Panic buttons for hotel workers are now mandatory in the state of New Jersey. The law, signed by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, goes into effect in January 2020 and is applicable to hotels with 100 rooms or more. The legislation was spurred by an incident at Bally’s casino in Atlantic City, where a room cleaner was sexually assaulted by a guest.
This single incident, however, was one of many that have taken place in hotels across the world. The law is the first of its kind in the United States, but supporters hope it becomes widespread across the country to improve safety for lone workers and those who work in environments that are conducive to dangers like sexual assault.
Panic buttons in hotels however, are just the beginning. Worker safety is becoming a more visible issue everywhere, and in almost every industry. Countries like the United States and Canada have regulations for lone workers that compel the employer to take significant measures to protect employees who operate in potentially unsafe conditions. The laws, however, generally only cover employees who are in remote locations or have particularly dangerous jobs. Industries like property management are not regulated in terms of employee safety and are a great example of potentially dangerous situations for employees. Property managers often wear many hats and perform tasks that require them to be both alone and in potentially high-emotion situations, like delivering eviction notices or responding to resident complaints.
The New Jersey legislation, however, may prompt more employers in other industries to adopt worker protection programs like the use of panic buttons in hotels in the near future.
Panic buttons are an excellent solution for keeping workers safe, whether it’s a lone worker, a worker in a dangerous profession or those susceptible to assault, like hotel housekeeping staff. Just about every situation where a worker is not in an office setting carries an employee safety risk.
Keeping employees safe isn’t just good for employees—it’s good for business. Incidents like accidents and assaults can lead to lawsuits and fines—especially if the company is not following regulations. The emotional and financial fallout from a worker safety incident can damage a company’s brand and bottom line. Protecting your employees IS protecting your business, and with panic buttons, companies can protect their employees and their business with a minimal investment.
Just about every business carries various forms of insurance—fire, flood, etc. These events, however, are incredibly unlikely to happen. It’s good business to carry this insurance, of course—because it’s better to be safe than sorry. These businesses, however, rarely insure themselves against the much more likely probability of incidents involving employee safety. Panic buttons and corresponding employee alert systems can provide this insurance at minimal cost.
SolusGuard offers a wearable panic button for hotels and every other industry to protect workers and businesses. The SolusGuard solution is an employee safety platform that brings panic buttons to a new level. The device itself is discreet, lightweight and comfortable, and the system that backs it up ensures that panic alerts are received. When a worker triggers the SolusGuard panic button, it not only gives off a loud alarm that will stop assaults in progress, but it automatically calls a predetermined list of contacts, and if they don’t answer, the system calls 911. Most importantly, the SolusGuard panic button solution protects both employees and businesses from physical, emotional and financial disaster.
Want to learn more about the SolusGuard panic button for employees? Contact us for a demo and to learn more.