Why Drivers need a Lone Worker Safety Monitoring Solution

The definition of a lone worker is ‘when work is done in a location where the employee can’t physically see or be seen by another person or talk to or be heard by another person’¹. This definition encompasses almost all drivers.

How can a lone worker solution help drivers?

Hands Free Voice Commands and Drive Mode

Sometimes a driver won’t be able to check in when their time is due. They should have both hands on the wheel, if driving, and therefore are unable to tap their app. Knowing this, Ok Alone developed their hands free technology, so lone workers can check in using only their voice. It allows workers to check in without having to touch their phone, which means their eyes don’t leave the road, their hands stay on the wheel and they don’t risk causing an accident or getting a ticket for using a phone whist driving!

Lone workers with an iPhone or an Android phone have the option to programme voice commands that can be spoken to start shift, check in, get help or log out at the end of a shift. This adds an additional level of safety for drivers who might still need to communicate with others.

Another option for drivers is to use Drive Mode. Drive Mode inputs data from GPS or vehicle trackers that show whether the vehicle is in motion when a check in is due. If the vehicle is moving, the system automatically checks the driver in without them having to use voice commands or physically touch their phone.

Monitor the Driver Away from the Vehicle

An App based lone worker monitoring system is run through a drivers’ phone, it is therefore carried on the driver’s body and not restricted to the vehicle’s movements.

This allows companies to monitor a driver’s safety while they are away from their vehicle. Ok Alone’s solution can be integrated with existing platforms to show the real time location of the vehicle AND the real time location of the driver.

Timed Check Ins and High Risk

Lone working drivers need a system that has a timer counting down to a check in. A system that knows when their check in is due and reminds them if they forget to check in on time. It needs to emit a loud alarm to remind them to get their phone out and let a supervisor/dispatch know they are ok. If they don’t want an alarm, drivers could choose to be sent an SMS or receive a phone call.

It is important drivers are able to change the time between check in’s if they are going into a situation they deem high risk. A good lone worker app should allow drivers to select the frequency of their check in, changing from 2 hours on a normal day to potentially every 10 minutes in a high risk situation.

Man (Worker) Down

Drivers should have a Man Down alarm. The ‘Man Down’ (Worker Down’) function in a lone worker system notifies a worker’s monitor if there has been no movement within a set amount of time (3 minutes – 1 hour, time set by the worker).

If no movement is detected the phone will sound an alarm alerting the worker that there has been no movement. If there is no response from the driver to the alert it will be escalated to an allocated monitor and they will contact the driver. If there continues to be no response, then an escalation procedure will be followed to ensure the driver is reached.

A helpful reminder/alarm sent to the driver first when the system detects no movement, means there will be less false alarms sent to the monitor or dispatch.

Call for Help

If a driver finds themselves in a situation where they need immediate assistance, they can send a ‘help’ request from the lone worker solution on their phone.

Drivers can:

• tap ‘help’ on the app screen
• ask out loud for help using whatever script they have set up on their phone’s voice commands
• send an SMS with their worker ID number and the word ‘help’
• call their lone worker solution’s phone number and select ‘help’ from the options.

Any of these methods will send an alert immediately to their monitor letting them know they require urgent assistance and giving their last known GPS location.

Transport and logistics personnel are exposed to different kinds of risks when alone on the road or when loading and unloading the vehicle. So whether you work in supply, distribution, production or reverse logistics, you need to make sure your drivers are safe and know someone will be there when they need them.

1 – https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/alone/workingalone.html