal device
In addition to a large emergency call button, these rather simple devices typically also have at least one trigger that is independent of the user's will. Communication with the operations center usually takes place via a special local radio network. Due to the relatively high purchase costs, these are only common in workplaces with a high probability of emergencies.
The advantage of the compact devices is their stable and robust design, which is why they are mainly used in special working conditions such as in the fire department. In other workplaces, however, carrying an additional device can be impractical.
2. smartphone as a dead man's detector
Commercially available smartphones can now also be equipped with a dead man's function. The big advantage is that these devices are already available in many companies and the necessary hardware is therefore already in the hands of the employees.
The integrated wireless connection can be used for communication via WLAN, 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G. Localization in the event of an alarm is also possible without any problems thanks to the built-in satellite positioning. The only requirement is that the necessary sensors are integrated - but this is the case with almost all modern smartphones.
Smartphone-based emergency systems are therefore suitable for quickly summoning help in an emergency and transmitting the exact location of the employee using various Features localization tools, such as indoor positioning.
For potentially explosive areas(Ex zones), there are special smartphones that are also equipped with Ex protection. One example of a suitable device is the I.SAFE(https://www.isafe-mobile.com/de/produkte).
CALIMA can also be used as a digital dead man's alarm and is compatible with hundreds of different iOS and Android smartphone models.
3. smartwatch as a dead man's alert
In recent years, smartwatches have become an exciting new platform for personal safety technologies, especially in their function as dead-man detectors. Smartwatches such as the Apple Watch are particularly effective for this, as they can continuously check the user's health and movement data. By integrating sensors and algorithms, they are able to detect accidents or medical emergencies and automatically call for help.
Many models have a location function via GPS, which enables precise location determination in an emergency. They are also discreet and user-friendly, which increases user acceptance.
The CALIMA dead man's alarm for the Apple Watch offers an SOS button, automatic alarms in the event of a fall or immobility, as well as simple acknowledgement of pre-alarms by hand movement.
Functionality
The dead man's detector is similar in function to a motion detector. After a predefined period of time without movement, the device triggers a pre-alarm, which can be deactivated by renewed movement.
If there is no movement, the main alarm on the device is usually triggered after 15 seconds and the emergency call center is alerted.
However, the device not only reacts to standstill, but also to movements that could pose a danger. This includes attacks and falls.
With the help of GPS positioning or beacons, the exact position of the person concerned can be forwarded to a control center and make it easier to find employees in need of help or in distress.
Emergency signaling devices often have an additional manual triggering function, and some also have other features, e.g. reset options for the main alarm and temperature monitoring. The signal can only be deactivated on the device itself.
In contrast to the dead man's device, the dead man's detector is not installed in devices or machines and does not have to be permanently activated to check the activity of employees.
Alarm types of dead man detectors
A dead man's detector with voluntary alarms includes various alarm types as part of the accident detection, for example position, fall or rest alarm.
This enables the device to react to various physical conditions and movements in order to automatically trigger an alarm in the event of an accident or medical emergency and provide rapid assistance.
The device's sensors are used to detect immobility, the horizontal body position or extreme acceleration.
Situation alarm
The position alarm monitors the position of the wearer. If the person is no longer able to act after an accident and remains in a horizontal position for a certain period of time, the system automatically triggers an alarm.
Silence alarm
In addition to the position alarm, a silence alarm can also be integrated into the dead man's switch. This activates the alarm as a result of motionlessness over a certain period of time.
Time alarm
A time alarm that is triggered after a predefined time can also be useful for certain activities.
Areas of application for dead man detectors
Fire fighting technology
The use of a dead man's detector is mainly common in the breathing apparatus equipment of the fire department and serves to speed up the discovery of casualties and thus save lives.
However, due to its high purchase costs, the dead man's detector is often only found in professional fire departments and is not part of the standard protective equipment of firefighters.
Chemical industry
The safety of employees is also of paramount importance in other hazardous working environments such as the chemical industry.
The use of dead man's detectors is particularly important in potentially explosive areas (hazardous areas), as normal electronic devices pose a high risk here.
Construction industry
The use of dead man's switches on construction sites is crucial, as construction sites are considered to be working environments with life-threatening risks.
The multitude of potential hazards, such as falling heavy objects, collapsing structures, the use of dangerous machinery and construction vehicles, make the workplace on construction sites particularly risky.
Dead man's alarms are particularly important for individual workstations or situations in which workers do not have a free hand to trigger an alarm independently in the event of an emergency.
These devices are attached to a belt, for example, and react to inclinations or specific movements.
Is the use of dead man's alarms mandatory by law?
Yes, in many cases dead man's alarms are required by law, especially in dangerous lone worker workplaces. According to §5 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers are obliged to take the necessary measures to protect employees from injuries in the workplace.
This also includes carrying out risk assessments for lone worker workstations and providing appropriate personal protection measures such as personal emergency signal systems (PNA ), which can also include dead man's alarms.
Dead man's alarms are part of the safety equipment and are considered a type of personal alarm system (PNA). They monitor the activity or inactivity of a person in hazardous workplaces and can automatically trigger an alarm if no movement or specific reaction of the wearer is detected.
The obligation to use dead man's alarms may depend on national occupational health and safety regulations or on the regulations of employers' liability insurance associations and insurance companies.
Overall, the use of dead man's alarms is part of the legal requirements for protecting employees from hazards in dangerous workplaces and serves to respond quickly and appropriately to potential risks in an emergency in order to ensure the safety of employees and save lives.
Why are dead man's alarms useful for lone worker protection?
In particular, lone workers who work permanently or temporarily out of earshot and sight of colleagues must be protected in a special way at work, as they work in potentially high-risk environments without immediate support.
Dead man's alarms are very important in this context, as they are specially designed to detect potentially dangerous situations when the person working alone is no longer able to act.
Automatic alerting in the event of immobility or accidents is crucial here, as the employee may not be able to make an emergency call themselves, whether due to an accident, sudden unconsciousness or a threatening situation.
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They offer a high level of safety and protection for lone workers by transmitting the employee's location to a reception center, thus shortening the response time in emergencies.
Conclusion: Rapid alerting in emergency situations
Dead man's alarms are critical safety devices used in work environments to detect emergencies and trigger immediate alarms in the event of immobility or falls.
From simple compact devices to modern smartwatches, they offer various Features features such as position and silence alarms, which aim to identify accidents and summon help quickly, and are used in hazardous working environments such as the fire department, the chemical industry and construction sites, where the risk of lone workers is increased. Thanks to their automatic alarm function and their ability to quickly detect emergencies, dead man's alarms make a significant contribution to minimizing the risk of accidents for lone workers and saving lives.
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