Gaps in Traditional Safety Protocols

Despite the advances in field safety awareness, many utility organizations still rely on traditional tools and protocols that were not designed for the realities of remote and isolated work. These legacy systems, while familiar, present critical gaps that can put both workers and employers at risk.

Limited Range and Automation: Radios and Mobile Phones

Radios and standard mobile phones remain the most common communication tools for field crews. However, both are heavily dependent on infrastructure that may be absent in the areas where utility workers most often operate:

Radios: Two-way radios have a finite range and are often obstructed by terrain, weather, or distance from repeaters. They provide no automated tracking, and critical messages can be missed or lost in busy radio traffic.
Mobile Phones: Cellular coverage is strong in urban areas but quickly fades in rural, mountainous, or wilderness regions. In these "dead zones," field workers cannot reliably call for help or update their location, increasing vulnerability.

Manual Check-In Systems: Prone to Human Error and Delay

Manual check-in procedures—such as phoning a supervisor at scheduled times or signing Logbooks at remote substations—have been a staple of lone worker safety policies for decades. However:

These systems are prone to oversight, as workers may forget to check in or be unable to do so during a critical incident.
Delays are common if a check-in is missed, as supervisors may not notice immediately, especially during busy operations or after hours.
No real-time tracking: Supervisors often lack an accurate, real-time view of each worker's location or status, reducing situational awareness during emergencies.
They are inefficient, creating an additionational layer of admin for both the worker and the supervisor that is easily removed through technology.

Emergency Plans Dependent on Cell Signal or Colleagues

Many emergency response plans assume that workers can contact help using a cell phone or rely on a nearby colleague to raise the alarm. In remote utility work, these assumptions may be dangerously optimistic:

No cell signal means no way to transmit a distress call or location update if an incident occurs outside coverage.
Working alone or in small teams: If a worker is incapacitated and unable to call for help, and no colleagues are nearby, critical time can be lost before an incident is discovered.

Employers have a legal and ethical responsibility to proactively monitor lone and remote workers.

When reliable connectivity is lacking, it becomes increasingly difficult to demonstrate compliance with provincial, state, and federal safety regulations, exposing organizations to legal and reputational risk.

Regulatory and Compliance Challenges

In summary: Traditional safety protocols were never designed for today's remote, fast-paced, and technology-driven utility sector. Limited-range communication tools, manual processes, and reliance on cell coverage or team proximity all introduce risks that can leave workers unprotected when they need help most.