Suez Advanced Solutions UK is one of the entities forming the SUEZ Group that specialises and is leading the way in smart & environmental solutions. SUEZ is a specialist in water network services, developing wastewater treatment solutions that are adapted to local conditions, meet health standards, and protect water resources and biodiversity. They also specialise in providing water utility clients with digital solutions such as those for monitoring the condition of their network systems and the smart metering.
Wastewater sampling technicians at SUEZ are often tasked with travelling to wastewater treatment sites across the UK to obtain water samples. These sites are often unmanned, remote and carry a range of risks to the lone workers. The risks associated with this type of work can include working at heights, exposure to large bodies of open water or sludge pits, as well as slips, trips, and falls.
Previously, SUEZ would use a peer-to-peer messaging system to communicate with their lone workers. This naturally came with issues such as delays, limited contact, and periods of low signal when vital contact or emergency services may have been needed.
Another issue that SUEZ faced was the lack of visibility and awareness of a lone worker’s location and status, should they ever become unresponsive. These issues led to SUEZ needing a system that was more robust and reliable.
Not only has SUEZ found the StaySafe solution much easier for their lone workers to use, but it is also easier for them to manage. SUEZ now manages their hub and escalation procedures in-house giving them complete control and visibility.
SUEZ had previously trialled another lone worker safety solution before choosing and switching to StaySafe. SUEZ found this solution came with its own range of issues due to an additional device that the workers needed to carry with them. These devices would occasionally become lost or damaged and SUEZ found that this way of working was outdated.
With the way that most people now go about their day-to-day lives, using an app on a mobile device has proven to be a more effective and simpler way for SUEZ to help protect their lone workers. Habitual and protective behaviour towards mobile phones means that the chance of people losing or breaking them is low, and this results in the app being significantly more accessible and reliable.
Lidia Aleksinska, QHSE Leader at SUEZ Smart & Environmental Solutions comments, “We have found people’s day-to-day behaviour is very strongly linked to their mobile phones so moving the provision of lone working monitoring from a dongle device to a mobile phone has been very effective”.
