Blackline Utilizes Connected Safety Technologies to Improve Workplace Conditions
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Blackline Safety, a Canada-based maker of wearable safety technology with global reach through international distribution partners – including 12 across South Asia - will expand its portfolio this year to include new devices and applications. Founded in 2004, Blackline utilizes connected safety technologies to improve workplace conditions. For example, they equip workers with cloud-connected gas monitors and hazardous areas with location beacons that augment weak GPS signals. As the company proudly notes, the theory of safety states that all accidents are preventable a goal Blackline aims to reach through its technology. The company’s flagship products are the G7 personal detector, a wearable safety device available in several configurations including single or multi-gas detection, as well as lone worker monitoring; and the ground-breaking G7 EXO area gas monitor released last year, which is already seeing widespread adoption. The wearable G7 devices also feature fall detection and motion detection; are cloud connected; and support push-to-talk and 2-way voice communications. The devices can be monitored via Blackline’s safety operations centre, third-party monitoring or the client can self-monitor. In 2022, a new wearable product will be introduced, the G6 device, which is smaller device than the G7, supports detection of one gas, and is low-powered (designed to run off a single battery charge for at least a year). Neil Campbell, Director of International Sales, notes that Blackline Safety recently announced a $2-million investment in its manufacturing capabilities, allowing it to double its current hardware production. Campbell says the company is a completely vertically integrated business, with the ability to manufacture, assemble, test, and ship its equipment from its head office in Calgary, as well as develop software and firmware. When the global pandemic hit almost two years ago, the company reacted quickly to its customers’ needs, says Campbell, and launched a contact tracing application for its wearable products in April 2020. “Our customers tend to be very industrial. They’re the kind of industries that weren’t allowed to take time off during the pandemic. These are the people that clean the water and keep electricity moving,” he says. The safety market has changed in response to the pandemic, adds Campbell, but much of that has to do with shifting attitudes towards worker wellbeing. “It’s really opened up the eyes of leadership in most companies to go the extra mile to take care of their employees,” he says. The risks associated with being a lone worker have also received added attention, he says. Working alone may not pose any more of an apparent risk than those who work in groups, but the outcome may be more severe in the event of an accident when there are fewer people around to help. “We’re getting more interest [in lone worker solutions] now because it goes hand in hand with the philosophy of taking care of your employees,” says Campbell. Customers are also asking for the ability to integrate safety tools with other workplace applications and systems. A common request is the ability to integrate lone worker apps with GPS vehicle tracking for workers who are mobile. “We’re starting to see on the horizon the expectation rising that software should all talk to each other,” says Prashant Bhalekar, Regional Sales Manager for Blackline Safety in India. “We’ve been investing in that significantly in the last year to improve our ability to integrate into any wearable piece of technology or any other piece of software.” Blackline is proud to be exhibiting at OSH India West in Mumbai this coming November. To learn more, please contact: By Prashant Bhalekar, Regional Sales Manager – India, Blackline Safety |