In order to ensure the safety of your employees you need a modern lone worker system that doesn’t rely on manual check-ins or the buddy system, which are unreliable methods. Instead, you need to choose a lone worker monitoring solution with multiple connectivity options that is specifically designed to address the safety challenges lone workers face.
You need to comply with the local legislation pertaining to lone workers in your area, making sure you meet your duty of care responsibilities as an employer. You will need to find out if part of those legal responsibilities include providing a lone worker monitoring system, like in Illinois where they introduced the Hotel and Casino Employee Safety Act (S.B. 75) or Legislation Bill S.2986 in New Jersey.
Lone worker monitoring solutions need to come as part of a complete management platform. They must have features that ensure the safety of lone employees by enabling workers to check in at specified times.
There should be an automated count down that runs in background mode until the worker’s check in is due. If a worker does not respond to the check in prompt then an emergency alert should be sent to their supervisor and an automatic escalation begun.
The supervisor can then use the cloud-based dashboard and access detailed information about the worker’s movements and their GPS location in real time. Lone worker monitoring solutions should also work as a panic button, allowing workers to request immediate assistance at the touch of a button.
Lone worker monitoring provides several benefits for businesses, including:
With lone worker monitoring, businesses can track the location and safety of all workers, providing a safer work environment for employees.
Lone worker monitoring provides real-time alerts if a worker misses a check in or if they have been inactive for an extended period, allowing businesses to respond quickly in the event of an emergency.
Lone worker monitoring can help businesses comply with health and safety regulations, reducing the risk of fines and legal action.
Lone worker monitoring allows employers to rest assured that their workers are safe and accounted for, while lone workers can feel secure knowing that they have a reliable safety solution in place.
Time based check ins use automated countdowns that are set to specific periods of time. Once the allocated time passes the worker will receive a request asking if they are all right. They can then confirm this or if they do not reply an alert will be sent to their supervisor informing them there is a problem.
The automation of the system means it is not reliant on a human remembering to check their employees are safe. This removes the responsibility from the supervisor or assigned ‘buddy’ and creates a safer, reliable means of checking lone working staff.
The dashboard can be accessed via laptop, iPad, smartphone or PC and shows supervisors where workers are and that they are all right. The dashboard is cloud-hosted software that allows supervisors to schedule worker’s check in times, either individually or in groups, and stay on top of when employees are working. Supervisors are also able to generate accurate reports and monitor employee safety practices.
The dashboard gives a clear, detailed map of the area each worker is in. This allows supervisors to have precise co-ordinates to send help to if a worker misses a check in or requests immediate help.
Location monitoring uses a worker’s GPS co-ordinates from their smartphone to get a precise real time location. Depending on the setting the worker has chosen on their phone, the location can be as precise as one square metre.
This function is crucial to allow a worker to be found in the quickest time possible if they are in trouble or there is a medical emergency.
Background mode allows the GPS position of a worker to be accessed without the app having to be open on the phone’s screen throughout a workers shift.
Workers are able to have their phones on them, with the lone worker app minimised, and not worry about the app closing and therefore no longer protecting them.
The Man Down/Worker Down feature works by detecting whether or not a worker has moved within a set period of time. This is usually used during high risk tasks where a worker assesses they are more vulnerable to injury.
Where a normal check in could be set for a period of hours, Man down is set for much shorter periods, (usually 5-10 minutes). This will detect a workers movement during that time and is critical to determining whether a worker has lost consciousness.
Lone Worker Monitoring is using modern technology (not clunky devices or heavy equipment) to keep your workers safe! It gives workers the ability to check in and say they are fine or to request assistance in an emergency. It also gives supervisors an exact location for a worker if they need help.
Workers are kept safe through using their GPS location in real time. This means workers are able to request help from supervisors and know that they will be able to find them. The active monitoring provided by a lone worker smartphone app can give peace of mind and a sense of security to those employees in remote locations.
Workers are only monitored while they are logged in during shifts they are working. Once they log out at the end of a shift the GPS is disabled and movement can no longer be seen.
Ok Alone’s lone worker monitoring provides a complete remote worker management platform that allows companies to monitor their lone workers in real time from any location. Workers access this technology using smartphones or any smart device with internet access. The app allows workers to check in with supervisors throughout their shifts either confirming they are fine or to ask for help.
This can be done through the Ok Alone app directly or WhatsApp. The system also includes the ability for workers to send alerts directly through text messaging or reach out via phone call if they don’t have wi-fi. Companies are provided with a personal online dashboard that shows their workers current GPS locations, in case of emergencies, and has information to create reports or show compliance with local legislation.
As an expert in lone worker content management, I possess an extensive knowledge base and experience in the area of lone working and safety monitoring. My expertise in this field encompasses a wide range of areas, including risk assessment, training, communication, and technology. I have a deep understanding of the unique risks associated with lone workers and have researched and written many projects and articles to educate people in how to mitigate these risks.
Throughout my time with Ok Alone, I have kept up to date with technological developments, legislative changes and regulations that have been introduced to help organizations ensure the safety of their lone workers.
This post was last modified on March 25, 2024 5:02 pm
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