Implementing a comprehensive duress alarm system requires careful planning and consideration of various factors, including staff needs, risk assessment, monitoring processes, compliance requirements, operational procedures, and stakeholder approvals. By following this detailed checklist, organizations can ensure they select and deploy the most appropriate duress alarm solution for their specific needs.
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Here is the checklist:
| Category | Checklist Item | Completed |
|---|---|---|
| General | Determine the number of staff requiring duress alarms and assess risk levels | |
| Identify the types of areas where alarms will be used (mobile or static) and the time of day/night | ||
| Assess likely risks (attacks, falls, injuries, crashes) and connectivity requirements (cellular, satellite, offline alerts) | ||
| Evaluate existing systems and determine if upgrades or additions are needed | ||
| Consider key features needed (silent mode, fall detection, geo-fencing, check-in/check-out) and if multiple device types are required | ||
| Monitoring | Decide between 24/7 call center, internal self-monitoring, or tiered monitoring | |
| Determine if the call center needs to support international alarms | ||
| Establish who will respond to and escalate alerts, and what training and procedures are required | ||
| Define which types of alarms go to the call center and which are handled internally | ||
| For self-monitoring, establish procedures for unanswered calls and escalation processes | ||
| Compliance | Ensure compliance with local, national, and international regulations | |
| Review and update lone worker policies as needed | ||
| Adhere to IT standards, systems, and privacy regulations/policies | ||
| Demonstrate maximum “duty of care” in handling incidents | ||
| Maintain incident and audit reports | ||
| Operations | Determine training requirements for staff and responders, and if the vendor will provide training | |
| Update or create new procedures for the solution, with vendor assistance if needed | ||
| Identify any internal or external systems requiring integration and confirm vendor support | ||
| Plan deployment and updates for the workforce | ||
| Establish service level support from the vendor for system downtime or faults | ||
| Stakeholders | Consult staff and unions for buy-in and approval | |
| Obtain feedback and approval from WHS and/or quality departments | ||
| Ensure IT and/or product team thoroughly tests the solution for fit-for-purpose | ||
| Secure legal sign-off on purchase agreement, costs, and budget approval | ||
| Obtain executive team and Board of Directors sign-off on the business case |