This is a collaborative post: The threats facing lone workers have remained largely the same throughout the years – unpredictable individuals out in the field, harsh environments, and other hazards can all present significant safety issues. What has changed is the increasing number of people out working in a lone capacity, facing these dangers on their own.
Thankfully, there are also an ever-increasing number of tech-related solutions to help mitigate these risks. Here, we take a look at some of those solutions, to see what you should be leveraging to increase the safety of your lone workers.
Lone worker apps
A lone worker app is one of the most popular lone worker safety solutions at the moment. Instead of forcing employees to carry around yet another device, it can be integrated into their existing personal or work smartphone.
Lone worker apps offer a wide range of safety solutions, including enhanced communication, constant tracking, and alerts that can be activated in a range of different ways.
Wearable devices
As sophisticated technologies have gotten increasingly compact and efficient, we’ve seen the introduction of a number of wearable lone worker safety devices to the market. From watches to alarm buttons, these devices can feature fall detection, panic buttons, and biometric data tracking.
This means that employers can keep track of their worker’s well being at all times when they’re in potentially dangerous situations, sending out a response team the second it’s needed.
Real-time tracking
In order for employers to be able to provide effective assistance, it’s necessary to know where these employees are at all times. The widespread introduction of GPS has had a dramatically positive effect in this regard; employers can now see where their workers are at the click of a button, allowing them to send help to exactly the right location should it be necessary.
Reliable communication
The top tech solutions nowadays also provide reliable means of communication that work in a wide range of different environments. Two way radios can be implemented for locations with limited phone service, and wifi calls can be used in underground locations. This means that employees can always reach out for help, should they need it.
Lone worker alarms
Finally, the introduction of highly effective lone worker alarms has made a significant positive effect on lone worker safety. These small, reliable devices can be used to raise the alarm in the case of an incident, and can be linked to a central alarm management system. Lone worker alarms can either be specialised, small card-like devices or they can be integrated into lone worker apps.
As the rate at which technological innovations hit the market continues to speed up, we’re going to see more and more solutions that can be used to increase the safety of employees working in solitary, dangerous environments. It’s important for businesses to keep doing research on the emerging solutions that are available to them, to ensure that they’re doing all they can to protect the health and safety of all of their workers.