Hotels face a daunting task in selecting employee safety devices as they seek to comply with increasing city, state, and brand requirements. TraknProtect aims to simply this process by offering three key considerations for hotels to ensure they choose effective and employee-friendly solutions.
First, a little about TraknProtect
TraknProtect’s employee safety solution was designed based on feedback from hoteliers to provide an easy-to-use and easy-to-deploy solution. TraknProtect safety buttons are triggered by a single press of the button, leverages the trigger response of holding or squeezing something in times of panic. When a TraknProtect safety button is pressed for more than 3-seconds, it is activated and cannot only be turned by a responder conducting a wellness check on the distressed employee. The solution provides exact location of the employee and alerts are sent to the security and/or management staff within seconds via SMS, push notifications, Teams messaging and desktop alerts. The system continues to provide alerts every few seconds, even if the employee moves or is moved.
TraknProtect solution includes safety buttons that can be attached to front desk, or bar carts, but also includes safety devices that also have 2-way communication capabilities. In addition, the TraknProtect safety solution is the only solution to integrate with the existing infrastructure in a hotel including integrating with smart BLE-enabled Wi-Fi access points and room control systems.
At TraknProtect, we constantly seek to exceed our clients’ requirements to make us the safety button solution making us a Preferred Vendor with large brands such as IHG, Hyatt, Peninsula, Accor, Aimbridge Hotels, Sonesta and many more. TraknProtect protects all property and employee information by ensuring it is encrypted at rest and in transit, and TraknProtect also has SOC II Type 1 certification. We want our clients to have the confidence that when you select TraknProtect, you invest in a premier product and help our clients go beyond meeting the bare minimum requirements but to provide the best solution for their employees at a competitive price but most importantly, letting the staff know that their safety is a priority for the hotel.
Here are the three (3)
considerations to help hotels find the right safety solution for their hotel, employees, and budget.
I. Functionality & Features
A. Ease of Use of employee safety buttons
The safety devices must be user-friendly and can be activated quickly to summon assistance. During a stressful time, the general response is to create a fist or press something so a button that can be triggered with a single press and cannot be turned off with multiple presses is key because who can count how many times you clicked a button when panicking?
B. Geolocation Tracking
Safety buttons that do not have location tracking capabilities such as sound alarms lack accuracy and degrade quickly in effectiveness and battery life with each use. Did you know while sound alarms are relatively cheap, their battery declines quickly, lasting only about 3 presses and the sound quality declines significantly with each press? This assumes the loud sound does not aggravate the perpetrator causing them to harm the employee or destroy the button and leaving the employee helpless. A discreet button that can pinpoint employee location helps ensure that the distressed employee can receive aid quickly.
C. Two-Way Communication
Safety buttons with two-way communication allow for enhanced interaction with the employee even when they are not in distress. It allows hotels to combine “radios” with a safety button solution – in effect, allowing for multiple uses. However, these devices typically come at a higher cost to the hotels even if vendors lower the first-year cost, the ongoing cost can be prohibitive.
II. Integrating Employee Safety with Existing Systems
A. Compatibility
In recent years, hotels have invested heavily in their technical infrastructure. Ensuring that the personal safety devices can integrate with this infrastructure such as Wi-Fi or room control systems, the property can save on costs but also decrease day-to-day management of the solution.
B. Alert Notifications
It’s important to consider how an alert is sent to security and management. Receiving alerts via multiple means increases the probability that the alerts will not be missed, and an employee will receive assistance when they need it the most.
III. Durability and Comfort
A. Build Quality
Given the duties of employees wearing safety devices work in rigorous environments, choosing a device that durable and resistant to damage from cleaning chemicals and water damage is key.
B. Comfort and Wearability
For the same reasons as the build quality above, while the safety buttons need to be robust to withstand damage, it is also important to deploy devices that are lightweight and comfortable for prolonged use, maintaining hygiene standards throughout the shift.
Hotels should involve key personnel in the selection process and regularly evaluation device effectiveness to ensure that the safety devices align with the safety needs of their staff. By prioritizing employee safety and selecting reliable solutions like TraknProtect, hotels can demonstrate their commitment to their staff well-being and compliance with regulatory requirements.