A network for connecting a plurality of network nodes includes a leader node and a plurality of follower nodes. The leader node transmits a sync message to the plurality of follower nodes indicating a beginning of a network interval, wherein the leader node and the plurality of follower nodes transmit information during a transmission period and do not transmit information during a sleep period of the network interval, and wherein during a predetermined time of the transmission period of the network interval each of the follower nodes that received the sync message transmit a message advertising one or more properties of the leader node. The network nodes are environmental sensing devices that are part of a worker safety system.