Frequently asked questions

CALIMA offers various options for alarm triggering - both manual and automatic. The alarm can be triggered in three different ways:
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Manual triggering
‍Ifthe employee is still able to trigger an alarm himself, he can do so via a button in the app, via a lockscreen widget on the lockscreen or a paired SOS hardware button.
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Motion alarm
‍Thealarm can also be triggered automatically. CALIMA analyzes the employee's movements via the smartphone's sensors. If CALIMA detects a fall or lack of movement, an alarm is automatically triggered.
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Time alarm
If the time alarm is activated, a set time can be selected in advance after which an alarm is automatically triggered. The employee has the option of manually extending or deactivating the time period before it expires. If the employee does not react, CALIMA automatically triggers an alarm after the time window has expired.

Regardless of the type of alarm triggering, the employee has time during a ten-second pre-alarm to manually deactivate the alarm before it is triggered.

As soon as an alarm has been triggered, the alarm signal is transmitted to the CALIMA server via the smartphone's Internet connection and from there sent to the previously defined emergency contacts. The alerting of the stored emergency contacts can be done by phone call, SMS and/or e-mail, as desired. The SMS and e-mail contain a link to a live app with all the information about the alarm (alarm type, employee and the employee's location).

CALIMA can detect falls and immobility of the smartphone via its sensors. It should be noted here that CALIMA detects a jerky movement as well as the standstill of the smartphone, but not the accident as such. In addition to this function, CALIMA can also automatically trigger an alarm through the time alarm if the employee does not report back after a set period of time.

CALIMA uses the positioning services of Android and iOS. The positioning is based on GPS and WLAN. If there is no stable connection to the satellite or a WLAN router, this can lead to inaccuracy. Bluetooth beacons can be used to improve positioning accuracy in buildings.

The battery consumption of the active app is low and does not have a significant impact on the overall battery state. Depending on the model, age and operating system of the smartphone, the additional battery consumption varies. The consumption is marginally increased by the activation of the motion alarm, and thus the active detection of falling and motionlessness.

CALIMA works worldwide. The prerequisite for this is a stable Internet and GPS connection. However, it should be noted that data roaming charges may apply outside the EU. Roaming within the EU is free of charge.

CALIMA requires an active internet connection. Only then can the alarm be transmitted to our server and from there to the emergency contacts.
If there is no internet connection, the time alarm, also known as check-in timer, can be activated alternatively. The time alarm is not only active on the smartphone, but is also stored on the server. It makes sense to activate this before entering places where there is no internet connection. If the time alarm is not deactivated again before the set time, an alarm is automatically triggered.

In a well-used emergency system, false alarms occur from time to time in practice. However, several measures are in place to avoid false alarms and the need for emergency responders.
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Pre-alarm
‍A pre-alarmis activatedbeforethe actual alarm. This informs the employee that an alarm has been activated by means of a push notification and a loud sound. During the pre-alarm, the employee has ten seconds to deactivate the triggered alarm again and prevent the alarm from being transmitted to the emergency contacts.
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Clarify alarm
Even if the employee does not succeed in deactivating the alarm during the pre-alarm, he can report the triggered alarm as clarified via the app and thus confirm his well-being. His emergency contacts then receive a notification that the alarm has been cleared.
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Calling the employee
We recommend that the first step in the emergency chain is to call the affected employee. If the call is not answered by the employee or an emergency situation is determined by the call, then the next steps in the emergency chain can be initiated.

A dashboard lets you view reports on installation (e.g., number, type of devices, and app version) and usage (e.g., number and type of alarms activated and triggered). Based on this information, you can derive measures and ensure effectiveness. In doing so, you should also point out to employees their duty to cooperate. According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act §15 , employees must follow instructions for the purpose of occupational health and safety and use personal protective equipment provided.

The employee must activate and set a suitable protection, i.e. the time or motion alarm, either at the beginning of his working time or a hazardous activity. The choice of protection depends on the activity and should be clearly defined based on the risk assessment. In addition to activating the appropriate protection, the employee must ensure that his smartphone battery is sufficiently charged and that there is an active Internet connection.

A fully functional smartphone with the iOS (at least version 13) or Android operating system (at least version 7.1.1) is required to use CALIMA.
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Here you will find an explanation of how to determine your iOS version:
‍https://support.apple.com/de-de/HT201685
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Here you will find an explanation of how to determine your Android version: https://support.google.com/android/answer/7680439?hl=de

CALIMA works in the background, which is why the app does not have to be permanently open. So in order for the app to be completely closed, the employee must not only exit it via the home button, but also actively swipe away. However, to ensure that this does not happen accidentally, the employee receives a push notification with the message "CALIMA has been closed. Protection is no longer active!".

The CALIMA Cloud stores all data exclusively within the European Union. Our infrastructure in Germany and France is based on a combination of servers from Hetzner Online GmbH and OVH GmbH. To ensure the security of your data, we rely on modern technologies and proven methods in the field of cloud computing. Customer data is stored logically separated from each other within our clusters. This structure enables efficient data management while maintaining a high level of data security and integrity.

Yes, the CALIMA Cloud servers are strategically located in different EU countries to ensure optimal data security and availability. All our sub-processors are certified in accordance with the strict data protection standards of the GDPR, which underlines our high standards of data protection and data security.

No. CALIMA was designed to protect the privacy of employees. The employer has no access to the employee's location data during daily use of the app. The location information is only shared with the stored emergency contacts and, if necessary, emergency services in the event of an alarm being triggered.

No, no information about the employee's movements is stored or transmitted during normal operation. CALIMA analyzes the movements of the smartphone to detect motionlessness or a fall. As soon as the smartphone's movement patterns indicate one of these cases, a pre-alarm is triggered. If the employee does not deactivate this pre-alarm during the countdown, the alarm with the employee's location is transmitted to the stored emergency contacts and saved.

CALIMA was developed in accordance with the requirements of DGUV Rule 112-139 and DIN VDE V 0825-1, but is not certified accordingly. It should be noted that PNAs are not personal protective equipment as defined by the directive and are therefore not subject to certification. If lone workers are exposed to a critical hazard and a PNA is used for protection, it does not necessarily have to be certified, but it must meet all the requirements of DIN VDE. If a PNA is used in the low and increased hazard range, it does not necessarily have to meet all requirements.

Using a web-based dashboard that can be accessed via a common web browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge and Firefox), the employees and emergency contacts to be protected can be set up and managed independently. Once an employee is added, they receive a link to download CALIMA from the official app stores and install it on their smartphone.

After successfully setting up CALIMA, each employee receives an SMS with a download link to the official app stores where CALIMA can be easily downloaded. For the installation, the employee has to verify himself via his phone number and release the permissions for location and push notification. To ensure that CALIMA is operational, a test alarm should be activated after the installation is complete, thus testing the alerting.

The following technical requirements must be met to set up and configure CALIMA.
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Configuration and setup
‍CALIMA isset up via a web-based dashboard, which can be accessed via a standard browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge or Firefox). All you need is a PC with internet access.
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Triggering an alarm
‍In orderfor CALIMA to be used by the employee to be protected, they must install CALIMA as an app on their smartphone. This requires a fully functional smartphone with iOS 13 (or newer) or Android 7.1.1 (or newer). In order for the alarms to be transmitted, the smartphone must be connected to the internet either via mobile data or Wi-Fi.
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Receiving an alarm
The emergency contacts are informed by phone call, text message or email. This means that they only need a cell phone with which they can answer a call or receive an SMS. A smartphone or PC with e-mail access is required for e-mail alerts. In general, no software or app needs to be installed on the devices used by the emergency contacts.

If CALIMA is installed on the employee's service smartphone, no additional data protection agreements need to be concluded with the employees. If employees' private smartphones are used, an agreement on the use of the private smartphone must be concluded over and above the existing employment contract.

Companies are generally obligated to provide all the necessary means for employees to work and therefore cannot force employees to install an app on their private smartphones.
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However, if no company smartphones are available and employees agree to use their private smartphones, they should not be denied protection by CALIMA. In this case, it is possible to reach a separate agreement with the employees regarding the use of the smartphone for business purposes.

CALIMA requires no installation or setup costs. Only the license fees, which are charged monthly per employee, have to be paid.

CALIMA can be tested for ten days free of charge and without obligation. No contract needs to be signed for this. If you would like to test CALIMA in your company, register for a free trial directly here on the website, contact us by phone at +49 30 39 772 772 or send us an e-mail at info@calima.io.