Lone Worker Safety Solutions for Home Healthcare Workers
With advances in technology and an increasing number of health authorities moving towards providing more of their care in communities and homes, a growing sector of both the public and private healthcare workforce is delivering essential services by themselves and as lone workers.
Healthcare workers can be classified as lone workers when providing care in the community because they are not performing their job with other coworkers. Even though they may be working with a patient or client, they are still considered lone workers as they are not in contact with their employer, who can send help in an emergency such as a violent incident in the workplace or chemical, biological and physical safety hazards in the home.
Conversely, similar hazards threaten private healthcare workers in drug and alcohol recovery and treatment centers, assisted living, and long-term care homes.
Working alone in home healthcare in the United States
It’s now estimated that 22 million people are working in US healthcare, making up 14% of all American workers. That’s significant, and when you consider the growing number of community workers alone in the homes with patients, many people work alone and in potentially vulnerable and dangerous circumstances.
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has developed Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers, which provides a general easy-to-understand overview of healthcare worker rights under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). The document presents several suggested practices, including the provision of GPS tracking ability for mobile workers, checking-in and out protocols with supervisors for vulnerable employees, and a reliable means of emergency communications like cell and satellite phones, panic buttons, and panic button devices.
Safety legislation for working alone in home healthcare in the United States
In February 2021, US Congress passed the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, requiring the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in healthcare, social services, and other connected sectors. Under this act, employers must develop a tailored, comprehensive workplace violence-prevention plan that proactively prepares healthcare teams for violent incidents by implementing violence reporting, procedures for emergency response, safety training for employees, and communications plans for everyone potentially impacted.
Working alone in home healthcare in Canada
In a report presented to the House of Commons in June 2019, “health care workers working in-home care, remote and community-care settings also face greater risks of violence because they often work alone in these settings and lack training on how to de-escalate violence.”
A 2017 national Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) survey found that a “majority of nurses responding (61%) say they have experienced serious problems in the workplace, related to violence, including physical assault, bullying, verbal abuse, and racial/sexual harassment.”
Like United States healthcare workers, public and private Canadian healthcare workers face similar threats and levels of violence when working. However, with a growing community and home healthcare sector in both countries, those threats are expected to increase.
Federal and provincial legislation for working alone in healthcare in Canada
Occupational health and safety legislation varies amongst the provinces and territories, but all address the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) says the general responsibilities of governments for occupational health and safety include:
Enforcement of occupational health and safety legislation.
Workplace inspections.
Incident investigations (e.g., those incidents involving serious injuries or deaths).
Dissemination of information.
Promotion of training, education, and research.
Resolution of occupational health and safety disputes.
The Solution: How SafetyLine can help workers in home healthcare
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.
Proactive Notifications
SafetyLine does not require healthcare workers to call for help manually. When in trouble and unable to request help, our lone worker safety app will sound an alarm once the timer expires, immediately notifying your supervisors that you need immediate help.
High-Risk Check-in timers
When visiting the home of an unfamiliar client or patient, a healthcare professional’s situation may be more high-risk than normal. SafetyLine’s check-in timer can be adjusted, shortening the time monitored to under 15 minutes. This could be particularly useful when meeting a known violent client, and an alarm can sound if no safety confirmation is received 1 minute after the meeting.
Emergency Panic Button
SafetyLine also has a Bluetooth panic button that healthcare workers can easily press in an emergency. When triggered, emergency contacts will be immediately notified. Additionally, these contacts will receive any important information such as exact location, any previously recorded voicemails, and work profile.
Full Device Integration
It is very simple and easy to introduce SafetyLine to working healthcare teams and individuals as the app can be used on any commonly used device like smartphones, laptops, desktops, and even landlines. Not only does this eliminate the need to purchase expensive additional technology, but the busy healthcare worker, who is always on their feet, will not have to carry extra devices.
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 Home Healthcare Workers
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For certain types of care, healthcare employees may need to go into patient homes alone. A lone worker device monitors their safety and will dispatch help through one of the safety solutions mentioned above.
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Lone workers face more safety hazards with higher risk because they perform their jobs in circumstances where help is not readily available in an emergency.
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SafetyLine helps protect home and community care and social service providers as well as mental health workers.
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Regardless of budget or lone worker team size, SafetyLine can provide a package that will benefit your organization and people. View our pricing options.
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The HSE definition of a lone worker is: “Those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.” Essentially, it is someone who works in an environment where they cannot request immediate help in an emergency.