Why Worker Safety Check-ins are Essential
Table of Contents
What is a phone-based lone worker system?
What is a smartphone-based lone worker app?
What are the benefits of a smartphone-based lone worker app?
Why adopt a smartphone-based lone worker app?
What are the challenges?
What’s an automated lone worker system?
What are the benefits?
Why would you want an automated occupational safety system over a phone-based system?
What workers can be protected by an automated lone worker system?
Proactive safety and planning
Why Worker Safety Check-ins are Essential
What does it mean to “check in” with someone? It can be checking in with an elderly relative or it can be a friend or coworker you haven’t spoken to for a while. Within a workplace and occupational safety context, checking in includes the employee checking in with their employer to confirm their safety – and vice versa. The primary objective of a worker check-in system is to verify the safety and well-being of the employee. It is a fast-but-effective step that can not only confirm their safety but communicate other information important to the employee’s welfare and security.
Safety check-ins are integral to an effective occupational health and safety (OHS) program, helping improve the overall well-being of your employees, especially lone workers who perform their jobs in isolation and by themselves. Safety check-ins are a simple practice that can be performed quickly and integrated into the job easily.
Improves employee safety and well-being
What are the benefits of a safety check-in system? As we just mentioned, the most important benefit is the increased protection for the employee. Whichever industry you may be in, the most important resource of a company is its people and the skills they bring. These people may be putting their well-being at risk to perform their work, so it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure they are safe.
Improves remote management and leadership
On the other hand, a check-in system allows the employer or safety monitors to check in on employees as well. In the case of an app-based check-in system, employers are able to monitor the worker’s well-being without disruption or interruption to the work. This can include their working location and any information gleaned from recent communications and messages.
Improves internal communication
Between the employer and employees, a safety check-in system can boost communication, providing more regular updates on the worker’s circumstances as well as other pertinent details that could be crucial to a successful emergency rescue.
A connected employee is a safe one and OHS solutions like SafetyLine keep people accessible through technologies like satellite and GPS. Even when beyond cell range and in remote areas, workers using SafetyLine’s check-in app can leverage satellite devices such as Garmin’s inReach satellite communicator to stay connected with their employer and therefore emergency help if they need it.
Maintains employee engagement and focus
Whatever work they are doing, you want your employees present and at the moment, making it less likely for them to make any dangerous mistakes. By requiring people to check in during their work, it helps keep them focused and engaged with the task at hand. SafetyLine will send reminders to check in, constantly keeping the worker’s safety in priority and on top of everyone’s minds.
Studies conducted by Queens School of Business and the Gallup Organization, found that “disengaged workers have 37 percent higher absenteeism, 49 percent more accidents and 60 percent more errors and defects.” According to an article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “if you’re an environmental health and safety professional, achieving a high degree of employee engagement can be important for achieving functional excellence. This can also be essential for generating widespread support for your organization’s overall goals.
Increases company-wide engagement
Not only does a check-in system keep the employer and employee aware of the safety landscape, but it also can result in company- or team-wide engagement as well. A unified check-in system puts staff (of all positions) on the same safety page, and as you read further, will create a strong safety culture within the organization.
When employees are engaged, they tend to be more productive, creating higher-quality work and happier in the process. Every team is different, however, an engaged staff experiences these benefits because they feel cared for and valued by the employer, they feel confident they are performing their jobs in a safe environment, they can focus on the task and avoid the distraction/stress of occupational safety hazards, they feel they are a part of a team with common goals, and they are regularly updated on circumstance and factors that could impact their safety – such dangerous weather.
Creates a healthy company culture
As we said, a check-in system can result in improved company culture, particularly positive company health and safety culture. In order to create a successful and happy safety culture in the organization, employers should follow the six key steps:
Encourage employees to speak up
A healthy safety culture is where employees feel safe and comfortable enough to speak about safety issues, without the fear of reprimand from the employer or coworkers. All of those employees checking in during their shifts are also perceptive eyes and ears that can spot any dangerous safety hazards in the workplace. When everyone feels comfortable to speak up at work, the employer essentially has a fleet of safety hazard monitors on the ground, reporting any potential OHS hazards that could result in harm to someone.
Never say “zero tolerance”
Following what we said about encouraging employees to speak up, do not use intimidating terms like “zero tolerance” which can actually increase workplace safety risks because staff are nervous about reporting hazards. Instead, clearly communicate which behaviors are allowed and not allowed, and the consequences of those behaviors. Like a safety check-in app, employees must understand the direct benefits of safety protocols and practices – this does not require intimidating language or terminology.
Practice transparency
When implementing new safety practices and protocols such as scheduled safety check-ins, the employer must be as transparent as possible about why these changes are being implemented and how they will impact their jobs. A positive safety culture is very transparent with the employees, keeping them updated on any OHS hazards, as well as showing the team when something has been done to mitigate a safety hazard.
Communicate the bigger picture
As we said, showing your people why certain safety practices are introduced is incredibly important to have company-wide practice and everyone on board. Of course, when introducing a new safety device or protocol, you must communicate the benefits of the new safety measure – especially if it impacts their work in any way. But what is not as known is that employers need to continually and regularly communicate the benefits, constant affirmation that there are good reasons for the extra practices or steps.
Communicate constantly
Safety check-ins are basically a succinct form of effective communication that confirms the employee’s well-being. In addition to safety check-ins, whether it’s on an app or the phone, there must constant opportunities for the employer and manager to talk to the employee about safety and health issues. Such opportunities can include group brainstorming sessions, or more private one-on-ones. Regardless, there should be a flow of information beneficial to the company’s OHS landscape and challenges.
Manual check-ins vs automated check-ins
Basically, safety check-ins can be divided into two main categories: manual check-ins and automated check-ins.
Manual Check-in System
A manual check-in system requires the worker to check-in without the benefits of technology. Manual check-in systems include phone calls or radio to the employer or safety monitor, as well as attendance sheets and whiteboards. A manual check-in system is simple and easy to implement. However, it is extremely prone to human error and forgetfulness, resulting in a much less effective worker safety monitoring system.
A lone worker checking in with a radio
Automated Check-in System
An automated check-in system leverages technology and engagement to empower remote and lone workers to check in through cellular, wireless, and satellite networks, allowing them to do so anywhere in the world. While incredibly engaging with reliable two-way messaging and location maps, an automated worker protection system like SafetyLine does not require as much work and therefore does not result in as much human error. There’s also a multitude of extra protection such as fall detection and helpful, proactive safety alerts when check-ins are missed. Additionally, automated check-in apps like SafetyLine are as easy to implement as a manual system, if not more so.
An automated lone worker check-in system
Safety check-ins in the summer
When the work days start to heat up with longer days and more sunshine, safety check-ins during the summer are incredibly important to verify the safety of people working in both outdoor and indoor hot conditions where there is a lack or absence of air circulation and air conditioning. Summer occupational safety hazards include dangerous heat stress, as well as:
Heat stroke
Heat cramps
Dehydration
Falls/collapses
Smoke inhalation (wild and chemical fires)
Sunburn
When it’s hot outside, safety check-ins are reliable indicators that the worker is doing well and it is may be time to hydrate and/or take a shaded break. But the added protection and value of features like fall detection and location tracking make an automated check-in system or app even more valuable.
It’s imperative that employees stay cool and hydrated during the hot months, so not only should the employer provide an automated check-in system but they must also provide a shaded break and hydration areas; OHS legislation in California has a number of mandatory requirements for employers, particularly for access to shade:
“Shade shall be present when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit,” Article 10. Personal Safety Devices and Safeguards states. “When the outdoor temperature in the work area exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the employer shall have and maintain one or more areas with shade at all times while employees are present that are either open to the air or provided with ventilation or cooling. The amount of shade present shall be at least enough to accommodate the number of employees on recovery or rest periods so that they can sit in a normal posture fully in the shade without having to be in physical contact with each other.”
Safety check-ins in the winter
When work conditions become colder in the fall, winter, and spring, employees are exposed to a range of different safety hazards that are mitigated by automated check-in systems like:
Hypothermia
Frostbite
Dangerous slips, trips, and falls
Winter driving hazards/travel accidents
Carbon monoxide poisoning from heater/equipment exhaust
Trench foot
Especially when working in remote locations where cellular reception is unreliable and the work environment can be cold and wet, people can be protected by automated safety check-in technologies and the added benefits that can come with it. You require a comprehensive worker safety solution, like SafetyLine, that can help protect your people from safety hazards and occupational circumstances.
Safety check-ins all year round
While safety check-ins absolutely have special benefits in hot and cold weather, an automated check-in system is a safety measure that should be employed throughout the year, even when we’re not worrying about what it’s like outside.
Employers should be concerned for their employees’ welfare all the time and therefore need to implement simple-but-very-effective measures like check-ins to confirm their people are ok. As effective as they are, check-ins need to be practiced in conjunction with other safety measures to address the dynamic occupational safety hazards that people face. Create a safety culture that addresses all of your particular safety hazards and risks, tailoring it to your team and their unique needs and nuances.
To ensure the safety of lone workers, incorporating regular safety check-ins is essential. Our Lone Worker Safety Solution App provides the tools needed for effective communication and monitoring. Discover our pricing plans tailored to your organization's needs, gain further insights on Workplace Hazards, and visit our FAQ page for more information on enhancing lone worker safety.
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