Stay connected with onsite teams    

The R-Link worker messaging functionality enables duty holders or safety managers to schedule messages and alerts in advance. Messages can be quickly created and scheduled in Reactec Analytics for delivery to certain workers, at certain times, on certain worksites, depending on what information needs to be conveyed. Importantly, messages and alerts can also be saved for future use.

This highly customisable functionality enables managers and others to confirm when worker have received a message, and data about scheduled and sent messages, including acknowledgment of receipt by workers, is stored in Reactec Analytics, along with R-Link exposure data from vibration, dangerous proximity, noise, and dust.

In this edition of our popular “Day in the Life” series, we follow a team ¹ through a full working day as they operate on-site, on a large manufacturing floor. On this particular site, mobile phones are prohibited due to the potentially dangerous nature of the work, and to avoid distraction.

In the timeline below, we’ll demonstrate how the R-Link messaging functionality helps keep this crew connected and informed despite the challenging, dynamic nature of their hands-on working environment.

A day in the life of a crew using the R-Link messaging functionality

Morning:

The crew arrives on-site. As they make their way towards the manufacturing floor, the R-Link watches that each of them are wearing deliver a haptic alert to inform the crew of a new message. The message, which asks the workers to ensure that they are wearing the correct hearing protection, was scheduled the day before by their supervisor, who works at their headquarters nearly 150 miles away. 

The workers are receiving this reminder because the manufacturing floor where they’ll be working can be louder than their usual worksites. As each worker receives the reminder, they check their hearing protection and acknowledge the safety message by pressing a single button. Receipt of their acknowledgment is then stored in Reactec Analytics.

Midday:

After working for several hours, one crew member receives a new work order notification to the R-Link device. They’ve been assigned a task: to inspect certain equipment on the manufacturing floor. They quickly ‘confirm’ the assignment by pressing a single button, and their acknowledgment is stored in Reactec Analytics. At the time the worker received the alert, they were wearing their hearing protection, but were able to sense the haptic alert straight away, and so the message was delivered without distraction or delay. Following inspection of the equipment, the worker determines that a replacement part is required, and informs their shift supervisor.

Afternoon:
Later that day, a supervisor is informed that a machine has broken down and will be out of commission for the next several days. They log into their Reactec Analytics and schedule a message to let the next crew know that the machine is out of order. They also schedule a more immediate message which will be delivered in 15 minutes to the crew currently working: they’ll be informed that the machine is off-limits, and they’ll have the opportunity to stop any tasks-in-progress which may require that machine down the line.

Evening:
As their shift comes to an end, one of the crew receives a message which says “Shift is finishing in 10 mins. Prepare handover.” The worker acknowledges receipt of the message and makes sure to include the information about the replacement part and broken machine in their handover.

Worker messaging that supports safety, and drives better workplace insight

Manufacturing floors, construction sites, remote or lone working areas: all of these environments can make it difficult to communicate with workers. But the ability to share important information such as weather alerts, hydration reminders, PPE checks, equipment faults, and more, is vital for teams who operate in these areas.

With the R-Link messaging functionality, teams can overcome the challenges associated with exchanging information in these challenging environments. Not only does this capability make it possible for duty holders and safety managers to communicate with their teams wherever they’re working, it ensures that the messages they’re sending are actually received, actioned, and recorded. This virtual paper trail provides incredibly valuable insight into worker behaviour, and it can be overlaid with other exposure data from R-Link, including vibration, noise, dust, or dangerous proximity, to provide teams with an even more complete picture of their occupational risk landscape.

This functionality was designed to enable better, faster communication for crews operating on any worksite, but in environments where phone use is prohibited or difficult, or in remote working locations, worker messaging is especially beneficial. Ultimately, the ability to share information with your workers and teams shouldn’t suffer because of unusual or challenging working conditions.

To learn more about this completely free functionality, just use the form at the bottom of our worker messaging webpage to get in touch a member of our expert team

^{1 This team is fictional, and our assessment of their exposure to risk is based on a fictional account of a typical working day. To produce this timeline, we relied on our extensive real-life interactions with construction crews.}