Municipality: City of Surrey, British Columbia
The Objective
The City of Surrey, located in British Columbia, is the 11th largest and one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, with a population of approximately 580,000. As a large municipality, Surrey has a diverse workforce that includes field workers, inspectors, maintenance staff, and other city employees who often work alone or in remote areas. Ensuring the safety of these employees is a top priority for the city.
The City of Surrey is committed to the legal and ethical responsibility of ensuring the safety of its workers, especially those who work alone or in remote locations. The diverse range of job functions across various departments, such as Parks and Recreation, Wastewater, Utilities, and Planning and Development necessitates a robust and flexible safety monitoring system.
The multiple locations and departments also use different devices to contact management, so this needed to be taken into account.
Their primary concerns included:
• Ensuring lone workers can check in regularly to confirm their safety or request help in an emergency.
• Providing a reliable and efficient monitoring system that works across different types of devices used by various departments.
• Meeting local and national occupational health and safety regulations.
By meeting these needs, the City of Surrey aimed to enhance worker safety, ensure compliance with safety regulations, and provide peace of mind for both employees and supervisors. Finding a system that could seamlessly work across a variety of devices was crucial.
Additionally, the system needed to offer flexible scheduling for check-ins to accommodate the different needs of each department throughout the day.
The Ok Alone Lone Worker Solution was selected as the best option to fulfil these requirements.
The Solution
The implementation process of Ok Alone in the City of Surrey involved several critical steps to ensure a smooth and effective rollout. Initially, a comprehensive needs assessment was conducted to identify the specific requirements of each department and evaluate the compatibility of Ok Alone with existing devices, including flip phones , smartphones, and landlines.
Following this, the city embarked on a vendor selection process, researching various lone worker safety solutions before selecting Ok Alone based on its features, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use.
The next step was a trial period, during which a free trial was conducted to test the functionality and ease of use of Ok Alone, gathering valuable feedback from employees and supervisors.
With positive trial results, the city proceeded with the system setup, integrating Ok Alone with existing communication systems and configuring automated check-ins and emergency protocols.
The Benefits
The successful implementation of Ok Alone brought significant benefits to the City of Surrey, ensuring enhanced safety and compliance across a wide range of departments.
The system’s GPS monitoring capabilities allowed supervisors to keep track of workers in real-time, ensuring immediate response in case of any emergencies or missed check-ins. With automated check-ins and alerts, workers could easily check in at regular intervals, providing a reliable way to report their status and receive prompt assistance if needed.
The user-friendly interface of Ok Alone made it simple for employees to check in via text message, smartphone app, or phone call, accommodating the diverse technical capabilities of different departments.
Furthermore, the customization options allowed the system to be tailored to meet specific departmental needs, providing flexibility in scheduling check-ins.
The City of Surrey also benefits from access to other Ok Alone features like Man/Worker down, High-Risk and Timed Activity which allow monitors to be alerted to situations when a worker cannot request help themselves.
The Results
The outcomes of implementing Ok Alone in the City of Surrey were substantial. The municipality saw a marked improvement in worker safety, with a reduction in safety incidents involving lone workers . Compliance with local and national worker safety regulations was achieved effortlessly, ensuring that the City of Surrey met all legal obligations.
Employee confidence increased significantly as staff felt safer knowing their status was monitored and any missed check-ins would be promptly addressed.
Additionally, access to data and reporting tools provided valuable insights into safety trends, enabling informed decision-making to further enhance worker safety measures.
Overall, the adoption of Ok Alone proved to be a highly effective solution for the City of Surrey, addressing the diverse needs of its departments and ensuring the safety and well-being of its lone workers.
Over the years, the Ok Alone system has been successfully rolled out across more than 30 departments in the City of Surrey, providing essential resources and ongoing support to ensure the continued safety and well-being of its lone workers.
This comprehensive implementation has significantly enhanced worker safety by accommodating various devices and offering flexible check-in scheduling.
The City of Surrey has found a reliable and effective solution to meet its diverse safety needs, setting a strong example for other municipalities and organizations. Those with similar requirements should consider implementing Ok Alone to ensure the safety and well-being of their lone workers.
