When you work on a challenging jobsite where worker safety is the top priority, gas detection is critical. So critical, in fact, that it´s everyone’s job to make sure the day’s work gets done and that all go home safely at shift’s end.

It’s a big responsibility that can have more than its share of challenges. First, in your line of work, no two days at the office, on the jobsite, or in the field are ever truly alike. Second, workplace injuries can and do occur because traditional PPE doesn’t always help protect against human error. Third and finally, compliance becomes an issue without proper due diligence and worker accountability.

No wonder it’s problematic and demanding on your time. You must manage all these potential issues, while also maximizing productivity, minimizing incidents, and keeping things rolling smoothly along.

Fortunately, technology can help by enabling organizations like yours to get connected and stay protected.

So, if you’ve ever wondered how technology can make a profound difference in the way the workday starts and ends, please keep reading.

Connected Work: A Day in the Life

This is the story of Safety Manager Stephan and Industrial Worker Will, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at a day in their life. Here, you’ll see how the MSA Connected Work Platform driven by the ALTAIR io 4 Gas Detection Wearable helps to simplify safety, curb risk, and boost productivity.

Pre-Shift

It’s 6:45 am, and Safety Stephan awaits the arrival of Worker Will and the other shift workers. As they make their way over to the fleet of gas detectors to get ready for the start of the work shift, Stephan is feeling both confident and relaxed. That’s because he knows he has a fully connected gas detection fleet to help workers stay connected, safe, and productive.

The ALTAIR io 4 devices are rugged enough to withstand whatever the day throws at his workers. In addition, each device is assigned to a worker, helping to drive accountability and compliance.

With the MSA id Tag – an RFID tagging system – devices are assigned to workers without infrastructure, time-consuming manual processes, or clipboard sign ins. Plus, the device lockout feature ensures that no worker can use a non-compliant device.

Stephan does not have to oversee traditional check-in and check-out procedures or manage the fleet’s inventory.

Start of Shift

At 7:00 am, Will and his coworkers head over to the ALTAIR io Dock station to grab their ALTAIR io 4 Gas Detection Wearables. Thanks to the MSA id Tag, each device has already been assigned. This promotes accountability and compliance of use. It also ties all of the real-time and historical data to each individual worker.

Will and the others aren’t losing productive work time waiting around for a time-consuming check-in process. Instead, they’re starting their shift faster and with a lot less hassle. And because the MSA id Tag digitally assigns a device to each worker or contractor for the day, Will knows that the responsibility for his own safety and his device belongs him and no one else. That’s a win-win for safety compliance and accountability!

Before getting to work, Will and the rest of the crew perform a bump or calibration test using the automated io Dock test system. Because this testing station automatically selects and runs the appropriate test when needed, compliance is streamlined and potential human error is eliminated.

With the ALTAIR io 4 device, everything is automatically connected to MSA Grid cloud-based software. That means safety teams have full visibility into what matters. Plus, it means that workers, worksites, and workflows are integrated for a more productive day and more efficient safety management. For example, when an ALTAIR io 4 device has been bump tested or calibrated, it flashes a green LED light to indicate that the device is compliant and ready to go. The green LED light will turn yellow to indicate detector non-compliance.

Morning

Even while juggling the meetings and events of the day, Stephan stays logged into the MSA Grid so he can live-monitor the workers across his organization’s entire footprint. Thanks to being connected, Stephan can quickly and easily know what is going on, be made aware of any concerns, and stay informed so he can take appropriate action. Besides visibility through the MSA Grid software, Stephan can spot non-compliant devices from a distance while walking on-site, thanks to the safe LED functionality on every ALTAIR io 4 device.

Everyone’s been trained to know what the LED colors mean:

• Green means the device is compliant.
• Yellow means the device is non-compliant and needs attention.
• Red means the device is in alarm due to a gas hazard and the person or persons on-site should evacuate.

This functionality provides visibility for safety teams and co-workers on-site and safety managers off-site and helps to create a culture of safety.

Midday

It’s 12:00 pm, and the workers are still in the field when Stephan receives a man down alarm on the MSA Grid software. With full visibility and event live monitoring, he can manage the ongoing event from a distance and act fast when seconds count.

First, Stephan attempts to contact the worker to see if he or she is responding. Stephan gets no response from the worker, which means he must dispatch an emergency response team. Because the ALTAIR io 4 Gas Detection Wearable and Grid software give Stephan the exact information of the exposure and the worker’s location, he immediately evacuates other workers in the area and activates the rescue team. Good news: The worker returns to work unharmed.

Stephan then uses the MSA Grid to quickly document the incident and to take notes to improve his safety procedures. Doing so gives him peace of mind because he knows that every necessary detail for this event has been captured, the information can be accessed later if needed, and his safety program is stronger, thanks to the insights he received from the Grid.

Early Afternoon

It’s 2:30 pm, Will and the other workers continue to perform their tasks, and everyone stays protected with compliant and connected gas detection devices.

Meanwhile, Stephen has full visibility and location awareness of his fleet of detectors. He continues using the MSA Grid for full awareness of fleet compliance, reporting, io Dock test stand calibration monitoring, and more. In fact, with the Fleet Manager dashboard he can see any compliance issues, battery warning, test stand and calibration gas concerns, enabling him to be proactive towards fleet management. Again, he’s able to act quickly, recalling the worker and issuing another device to ensure that everyone stays safe and protected.

End of Shift

It’s 4 pm, the workday is over and the entire crew has returned safely. Will is able to quickly place his assigned ALTAIR io 4 device in the charger. This automatic check-out process returns the device to the fleet so there are no lost devices for Stephan to be concerned about and no interaction required of Will. De-assignment is automatically and securely completed.

The Best Part of the Day

Both Stephan and Will consider the ALTAIR io 4 Gas Detection Wearable and Grid software as greater step towards a culture of safety. For Stephan, the advanced technologies help increase worker accountability, streamline compliance, close the loop on his fleet management responsibilities, and, most importantly, ensure the safety of his crew.

For Will, the ALTAIR io 4 gives him the confidence to do his job safely, effectively, and efficiently.

For you, the ALTAIR io 4 could give you the real-time visibility you need for a world-class safety program – without the need for upfront capital expenditures. See it for yourself with this brief video demo.