In the last few decades, major improvements have been made when it comes to industrial safety rules and regulations to prevent as many accidents and mishaps as possible. And even though nowadays working in an industrial setting is safer than ever, there is still a chance of a hazard. And once a hazard happens, it can do damages in the millions, but more importantly, it can take away casualties.
Therefore, when an industrial hazard does happen, it’s important that everyone in the premises is informed in a timely and efficient manner, so they can get to safety as quickly as possible. This is usually done by installing industrial sirens and alarms that deliver warnings and prevent casualties. These devices are a major reason why working in hazardous environments is now safer, and almost every building, regardless whether it’s a construction site or an office building HAS to have them in one form or another.
Different industries have different type of threats, so there are multiple types of industrial sirens and alarms which are regulated by the safety standards of the particular industry. Sometimes, the threat is the heavy-duty equipment that’s on-site itself, while other times the threat is caused by high temperatures or leaks in the presence of highly flammable gases or liquid, or the presence of explosives. Whatever the case, a way to notify everyone nearby is essential to containing the hazard and reducing casualties.
Beacon sirens and alarms are devices that emit specific piercing sounds in the case of danger. They can be incorporated in the industrial alarm safety system and the newer, more sophisticated alarm systems can be regulated with software or control boxes. They can be attached to the central computer system of the building, and they automatically or manually turn on whenever there’s a possible threat to the workers and equipment.
As aforementioned, different industries equals different regulations and properties. For instance, some need to be tailored to output extremely high sound levels, if the industry they’re used in features high levels of sound itself. The sound emitted by the beacon or siren needs to be of a higher decibel level, so that it’s easily perceived by the workers.
Emergency sirens and beacons can be installed anywhere they’re needed. For instance, they can be installed on working equipment, in hallways, on the entrance and exit, the gate, etc. Again, there are specific rules that surround this issue, and you should check with the enforced rules and regulations on the matter according to the state you live in.
Lastly, the emergency sirens and beacons you opt to go for need to be of extremely high quality, so that you can rest assured on their reliability. They should be constructed in a way that makes them resistant to effects of the outside environment. In other words, they need to be vibration, impact and water proof. They should also be resistant to corrosive substances, dust, oil, seawater, etc. Frequent testing should be performed to ensure they’re in a proper working state.