TasWater is continuing to put the safety of its staff at the forefront, by rolling out the Garmin InReach Explorer+ for staff travelling to remote areas.
The StaySafe app was launched in 2018, and was introduced to help monitor the safety of TasWater’s remote and lone workers.
TasWater Operations Control Centre Operator, Simon Harris, said the next phase of the StaySafe program is to ensure all workers are always safe and accounted for.
“The Garmin InReach Explorer+ devices will be given to employees in remote areas, enabling
TasWater to have the ability to track staff at any time,” Mr Harris said.
“It allows users to go out and be confident someone is keeping an eye on them with accurate GPS tracking.
“Like the StaySafe mobile app, staff can log how long they are expected to be away at a job and if they go outside that planned time a warning will be issued.”
The new devices use Iridium satellite technology, which enables contact in areas outside of normal mobile signal coverage.
The information will go through the StaySafe Hub which can be accessed at any time. Users can also issue an emergency panic alert if they require assistance, and the device offers two-way communication via text messaging. The Garmin InReach Explorer+ is already well into the trial stage.
Over the next three months, 15 devices will be rolled out, providing an additional safety measure to high-risk TasWater employees, with ten more on the way
