The Role of Technology in Ensuring Lone Worker Safety
Table of Contents
Available technologies
3 Industries that can benefit from lone-worker technology
Home support or home healthcare workers
Water and utilities
Wildlife, conservation, and environmental services
When to consider adding a lone worker solution
When you hear the term “lone worker,” who do you picture in your head? Lone workers exist across many industries and environments. No matter what industry, you are considered a lone worker when you perform your job in conditions where there are no people nearby and/or help is not easily accessible in an emergency.
Lone workers are often working in isolation and in remote areas where it may be very difficult to locate them if they need urgent help. The most effective means to stay connected to and locate these people is through the latest safety technologies and devices that can monitor their well-being when the employer is unable to.
Available technologies
What are the best technologies currently available to protect lone and remote workers? Regarding work safety devices, there are many valuable options available, but below are the key features we believe are most effective when protecting lone workers.
Location tracking
As alluded to earlier, locating the lone worker is a top priority in a successful emergency response. Most, if not all, lone worker safety technology will locate the employee using local cellular networks and even wifi. But some people work in remote areas or in structures where cellular signal is limited.
To address this safety challenge, employers can use satellite and GPS tracking devices to complement their smartphones and monitor lone workers’ locations anywhere.
Automated safety check-ins
Implementing safety check-ins is a simple and effective occupational health and safety practice that signals an emergency when the lone worker misses a “check-in" confirming their well-being. Originally performed manually by phone calls and attendance boards or radios, safety check-ins can now be done much easier and quicker through automated lone workers apps.
Using an automated system will eliminate the risk of human error by notifying the lone worker and employer when there are missed check-ins and then an emergency alarm when they don’t check in and confirm their safety.
As opposed to a manual system, automated safety check-ins empower the employer to monitor the well-being of small and large teams of over 20+, addressing the administrative challenges of tracking multiple staff members in different locations and check-in times. An automated system makes it easier to check on teams of all sizes and can quickly adapt to changes in staffing and those using the tool.
Kristina, a forest technician, says that using an automated system like SafetyLine has simplified and centralized their worker safety program.
“We are relieving the call volume through the coastal fire station,” she says. “Also, everything is all together in one place with Safetyline, as opposed to our previous system, which had forms everywhere and emails to go all over the office, etc.” This quote was taken from a SafetyLine review on G2.com: https://www.g2.com/products/safetyline/reviews
Panic buttons
Panic button systems will discreetly request emergency help, while panic alarms will do so openly, emitting a loud, attention-grabbing sound to attract help. These safety solutions are often separate devices (literal buttons in many cases) but can also be included on lone worker safety apps and the employee’s existing smartphone.
Motion features
With advances in increasingly faster and smaller technology, many lone worker safety tools are leveraging the motion sensors in your current device to protect vulnerable employees in several innovative ways.
When a worker is unconscious and not moving, the safety app will detect this serious situation through the sensors and send an emergency alert to the employer and safety monitors.
Fall and impact detection
No matter where you work, usually one of the top reasons for injuries is from either a slip, trip, or fall. If an employee is working alone, there is nobody around to help them if they’re injured from a fall. When a worker is unconscious, it is imperative they get help as soon as possible. Leveraging the existing motion sensors in your phone, lone worker safety apps will immediately request help when it detects a dangerous impact or if the lone worker does not move for a certain period of time, requesting help for the employee when they’re unable to.
Shake for emergency
When a person aggressively shakes their phone, the lone worker app will signal a panic emergency, requesting urgent help. This feature is active when the phone’s display is off, or the app is running in the background – no matter what or when it’s available to help you.
3 Industries that can benefit from lone-worker technology
As we said before, every industry may employ people working alone at some point, however, there are three in particular that we would like to look at:
Home support or home healthcare workers
More healthcare services are becoming community-based, with home support and home healthcare workers going into the residences of patients and clients. Working alone in these environments puts home healthcare workers at risk because help is usually unavailable nearby if needed.
The occupational safety risks of working in private homes include violence and assault, exposure to toxic substances and gases, slips, trips, and falls walking to the houses, musculoskeletal injuries from patient handling, and exposure to harmful viruses, microorganisms, and other biological agents.
A lone worker solution like SafetyLine will effectively improve these workers’ safety with the following:
Customized safety check-ins:
When going into a high-risk environment, such as a patient’s home with a history of verbal abuse, safety check-ins can be customized to shorter intervals, confirming their safety and communicating with their employer more frequently.
Reliable motion features:
Because they are on their feet so much while they work, home healthcare workers are at more risk of a disabling slip or fall – especially during the slippery winter months. SafetyLine’s man-down detection will immediately notify the employer and emergency contacts of the fall so that they can get help to the injured employee.
Water and utilities
We depend heavily on clean water flowing into our homes and work. The water utility workers ensure you have fresh water around the clock; therefore, someone must be working around the clock and often alone at water treatment plants.
The most apparent occupational safety hazard they face is the high risk of slips and falls because they work around so much water. Additionally, these people are at risk of exposure to highly hazardous biological agents, chemicals, and gases which can also cause them to pass out and collapse.
Using an occupational health and safety tool like SafetyLine, employers will benefit from the comprehensive, non-invasive monitoring features for water utility workers during their shifts. The benefits include:
Advanced motion features in a smartphone:
If a water utility worker falls and is unconscious, SafetyLine will detect the dangerous impact using the motion features on the employee’s smartphone and immediately send help. Additionally, if the water worker does not move for a period of time, an alert will also be sent to the employer that this person may need help.
Automated check-ins:
Working alone in tight spaces during non-business hours, the safety of water workers can be ensured through an automated check-system that will help them easily verify their safety, no matter what time it is. If the lone worker does not check in, SafetyLine will remind them to do so.
“I am meeting my requirements for lone worker [safety], but more importantly, I know that people are safe,” explains Daryl, a supervisor at a wastewater treatment plant. “I value my employees and want them protected at all times. [It] lets me sleep at night. Read more reviews on SafetyLine Customer Testimonial Page: https://safetylineloneworker.com/lone-worker-customer-testimonials
Wildlife, conservation, and environmental services
Helping protect our parks, natural spaces, and the many animals and plants living there are wildlife, conservation, and environmental services workers who often spend their workdays in remote areas where communication may be difficult.
Due to the challenges in connection and geography, these lone workers face the safety hazard of inaccessibility to help due to poor communication and isolated location. On top of that, working alone in these environments, lone workers will face dangerous wildlife, extreme weather, and sometimes violent members of the public.
These lone employees require a worker safety tool with a reliable connection no matter where they work. SafetyLine can help wildlife, conservation, and environmental services workers with the following:
Dependable, advanced location monitoring:
When in locations where cellular or wi-fi reception is unavailable, SafetyLine is compatible with some of the best satellite devices available such as Garmin and Globalstar so that they can be located anywhere. Especially if they were working in a location where it may take some time to send aid, you want to know where your lone workers are at all times while on the job.
Confirming your safety at the press of a button:
SafetyLine’s easy check-in system allows lone workers to confirm their safety with only the press of a button through the automated system. Suppose something happens to the employee and they miss a check-in. In that case, the employer will be immediately alerted to initiate the emergency response process to ensure this employee is safe.
Some of these employees will inevitably face wildlife at some point during their work. In some cases, this wildlife may be aggressive, putting the lone worker in danger. SafetyLine’s panic button can be easily accessed on your phone via the app, and once pressed, it will request immediate help to your location.
When to consider adding a lone worker solution
To confirm whether or not you need a lone worker solution, conduct a hazard assessment to identify all of the safety hazards that threaten your employees working alone. Additionally, strengthen your safety program with a well-planned emergency action plan, a solid lone worker policy, and provide safety training on working alone.
If you are thinking about implementing a solution within your team, here are some important questions to ask.
How do I know if I need a lone worker device?
Evaluate the individual roles and tasks of your employees and determine if, at any point, they work alone and in circumstances where help is not accessible. Additionally, conduct a hazard assessment to determine if occupational safety hazards can be mitigated with a lone worker device.
How should I research and find the best technology for my team?
Once you have determined the safety hazards they are facing, make a list of available safety features you would need on the software or device that would address those hazards.
Will the lone worker’s location be tracked after work hours?
The SafetyLine app will only track employees when they have checked in and are working. Once the lone worker checks in after their shift, any tracking or monitoring will be deactivated. Before using the SafetyLine system, employers must establish and communicate when and where their team members will be monitored.
Does government legislation require me to protect my employee working alone?
Your local safety legislation and regulations may require you to protect your lone workers and perform due diligence, such as providing a lone worker safety device.