Protecting Lone Workers in the 21st Century
The new millennium has brought rapid changes in politics, the economy, and technology. Jobs that couldn't be imagined 20 years ago are on the rise, and companies can undergo massive change in short periods of time. Technology has liberated the workforce with streamlined and optimized processes at a scale never before seen. Whole teams can work remotely, and individuals have more autonomy to work alone than ever before. From a healthcare worker driving to a client, to an engineer conducting a remote oil site check-up, lone workers are far from rare in today's work climate. However, lone workers have unique risks and hazards that are not always obvious, like poor access to communications or difficulty getting help during an emergency. In this article, we'll look at how lone worker safety technology is evolving in the 21st century.
Lone worker solutions
Ensuring that lone workers are safe while watching your finances can be difficult. Outdated solutions can be a drain on resources, with heavy upfront costs, constant upgrades, and processes that interfere with productivity. Not only do these systems hurt your overhead, they fail to protect your staff effectively.Keys to a modern lone worker system include:
Scalability to fit fluctuating or rotating staff.
The ability to work in multiple environments and situations.
Future-proof technology that remains relevant.
Additionally, an effective solution should yield a high return on investment. Bad systems can interfere with staff and come with additional costs for maintenance and upgrades. A good lone worker solution not only keeps workers safe but also has a positive impact on the bottom line.
Look to the cloud
Cloud-based software is an industry standard in many sectors. Also known as Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, this solution can be integrated with existing hardware to provide instant access and updates. SaaS also eliminates high upfront capital costs and hosting, upgrading, or maintenance costs. Quickly adapting to changing team is also possible by subscribing new users when the need arises. SaaS models are becoming best practices for lone worker safety monitoring, and are the ideal successor to more traditional solutions. Cloud-based solutions are easy to set up, and grant access to critical information from any location during an emergency. They are designed for rapid adoption by both supervisors and employees, and can quickly reduce the burden of monitoring.
Keeping pace
Considering our changing economy and the prevalence of lone workers, our safety systems need to keep up. Companies need to employ safety solutions that are scalable, future-proof, and have a positive return on investment. The right safety solution will keep workers safe, and company finances in check.