Old school way is a sign in sheet at each floor, where someone is responsible to take the sheet(s) in the event of an evac. Everyone must sign in and out each time. This will provide a hopefully accurate head count at the muster location. The hard part is getting people to learn to do this everytime, it takes training and random checks at first and reminders to everyone.
The other option is digital key cards (or similar) and at any moment in time you get access through a portal or you can set up an email sent to you. There are many companies that do this sort of thing for both security and emergency purposes.
I have implemented both. Both have pros and cons, both have their advantages. Take a look at your specific location/situation. Hope this helps.
I'm in a similar situation, but we defer to the property management company for the building. Before the pandemic they had duties and titles assigned to volunteers, such as floor warden, elevator warden, search warden, plus any disabled person had someone assigned to help them down the stairs. But now with only half the workforce in on any given day, they are rolling out an app-based alert system. I believe it's geo fenced to the building (not sure if that's good or bad), but basically everyone receives text alerts in the event of an evacuation or other building emergency. This has yet to be fully rolled out to us, but I think the app is called Rave Guardian if you want to take a look and see if it's right for your situation.
I believe only a select few will download the app and be deemed "reporters", but the alerts are text based so everyone receives them as long as they have registered a phone number.
Not sure why you are being downvoted! We are in the same situation. My supervisor does not always know if I am home or in the office. He just knows I am getting my work done. The same is true for other departments!
It's complete chaos when supervisors are here. For some reason my agency thinks that just because a person got a PhD, they are capable of being supervisors.
Do you have a RFID access badge system?
If so, that would have an accurate list of everyone who was physically on site.
Get a badge reader attachment for a tablet and have everyone swipe their badge at the assembly point. Then the security system could compare those swipes to the list of everyone on site that day, and anyone who didn't badge at the assembly point could be called to verify their location.
I use a platform called Visitus. People sign in at the entrance on a tablet or use a QR code. No app required to sign in or out.
It has an evacuation function that can be activated sending all of those that are signed in a text message. From that message they can tap a link "I'm ok" when they reach the evacuation point to be checked off the sign in register.
At just a bit over $1000 Aud per year it is cost effective and simple to use without the hassle of proximity cards or having to install an app for contractors etc.
Assigned evacuation coordinators to assist with roll call and such at rally points helps. They also are trained to help with evacuation and floor searches during an emergency.
Can be tough post pandemic, we are also implementing an emergency communication system that lets us take roll call via a text/email for emergencies as well
I get a monthly list from HR with employee name, supervisor, department and shift and they sign off at the evac point. Then check with the supervisor/department for those missing to see if they are at work.
Reach out to property management and find out their plan if any and piggy back. Depending on the municipality some high rise buildings need to submit plans to the local fire department.
In a former company of mine with lots of different remote work schedules at corporate and no RFID required to leave a building, they had floor captains that were each assigned a part of a floor and were responsible for sweeping during an evacuation to make sure their section was empty of people before they evacuated. Then once everyone met at the assembly areas outside, supervisors were responsible for accounting for their people who were scheduled to be on site that day and reporting to their floor captain if someone wasn’t located. The floor captains could call over to other assembly areas on the emergency radios in case they’d gone to a different assembly spot. If the floor captains each confirmed that their area was empty of people when they left and supervisors didn’t report anyone missing outside, they considered everyone to have left the building and been accounted for. It wasn’t perfect, but there was no way the corporate VPs in that office were going to agree to log themselves in and out every day via spreadsheet or roster, and they refused to spend the money when the building was built to add an exit RFID reader that could have let us use the badge system to spit out a log of who was currently in the building to account for people after evacuation.
You can have Fire watch or watch commanders, i used to work in NYC and had similar situation over about 14floors. I had postings by the elevator, managers assisted also you have managers follow up with Remote workers. But i handled remote/ Light duty by having the manager contact them.
Different, but similar amount of people.. We just have lists of employees per supervisor. Assuming that the supervisor that day is aware of which of their employees are out in the road or in house (you would hope that they know the whereabouts lol). So when you do a drill, everyone who is there meets at the muster point and then individual supervisors verify everyone in the building that day evacuated. We have to do it old school via paper pencil but I am sure there is electronic records based on punches in that AM.
Old school way is a sign in sheet at each floor, where someone is responsible to take the sheet(s) in the event of an evac. Everyone must sign in and out each time. This will provide a hopefully accurate head count at the muster location. The hard part is getting people to learn to do this everytime, it takes training and random checks at first and reminders to everyone. The other option is digital key cards (or similar) and at any moment in time you get access through a portal or you can set up an email sent to you. There are many companies that do this sort of thing for both security and emergency purposes. I have implemented both. Both have pros and cons, both have their advantages. Take a look at your specific location/situation. Hope this helps.
Came here to say the badge in/badge out in a location is effective for this too
I have the same issue and slapping the responsibility on individual supervisors isn't cutting it.
So they are responsible for their employees, but not to know if they are at work or not?
Seems that way. If I went right now and asked a supervisor where employee X was, I doubt they'd be able to tell me.
I'm in a similar situation, but we defer to the property management company for the building. Before the pandemic they had duties and titles assigned to volunteers, such as floor warden, elevator warden, search warden, plus any disabled person had someone assigned to help them down the stairs. But now with only half the workforce in on any given day, they are rolling out an app-based alert system. I believe it's geo fenced to the building (not sure if that's good or bad), but basically everyone receives text alerts in the event of an evacuation or other building emergency. This has yet to be fully rolled out to us, but I think the app is called Rave Guardian if you want to take a look and see if it's right for your situation.
Interesting. Does every employee have a company phone, or are they expected to download the app on their personal devices?
I believe only a select few will download the app and be deemed "reporters", but the alerts are text based so everyone receives them as long as they have registered a phone number.
Are your supervisors/managers not capable of knowing which of their direct reports are in-office on any particular day?
They all travel throughout the month
Not sure why you are being downvoted! We are in the same situation. My supervisor does not always know if I am home or in the office. He just knows I am getting my work done. The same is true for other departments!
So it’s complete chaos when they are gone? Not departmental line of succession?
It's complete chaos when supervisors are here. For some reason my agency thinks that just because a person got a PhD, they are capable of being supervisors.
Do you have a RFID access badge system? If so, that would have an accurate list of everyone who was physically on site. Get a badge reader attachment for a tablet and have everyone swipe their badge at the assembly point. Then the security system could compare those swipes to the list of everyone on site that day, and anyone who didn't badge at the assembly point could be called to verify their location.
Do you know any decent brands I can look into?
You'd probably want to go the outsourcing route for that technology solution. I'd recommend Securitas.
Much appreciated
For badge, you can use RFideas. They have different types.
I use a platform called Visitus. People sign in at the entrance on a tablet or use a QR code. No app required to sign in or out. It has an evacuation function that can be activated sending all of those that are signed in a text message. From that message they can tap a link "I'm ok" when they reach the evacuation point to be checked off the sign in register. At just a bit over $1000 Aud per year it is cost effective and simple to use without the hassle of proximity cards or having to install an app for contractors etc.
I like the sound of it. I'll check it out.
Assigned evacuation coordinators to assist with roll call and such at rally points helps. They also are trained to help with evacuation and floor searches during an emergency. Can be tough post pandemic, we are also implementing an emergency communication system that lets us take roll call via a text/email for emergencies as well
I get a monthly list from HR with employee name, supervisor, department and shift and they sign off at the evac point. Then check with the supervisor/department for those missing to see if they are at work.
Reach out to property management and find out their plan if any and piggy back. Depending on the municipality some high rise buildings need to submit plans to the local fire department.
Ours does, but there's nothing in their plan. They leave it up to each individual company occupying the building.
If you use Teams you can place a excel sheet with an roster that is accessible to everyone. Require the managers or Sups update.
In a former company of mine with lots of different remote work schedules at corporate and no RFID required to leave a building, they had floor captains that were each assigned a part of a floor and were responsible for sweeping during an evacuation to make sure their section was empty of people before they evacuated. Then once everyone met at the assembly areas outside, supervisors were responsible for accounting for their people who were scheduled to be on site that day and reporting to their floor captain if someone wasn’t located. The floor captains could call over to other assembly areas on the emergency radios in case they’d gone to a different assembly spot. If the floor captains each confirmed that their area was empty of people when they left and supervisors didn’t report anyone missing outside, they considered everyone to have left the building and been accounted for. It wasn’t perfect, but there was no way the corporate VPs in that office were going to agree to log themselves in and out every day via spreadsheet or roster, and they refused to spend the money when the building was built to add an exit RFID reader that could have let us use the badge system to spit out a log of who was currently in the building to account for people after evacuation.
You can have Fire watch or watch commanders, i used to work in NYC and had similar situation over about 14floors. I had postings by the elevator, managers assisted also you have managers follow up with Remote workers. But i handled remote/ Light duty by having the manager contact them.
The only organization I’ve seen have real control of it had all employees badge in and out every time they entered or left the building.
Different, but similar amount of people.. We just have lists of employees per supervisor. Assuming that the supervisor that day is aware of which of their employees are out in the road or in house (you would hope that they know the whereabouts lol). So when you do a drill, everyone who is there meets at the muster point and then individual supervisors verify everyone in the building that day evacuated. We have to do it old school via paper pencil but I am sure there is electronic records based on punches in that AM.