Emergency notification systems are critical to plant safety, but can be unwieldy and costly. A number of variables can impact the implementation of an effective signaling system, including the size of the facility, the types of alerts that need to be warned for, budget constraints, and the type of work conducted in the facility. To meet these variables, the industry has trended toward the use of more flexible and reliable signaling solutions developed around cost-effective wireless and LED technologies.
Wireless technologies — Wireless signaling capabilities have greatly expanded and, consequently, the emergency alert industry has seen an increased interest in integrating wireless technologies into emergency alert systems. Moving signaling systems to wireless channels, such as Wi-Fi or radio, poses two significant benefits to customers. First, the cost savings for a wireless system can be tremendous. In a large food processing facility, for example, the cost of wiring can far exceed the price of the signaling devices. Electrician fees can make up 50% to 75% of installation costs for a wire-run signaling system.