Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Rodenstock has been a global innovation leader in the field of ophthalmic optics for more than 140 years. With around 4,900 employees, Rodenstock operates in more than 85 countries via sales offices and distribution partners.

The safety of employees in production has the highest priority at Rodenstock. To ensure this is fully guaranteed, the laboratories and the outdoor hazardous materials warehouse at their site in Munich have now been secured with Multitone’s innovative Ekotek staff safety alarm system.

Staff are equipped with the Ekosecure messenger devices, which can both raise and receive alarms via the Ekotek system. Suitable for use both indoors and outdoors, these small, portable and user-friendly personal safety alarms operate via a self-sufficient wide-area radio network. This network is generated by a series of Repeaters that function as location beacons and two-way transmitters.

In an emergency, such as a serious accident, medical emergency, hazardous situation or violent incident, an employee with an Ekosecure Messenger triggers an alarm with a single button press; this can also be generated automatically via either a man-down (fall detection) or timed response (dead-man) functionality. These automatic alarm features are particularly suitable for on-site lone workers should they become incapacitated.

Once raised, an alarm is transmitted to the Ekotek hub within seconds, providing the location of the alarm based on the nearest Repeater to its point of origin. This alarm information is displayed at Rodenstock’s reception desk, which is manned 24 hours a day. The entire radio network is extremely reliable and, as a primarily wireless system, has been implemented without complex cabling.

Solvents, among other things, are stored in the outdoor hazardous materials warehouse. To ensure the site’s personal alarm system can be safely operated throughout the entire facility, Multitone have provided Rodenstock with ATEX Messengers which are safe to use in a potentially explosive atmosphere. This affords staff working in the hazardous materials warehouse the same level of protection as those in the rest of the site.