Wireless kill switch from Exposure OLAS

Exposure OLAS has released a new wireless engine kill switch: OLAS Guardian. Acting as a virtual ‘kill cord’ it stops an engine within two seconds of a person going overboard.

For RIB and powerboat drivers OLAS Guardian means their boat will stop in an instant should the skipper, or a crew member, get separated from the boat (reducing the chances of a serious accident).

OLAS Guardian works by wirelessly logging up to 15 crew members to an engines kill switch via small, wearable transmitters, the OLAS wrist Tags or OLAS Float-On light.

If the transmitter is submerged overboard, or is separated by distance, it instantly breaks the connection, cuts the engine and triggers an inbuilt 85 decibel alarm and, if connected, an alarm on a mobile phone.

The engine can be restarted after five seconds, and a rescue can be performed.

Whether boat drivers have stopped their boat to lay racing marks, take photos, go fishing or tow dinghies, they can move freely about the boat without constantly needing to remember to disconnect and reconnect the physical wire cord.

“We see the OLAS Guardian as a significant step forwards in improving powerboating safety, in particular for commercial users,” says Jonny Boys, MD of Ballistic RIBs. “Used in the right circumstances it can remove the element of human error which can be so easily made.”

OLAS Guardian works using the latest wireless technology to log and track the personal OLAS transmitters. Each time the engine ignition is switched on, OLAS Guardian scans the nearby area for 30 seconds, and automatically connects all working tags within range. The App provides easy monitoring and tracking for each tag, which can be personalised, and displays which tags are connected to the boat.

If a crew needs to nip back ashore or swim in the ocean, the system can be paused using either the Guardian panel mounted button or the OLAS App screen. They are relogged automatically when the pause is released. When crew return to the boat after the engine has been switched off, the skipper can easily check everyone is scanned in within range of the Guardian by checking the App screens, or using the built-in sound and visual indicators on the console switch.

If a solo RIB driver goes overboard, the OLAS App can automatically send an SMS message with the location and time of the incident to the driver’s emergency number, working with onboard WIFI or a minimum 2G cell network.

OLAS Guardian has two pre-set options, enabling the skipper to choose whether all or some of the crew tags are connected to act as a kill cord, or just trigger the MOB alarm, should someone go overboard giving flexibility as to how the system is used.

This means that if someone leaves the boat, whether they run ashore or fall out, depending on the pre-set option either the engine will cut out or just the alarm sounds.