Mobilarm Crewsafe is a wireless sensor network for marine employees which continuously monitors the location of personnel and generates an immediate alert in the event of an emergency such as man overboard. The network automatically detects if a worker goes overboard, moves out of range or manually activates a duress signal, initiating a system-wide alarm to alert all personnel within seconds of an incident occurring.
Utilising the latest in wireless technology and based on fail-safe principles, Crewsafe ensures marine employees are safeguarded against the risk of falling overboard undetected at any time.
Mobilarm - Always on Watch
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How it Works
A series of wireless internal and external routers create a monitoring and reporting network on board a vessel or throughout a marine facility, such as a loading jetty or wharf. The number of routers needed and their location depends on the size, layout and construction of the vessel or facility; all routers require mains power to operate but connect wirelessly to each other and the network.
Each employee carries a small transceiver - a Crewsafe Tag - clipped to a belt or carried in a pocket, which transmits a unique radio signal to the network via the Crewsafe routers. The network immediately detects if the Tag disconnects from the network will automatically raise the alarm if it does not reconnect within a few seconds (to prevent false alarms from a rogue wave over the deck, for example). Radio signals cannot transmit through water, so in a man overboard event, the Tag disconnects from the netwrok which causes Crewsafe to automatically raise the alarm.
The Tag also features a duress button that can be manually activated to raise the alarm and call for help.
The protection provided by the technology is based on a "fail-safe" principle, meaning that whatever the reason for the Tag disconnecting from the Crewsafe network, the system raises the alarm. If the Tag is damaged, if its battery dies or the worker moves out of range of the network, Crewsafe raises the alarm to ensure all employees are immediately aware of an emergency, an operational fault with the system or that they have moved into an un-networked zone.
When installed on vessels, the Crewsafe network can interface with existing navigation systems and GPS. In a man overboard (MOB) emergency, Crewsafe automatically logs a waypoint on the vessel's chart plotter to mark when and where where the incident occurred and provides the essential track back navigation data to that position. The system can report and track multiple events, but will always prioritise the more serious risk of man overboard over other emergencies.
Crewsafe is a scalable system, capable of covering small and large commercial marine vessels as well as many types of marine facility.
The Crewsafe system automatically detects and reports on;
Man overboard events (falling undetected in water)
Duress alarms (crew member/employee in difficulty)
General and manual alarms (vessel or facility emergency)
In-water tracking (consideration of currents, tides and wind)
Individual paging (paging single crew member)*
Group paging (for muster, emergency or evacuation)*
* Function will require a firmware and software upgrade, available early 2009.
Managing the Crewsafe network
Mobilarm Crewsafe is best managed using the Windows®-based Crewsafe Management System (CMS), usually located on the bridge or in the main operations room. It is a multi-function software application that runs on the dedicated Mobilarm touch-screen tablet and allows the user to control all aspects of the Crewsafe® network from a single point of command. (Smaller vessels may choose to use the stand-alone Crewsafe Display Console, which provides simplified Tag monitoring and alarm notification only.)
As well as automatically initiating the alarms and alerts to the crew in a vessel or personnel emergency, CMS also enables the user to take a 360o view of the network in operation, including; -
Visibility of which crew members are at work and where they are located
Paging of individuals or groups of workers*
Monitoring of the network's health and performance
Access to database information, such as emergency equipment, rescue assets, emergency procedures, First Aid assistance and personnel files
Management of all network components
Note, the design of the Crewsafe Management System software enables considerable flexibility and customisation based on the specific needs of the vessel or facility.
Crew management
Personnel files can be stored and accessed through the CMS, providing general information about an employee such as qualifications, certification and training completed, as well as the essential information needed in the event of an emergency, such as medical conditions and next of kin.
Asset management
The CMS allows the user to keep an accurate record of the safety equipment in use. Once the initial data is entered, the CMS will raise automatic reminders of test and expiry dates and advise where certain equipment is stored or located.
System management
All aspects of the physical setup of the Crewsafe® network including adding and removing people/Tags, adding or removing network components, monitoring and reporting on the physical network performance and health can be carried out through the CMS.
Alarm management
The CMS is the main control panel for all alarms and alerts initiated by the network, including mute and cancel alarm functions. It also provides access to and reports on GPS location, track back and recovery data in a man overboard event. Network-wide general or covert alarms can be initiated from the CMS and individual crew members or groups can be paged. All events are logged for ongoing training, diagnostics and evaluation.
For more information on how Mobilarm can improve the safety of your work environment and employees, contact Mobilarm directly - email crewsafe@mobilarm.com or call +61 8 9315 3511
