- Posted by: blignos
- Published: 17-07-2019
- Category: QR-Patrol tutorials
Man Down Functionality Explained
What's Man Down Functionality
One of the major concerns for any security guard company is ensuring the safety of guards and protecting them against dangerous situations or emergencies. Tracking and monitoring systems can help, but what happens if a guard is unable to send an alert or reach the managing staff through their smartphone?
This is where automation steps in. Whether a guard experiences a fall, slip, physical attack, or a sudden health emergency, automation ensures their safety and triggers an immediate response to the alert.
With QR-Patrol's Man Down functionality, Guards and Lone Workers are protected. The system alerts the Monitoring Center in any urgent situation—even if Guards lack the chance, capability, or time to manually send an “SOS” event.
Two Options for Man Down Functionality
To enhance flexibility and ensure comprehensive protection, the Man Down feature is now available through two options:
1. Using a Dedicated Man Down Sensor
Guards or Lone Workers can use a sensor clip to detect falls or immobilization.
The sensor should be placed as close to the neck as possible for optimal accuracy.
After placing the sensor, initial setup is required via the QR-Patrol mobile app settings (click here to see how).
2. Using a Mobile Device as a Man Down Sensor
Guards can use their smartphone itself as a sensor to detect falls or immobilization.
This eliminates the need for an additional device and leverages the phone’s built-in sensors, such as the accelerometer.
Activation is straightforward: enable the «ManDown» functionality in the QR-Patrol web app settings (Guards tab).
Both options allow the Monitoring Center to automatically receive alerts for urgent situations, providing flexibility based on resources and requirements
Man Down in Action
Once the Man Down functionality is enabled (via sensor or mobile device), the system operates seamlessly:
If a guard collapses or remains immobile, a Man Down event is automatically created and sent to the Monitoring Center.
No further action is required by the guard after setup—it’s fully automated!
Handling False Alarms
Sometimes, a false alarm might occur, such as during sudden movements of the guard.
In these cases, the guard can cancel the Man Down alert before it is sent by pressing the “Cancel” button on the pop-up window that appears in the QR-Patrol mobile app.
Why Choose Man Down Functionality?
The dual capability of using a dedicated sensor or a mobile device ensures that all Guards and Lone Workers are safeguarded in real time. Whether using the additional hardware or relying solely on the smartphone, QR-Patrol’s Man Down functionality guarantees:
Automated detection of emergencies.- Instant alerts to the Monitoring Center.
- Reduced manual effort for guards.
With this system, security companies can enhance their safety protocols and ensure swift responses in any situation.
How Man Down works?
The core of the Man Down functionality relies on the movement of the clip device. A clip is the easiest way to attach a Bluetooth sensor on a guard. The sensor will then track the guard’s movement in real-time and will interact with the smartphone by sending the appropriate metrics to assure when the user has fallen down to the ground.
ManDown: A technical approach
The Man Down functionality will be triggered when the guard is suddenly having higher velocity without getting acceleration by any other force than gravity. When a Man Down occurs, the sensor will “scan” for a crash and in case it has happened, an appropriate event will be sent.
When a Man Down is activated, a pop-up window will appear on the mobile application for 10 seconds. Within this time interval, the Guard / Lone Worker can undo the sending of a Man Down event, by filling in the PIN number. In case it’s a demo account, just press on the Cancel button and the event will not be sent.
Man down functionality can also detect if the Guard / Lone Worker does not move at all for more than 90 seconds but stays connected with the device. A thorough examination of this case concludes that it would be probably a Man Down event. If it is not a Man down event, the user can cancel it by the same way as mentioned above.
Miscellaneous
Keep in mind that Man Down has been tested by our team for several months, but under laboratory conditions and not in real-life threatening situations. Due to this fact, we decided to release Man Down functionality on an experimental mode and we urge you to also test it in real-life conditions initially, prior to adopting it on your daily schedule.
We are looking forward to your feedback and ideas in order to further improve Man Down functionality and ensure maximum prevention for Guards and Lone Workers!
The utilization of a Man Down sensor is subject to the Terms and Conditions outlined within the website and the system.
Read more about "SOS Button & Man Down Clip Settings" by clicking here!
