The use of digital signage screens is rising – originally meant for advertising, digital signage is now utilized for various applications in different industries.
Digital Signage for Disasters
Disasters – whether man-made or natural – strike at the most improbable of times, making disaster preparedness a critical need. The more prepared an organization is, the better it will cope in the face of disaster. This is most especially true for big organizations like a corporate company or a university, with more lives at stake. The first thing you need to do at the onset of an emergency is to notify your people about what is happening and what they need to do in order to be safe. One of the best tools you can use is digital signage.
Corporate Office Emergencies
Corporate businesses must always have a plan in place regarding emergency situations. The bigger a company gets, the more people employed and the higher the responsibility a business owner has in taking care of his staff. Digital signage screens make a good emergency notification system for the following reasons:
1. Brightness and legibility. Digital signage screens are ideal for closed spaces like factory floors. In case of smoke or dust, digital signage provides better visibility, thanks to its high resolution and striking fonts. While SMS alerts are helpful, they cannot always be relied on to alert everyone, especially for environments where the use of mobile phones is not allowed. For example, contact center agents cannot bring their phones to the floor, so SMS notifications are not applicable for them.
2. Good alternative for audio notification. There are offices where audio notification just is not possible; maybe the area is too big, or an audio notification system can be more of a nuisance than an aid for emergency alerts. Because of its non-intrusive nature, digital signage is perfect for situations as such. Digital displays can also double as bulletin boards – displaying urgent news, policy changes and other announcements and providing real-time updates no audio notification system can do.
Ensuring Campus Safety
The campus is another place packed with people: there are students, faculty, staff and even guests. If and when the most unlikely disaster strikes, it will be difficult to round all these individuals up and tell them what needs to be done. To keep emergencies under control and to prevent harm, a proper notification is needed. Here are a couple of reasons that make digital signage screens more ideal for the campus:
1. SMS and text alert limitations. There is no denying the ubiquity of mobile phones not just in offices but in campuses too. However, not everyone in campus has 24/7 access to the messages they receive on their mobile phones. Take, for instance, the professor who has his phone on silent mode during a lecture, students who cannot view their mobile during exams, or guests who have not signed up to receive alerts. Digital screens in various strategic locations will ensure that the time-critical emergency alert message reaches everyone – be they disaster notifications, safety protocols, evacuation plans and the like.
2. Audio alarm constraints. Audio notifications work fine, but only to a certain extent. Audio announcements are always in danger of being misheard and misunderstood, especially if the speakers are not performing at optimum levels. Audio alarms do not work for the hearing impaired, either. In contrast, attention-grabbing digital signage screens designed properly with graphics, colors and easy-to-read text can spell the difference between safety and danger, between life and death.
Businesses and schools should look at digital signage screens as an important component of their disaster preparedness plan. By using this communication tool, organizations can deal with disasters better.
