Implementation of deaf alert at Hanover logistics center

Employees with hearing impairments receive a pager at the start of their shift, which alerts them in the event of a fire alarm via text message and vibration alarm, thus ensuring short response times in time-critical situations. The radio transmission system works in all departments of the approximately 60,000 square meter logistics hall and also covers the staff rooms. As a result, the employees concerned can now move around the halls on their own without having to be accompanied by a mentor.

The pager is only one part of the information chain. It is connected to the building's fire alarm system through contacts or via a data interface. As soon as an alarm is triggered, a message is sent to the information system, where the information is stored who receives a notification in the event of a fire alarm. The alarm message and also the monitoring functions of the pager are supported by a vibration module that provides additional security. "I think the pager is a great invention and it makes me feel much safer at work," says the deaf employee Yvonne Weiß, who joined Arvato Supply Chain Solutions in 2017. The same is true for Anique André, who sees other advantages as well: "We are pleased that we can now also work in other areas, such as picking, which was simply not possible before."

The measure is based on Bertelsmann's "Inclusion" action plan, which among other things, specifies how to deal with people with disabilities in the event of danger. The project was launched in 2019, where initial inspections have already been carried out with the provider, the engineering department and the inclusion office. Since a radio illumination of the entire hall facility needed to be secured first and a radio frequency had to be applied for from the Federal Network Agency, it took several months before the project could be pushed forward. In addition, there was a delay in the delivery of hardware and the connection to the in-house fire system and the allocation of IP addresses needed to be done first. After all hurdles were successfully overcome, the multitone deaf alarm system could now be put into operation.