Keeping lone workers safe

Cermaq Canada is using an innovative, Canadian-made system to keep its salmon farmers safe, even when working alone.

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On the heels of receiving multiple awards for exceptional safety records, Cermaq Canada has just announced the company will be deploying new, state-of-the-art safety technology at all of its locations around Vancouver Island.

The Blackline Safety Loner Bridge System is being installed to mitigate the risks to workers working alone in remote areas with no cellphone reception.

“We looked at several solutions that would let us instantly notify our workers about tsunamis and other potentially life-threatening situations, and allow them to quickly evacuate to a safe location,” says Dave Samson, Cermaq Canada’s occupational health and safety officer. “What impressed us most about the Blackline Safety solution was the ability to communicate with our employees who often work in areas with no cellular coverage. This is a serious concern, especially if they have to work alone. With this system, they can send and receive messages instantly, and check in with just the push of a button.”

A smartphone-sized lone worker monitoring device eliminates the need for radio check-ins when working alone at remote freshwater and seawater sites. The Blackline Safety monitoring system automatically detects injuries, health events and even physical assault. Safety alerts are communicated in real-time to monitoring personnel who manage the emergency response to the employee’s exact location.

Cermaq has tested the devices several times, in real-world situations, and they have worked flawlessly. Workers each carry a portable unit, which allows them to communicate with Blackline Safety in Calgary via satellite. Their in-house Safety Operations Center manages the emergency response process, escalating to Cermaq’s offices.

This system will be useful in several ways by allowing workers to send and receive messages instantly, but another key feature of the system is that the office is automatically notified if a worker is inactive for more than a few minutes - for employees working alone, this feature is a great improvement.

“Anything that makes it safer for our employees on the water is a good thing,” says Brock Thomson, Regional Production Manager and Special Projects Manager in Campbell River. “Although we try not to have people working alone, it sometimes happens—even if two employees are at the same site, but beyond each other’s vision and hearing. This will help keep them safe and give their families peace of mind.”

Cermaq’s IT department has been leading the drive to install the devices. “This system is about protecting people and potentially saving lives,” says Ian Brown, Cermaq Canada’s IT Manager. “It will keep people safe when they have to work alone and will also make work more efficient for them.”

The Blackline Safety lone worker monitoring system will be installed at all sea sites in late May and early June, and will be installed at all land-based facilities in the coming months.