Audible Alarm Systems And Their Types

There are two types of employee alarm devices: audio and visual. Audible devices permit the employee to hear any instructions during the emergency procedure, while visual alarms may indicate the people the route they need to follow to reach safety. Let’s examine each one of them:

With the audible alarm standard you will find horns, bells and announcement systems. In the case of horns, they usually are quite loud, approximately 100 decibels at a 100 feet distance. That is more than enough considering that a typical manufacturing operation sounds much less than that. On the other hand, announcement systems will be the ones that alert the employees of the situation and may give them some instructions during the evacuation.

Consider that an audible alarm with silence switch is required according to OSHA. So don’t forget to check the regulations.

Visual Alarms

You have strobe and flashing lights. Strobe lights emit a determined amount of flash lights in a determined period of time. Their advantage is that they will call the attention of any distracted worker. But be careful on their use. They may trigger epilepsy attacks on some persons. Check OSHA regulations about implementing this kind of business security alarm system.

On the other hand you have flashing lights, similar to the ones used by ambulances and police cars. Some organizations prefer to use them over strobe lights.

Maintenance and Testing Of Alarms

Maintenance of these systems can’t or shouldn’t be done by untrained people. The best way to assure yourself that you employee alarm system is working properly is contracting the services of a specialized company who can give their approval on the adequate functioning of your alarms.

Make a basic search in your favorite web page or check the yellow pages for companies that offer this service. Compare their prices and choose the one that fits you, professionally and economically.

Remember, it is economically wise to do it, not only because you will avoid possible fines from OSHA, but also reducing your insurance risk. At the end, it will save you money.

As you can see, it’s part of the law to use employee alarm systems at your organization. If you aren’t using them, beware; you may find yourself visited by OSHA and receiving a very high fine for your negligence. Do not expose yourself to that situation. Implement visual and audible alarm systems in your organization or assure yourself that the owner of the property does it. Employees are sentient beings and need to know that they are being taken care of. An appropriate business security alarm system will give them the sense of security that they need to work in peace.