Every workplace needs to address workplace emergencies (National Safety Council). With the rise in workplace violence and other dangers, keeping employees safe is more important than ever. Whether it’s dealing with unexpected situations or addressing potential threats, having effective safety measures in place is essential for protecting your team and maintaining a secure work environment.
What is a Panic Button?
Panic buttons are a crucial piece of occupational safety technology known by various names: duress alarm, emergency signal, SOS alarm, personal alert, and more commonly, panic button. These devices notify designated emergency contacts or services to respond quickly to a situation.
How Do Panic Buttons Promote Safety in the Workplace?
Panic buttons are discreet devices that, when pressed, immediately alert emergency services or monitoring centers. They are designed for easy accessibility and can be strategically placed in critical locations such as under counters, inside freezers, or in back rooms. These buttons provide a direct line to help, bypassing the need to locate a phone, dial a number, or describe the situation to a dispatcher.
Why Use Panic Buttons in the Workplace?
Discreet Operation
The design of panic buttons allows them to be activated discreetly, preventing the escalation of dangerous situations. This is particularly important in scenarios where overt calls for help might provoke an aggressor and make matters worse.
Simple Form and Function
Designed for ease of use during emergencies, panic buttons simplify emergency protocols with a single button press that anyone can execute and remember under stress.
Versatile Panic Button Placement Options
Panic buttons can be placed in various locations within a workplace, ensuring they are always within reach. Their compact size and battery-operated design make them easy to install and maintain.
Panic Switches for Freezers and Coolers
Hardwired panic switches are installed in cold storage areas like freezers and coolers, ensuring reliable communication even in connectivity-challenged environments.
Immediate Panic Response
Panic buttons provide an instantaneous connection to emergency services, ensuring that help is on the way as soon as the button is pressed. This rapid response can be crucial in mitigating the impact of emergencies. Envysion offers two ways to handle panic events:
- Verified Monitoring: Upon activation, the monitoring service reviews live video feeds to verify threats. If confirmed, emergency services are immediately notified; if not, a designated call list is initiated to prevent false alarms.
- Dispatch Monitoring: Immediately contacts emergency services without verification, leveraging live video feeds to provide critical information.
Automated Alarm Video Clips
Choosing a panic button that integrates with your security cameras to automatically record and store video clips when triggered is crucial. This feature simplifies post-incident review and eliminates the need to sift through hours of footage.
Envysion’s Smart Site Protection™ automatically records and stores video footage for 90 days.
Continuous Monitoring and Offline Notifications with Panic Buttons
Panic buttons should be continuously monitored for battery life checks, connectivity, and online status every 6 hours.
Envysion’s Heartbeat system automatically checks these statuses and sends a signal every 6 hours. If any issues are detected, our Technical Support team is alerted to resolve them, ensuring your panic buttons are always ready for use.
Fully Integrated Panic System
Integrated with alarm systems and security cameras, Panic Buttons are part of a complete security system that provides real-time awareness of ongoing events. They connect to alarm systems and security cameras, allowing professional monitors and designated contacts to see live feeds of emergencies. This integration empowers responders with the information they need to act quickly.
Who Needs Workplace Panic Buttons?
Panic buttons are essential safety tools that can protect workers across various industries. These devices are invaluable for customer-facing jobs like restaurants, convenience stores, and retail stores. Other industries include security personnel, community healthcare workers, and hotel staff, who often face physical and verbal abuse, sexual harassment, and assault.
A troubling statistic from a workplace violence fact sheet from OSHA recorded that “About 2 million people in the United States experience workplace violence each year” (OSHA).
Further, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
Fatal Workplace Injuries: Out of over 5,000 fatal workplace injuries in the US in 2019, nearly 800 were due to assault by another person (BLS)
Workplace injuries and emergencies can happen anytime and in any location. Panic buttons in workplaces can give employees quick access to help, reducing risks and getting them to safety when critical situations happen.
Where Can Panic Buttons Be Placed?
Panic buttons are versatile safety devices that can be strategically placed in various locations for quick access to assistance during emergencies:
Inside Freezers: Positioned to aid employees who may become accidentally trapped, ensuring they can quickly summon help without relying on mobile phones or other communication devices
Office Areas: Installed in office spaces and backrooms to ensure employees have quick access to assistance during emergencies
Under Counters: Discreetly placed beneath counters in retail stores and restaurants, near cash handling areas, ensuring quick access during customer interactions
High-Risk Areas: Strategically positioned in areas prone to accidents or incidents, such as production floors or warehouses, to ensure prompt response to emergencies
Real World Emergency Situations with Panic Buttons
Convenience Store: Late-Night Incident
In the late hours of the evening, a convenience store manager notices an intoxicated individual behaving erratically. Concerned for their and others’ safety, the manager discreetly presses the panic button located under the cash register counter. This action immediately alerts a professional monitoring service, which assesses the situation through live video feeds and, upon determining a valid threat, dispatches police to the location. The police arrive quickly and handle the situation, securing the safety of both the clerk and the customers.
Retail Store: Robbery Attempt
Early one morning, an employee at a retail store noticed a suspicious person attempting to break into the store. The employee retreats to the back office, locks the door, and presses the panic button mounted under the desk. This triggers an immediate dispatch of police to the scene. Within minutes, the thief heard approaching sirens and attempted to flee, only to be apprehended by officers waiting outside for an arrest.
Restaurant: Violent Altercation
During a busy dinner rush, two customers in a restaurant begin to argue, and the situation quickly escalates into a physical fight. The cashier at the front counter presses the panic button hidden beneath the counter. This alerts the monitoring service, which reviews the live video feed and contacts emergency services. The police arrive promptly to de-escalate the situation.
In times of crisis, panic buttons are essential tools for immediate access to help during emergencies, such as robbery attempts or violent altercations. Integrated seamlessly into workplace safety protocols, Envysion’s Panic Buttons provide discreet activation, rapid response capabilities, and automated video documentation for efficient post-incident reviews. By using advanced technology and strategic placement, Envysion serves businesses by helping to improve their safety measures and safeguard their most valuable assets – their employees.
Explore how Envysion can protect your employees and locations with Panic Buttons.