Binnies UK and Techfinity have won the Health and Safety Initiative of the Year award at the Water Industry Awards with the HomeSafe app, an innovative tool that is the only lone-working solution to use artificial intelligence (AI).
We at Binnies, along with our partners, attended the award ceremony on 29 June in Birmingham, where our safety solution for lone working was recognised on winning this prestigious award.
Binnies UK Environment, Safety, Health and Security Manager Ruth Powell said, “Techfinity’s HomeSafe app provides a sure way for checking that our people are safe and secure when they are away from their office/home base. This significant recognition from the Water Industry Awards is testament to how we continually find new ways to enhance our approach to health and safety.”
The HomeSafe app
We established a working group incorporating Techfinity partners and frequent travellers to pilot the new system – this helped to identify optimal configuration for our workforce and to shape our business processes. The HomeSafe app is installed on mobile phones – when our business travellers leave their base-location, they activate the system with a code. Binnies requires travellers to ‘check-in’ at least every 2.5 hours to confirm their safety.
HomeSafe automatically reminds travellers to check-in and raises an alarm if they do not respond in time. The web-portal provides a ‘command centre’, showing the status of travellers and any alarms. Travellers can trigger alarms manually from their phones or they can be triggered automatically in the event of no signal or battery power, keeping workers safe in the knowledge that responders will be alerted and will take action. Travellers deactivate the system once they have reached a place of safety.
HomeSafe is the only lone-working solution to use AI to significantly reduce the need for manual monitoring of staff safety while they are away from their base location. HomeSafe AI replaces the otherwise constant need for people to watch for alarms; instead, the AI provides a precise lookout for each individual and automatically notifies line managers and wider teams when an alarm is raised or if a check-in is missed.
We are proud of our adoption of HomeSafe. The tool is simple to use and provides ongoing assurance that Binnies cares for its staff. We are excited about the future potential of this initiative and technology as it evolves. We hope that our implementation can inspire other organisations to employ similar measures that will provide organisation-wide benefits and access to safety tools for all.