The vast majority of the population has embraced the benefits of mobile telephones and two-way radios, but unfortunately we have come to rely a little too heavily on these devices when it comes to personal safety.
Mobile telephones just do not work when they are in black-spots or out of cell tower range.
They are totally useless when the battery has run flat or when they have been damaged.
Similarly, a two-way radio is of little use if there is nobody else in range.
There are other options out there.
Satellite phones can be bulky, heavy, very expensive, offer unreliable coverage and have limited battery reserve.
There are a few ‘satellite messenger’ products available, however they require contracts, expensive subscriptions to foreign service providers and use commercial satellite networks just like satellite telephones.
There is one stand alone product that is explicitly designed for emergency situations – personal locator beacons (PLBs).
PLBs communicate with the Cospas-Sarsat system which incorporates an entire constellation of military grade satellites.
These satellites belong to several networks that each provide global coverage, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.
The PLB-satellite link is incredibly robust.
It is designed to work reliably under even the most demanding situations including thick cloud cover and heavy precipitation – even during hailstorms and heavy snowfall.
There are no commercial contracts or subscriptions and the batteries can last for many years on standby, without needing to recharge or perform any maintenance.
The KTI Safety Alert PLB is a palm size device that is manufactured right here in Australia.
It has a built-in high power strobe light and an internal high performance GPS receiver which can provide position updates every five minutes.
Farm safety is extremely important.
Farmers usually work remote and alone, with most incidents involving a vehicle or a machine malfunction.
Every farm worker should carry one!
