Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

Did you ever wonder why your local park is located where it is? Or how about the trees that line your street? A lot of planning and research goes into the natural areas in our communities, and a lot of work is done by environmental services, conservation, and wildlife workers so that our spaces do not negatively impact the local ecology and wildlife. 

This broad category can include several important jobs that contribute to the environmental well-being of the places you work, live, and play. Environmental services, conservation, and wildlife workers include and are not limited to: 

  • Park ranger

  • Arborist 

  • Naturalist 

  • Wildlife officer 

  • Conservation officer 

  • Environmental education specialist 

  • Ecologist 

  • Biologist 

  • Marine biologist 

  • Gardener 

  • Gamekeeper 

  • Grounds technician 

  • Horticulturalist 

  • Sustainability coordinator 

What you may not have considered is that these workers are often tasked to work alone. Working alone can be necessary, but comes with unintended risks that require the lone workers to be prepared in the event of an emergency. Using a personal safety device with an emergency response system can ensure safety for lone workers in the wildlife, conservation and environmental services industry. 

Working alone in wildlife, conservation, and environmental services in the United States

Across its diverse 50 states, the United States National Park System encompasses 423 park sites in the US, covering more than 84 million acres. Every position mentioned above is required to sustain this ecological beauty, ranging from snowy forested mountains to humid tropical marshland. In the United States, the federal government employs conservation officers via two agencies: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.

With such diversity in its natural landscape, these employees face the full gamut of natural safety hazards, including aggressive wildlife, extreme weather patterns, and dangerous terrain. Additionally, because of their law enforcement responsibilities, these officers must also deal with violent members of the public. When encountering these situations while working alone, the risks increase as well. A lone worker monitoring and emergency response device can reduce the chance of an unwanted injury or altercation.

Working alone in wildlife, conservation, and environmental services in Canada

In Canada, Parks Canada protects a large area of natural and non-natural spaces that include 47 national parks, five national marine conservation areas, one national urban park, and 171 national historic sites. Canada’s natural spaces can become more extreme with sub-zero temperatures in more northern areas closer to the Artic circle. Most Canadian conservation officers are employed by federal or provincial and territorial agencies responsible for environmental legislation, regulation and enforcement. 

Canada makes up for it in its dense wilderness and forests, as well as many, many lakes and vast plains. Quite often, conservation and wildlife officers or biologists work alone in these remote areas, vulnerable host of safety hazards such as unpredictable weather, dangerous wildlife and terrain, and deadly freezing temperatures. While they do not have the same depth of policing rights as their American counterparts, conservation and environmental services employees must deal with the public and the challenges of violence and assault that come with it. 

Provincially, these workers are protected according to the local lone worker legislation and regulations, making the employer liable should any harm come to these people.  

The Solution: How SafetyLine can help wildlife, conservation, and environmental services workers

Using SafetyLine’s lone worker solution, workers can proactively check in, signal an emergency, leverage motion features such as man-down and fall detection, discreet alert of a panic emergency, and integration with satellite devices if a worker is out of cell service, and many more benefits.

Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

Proactive Notifications and Monitoring

If the employee is venturing into a remote area where they are alone and vulnerable, SafetyLine’s lone worker monitoring software will sound an alert if the employee does not confirm their safety at a preestablished time. This advanced software monitors the employee’s well-being so that the employer does not have to, eliminating the risk of human error.

Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

High-Risk Check-in timers

When performing work alone in a potentially dangerous environment, SafetyLine’s customizable check-in timers will help monitor the employee in whichever amount of time you wish or are comfortable with. 

If the worker does not check-out and confirm their safety, an alert will be immediately sent out. These check-ins maintain a line of communication and updates on the worker’s location and circumstances. 

Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

Emergency Panic Button

In case of possible violent interactions with members of the public and wildlife, conservation officers must have a way to immediately request help in an emergency. Used easily on a smartphone, SafetyLine’s panic button will instantly call for help in a dangerous situation. When pushed, emergency contacts will also receive important information and the worker’s GPS location.

Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

Full Device Integration

SafetyLine can be easily employed on ubiquitous technology and devices such as smartphones, tablets, desktops and even pagers. Especially when working in challenging terrain and environments, wildlife and conservation workers do not want to carry extra equipment and devices.

Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Wildlife, Conservation, and Environmental Services Workers

Compliant with Lone Worker Legislation

Lone worker legislation and regulations vary in every region and jurisdiction. SafetyLine’s lone worker safety features help companies and individuals remain legally compliant with overall occupational health and safety (OSH) laws. Using SafetyLine demonstrates that the organization is demonstrating due diligence in OHS.

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Frequently Asked Questions for Lone Workers in Wildlife, Conservation and Environmental Services Workers

  • SafetyLine sends an alert when a user misses their scheduled check-in or declares a panic emergency via the SafetyLine app. Alerts and notifications can also be triggered when motion feature settings are enabled, such as man-down detection, shake for an emergency, and fall detection.

  • SafetyLine will protect lone workers in areas where there is no cellular coverage by connecting to satellite and GPS networks by partnering with Garmin and Globalstar.

  • SafetyLine is available to download on the Amazon App Store, Apple App Store, Google Play, and Microsoft.

  • In addition to complimentary satellite devices, employees in this industry should also be equipped with an emergency panic button which can be pressed when the lone worker feels that their safety is threatened and at risk – this includes situations with members of the public and aggressive wildlife.

  • SafetyLine will only monitor remote workers’ locations while on the job and check in with their employer. Once they are finished with the day or their shift, SafetyLine will no longer keep an eye on the worker and their current whereabouts.