Have you heard of lone worker solutions but aren't sure what they are, how they work and if you really need one?
All too often we hear of managers using mobile phones, Microsoft Teams or WhatsApp to keep in contact with their lone workers. Whilst this might sound like you have it covered, what happens if your lone workers are injured, stuck or unable to speak - how will they communicate with you that something is wrong? And with no means of quickly alerting someone to an emergency how long could they be left for without help? This is where lone worker solutions are invaluable.
A lone worker solution is a dedicated, robust, safe system of work - keeping people working alone safe and providing peace of mind and reassurance to managers, lone workers and their families.
A lone worker solution gives those working alone a way to immediately raise an SOS alarm in the event of an emergency and managers a way to quickly respond to, monitor and report on incidents.
A lone worker solution is usually a combination of a product or app, a management system, aftercare support and in some cases, an alarm receiving centre (ARC). Without one or another the solution is unlikely to be comprehensive enough to support the needs of you and your lone workers.
Lone worker solutions are important because they;
WhatsApp is primarily used for casual communication, whereas a lone worker device is built specifically for providing reassurance, alerting someone to, and ensuring a quick response to, an emergency situation.
Whilst WhatsApp can be used by an organisation to check in with colleagues it cannot mitigate the risks for employees working alone. This is because it cannot actively monitor, respond to or report on incidents or emergencies.
Lone worker solutions also offer a range of functionalities to provide added safety & reassurance to lone workers and their managers, including; a dedicated SOS button, automated alarms (e.g. in the event of a fall), the ability to set timers and location tracking. WhatsApp does not have these functionalities.
As part of your lone worker policy, you will need to identify the systems and equipment your lone workers need to conduct their job safely. A lone worker solution may be included in this. If you haven't already written your lone worker policy we can help with this.
A lone worker solution combines:
If a lone worker has an accident or finds themself in danger an alarm can be raised to alert a manager or colleague to this. In the event of an alarm being raised;
*If using an ARC they will only alert the emergency services if there is a genuine emergency, not for every alarm received.
All lone worker devices and apps feature an SOS button which can be pressed to manually raise an alarm. In addition each lone worker device has different functions that will mitigate the risks identified dependent on job role. Therefore an alarm can also be raised when;
Alarms are answered by either;
This will be decided when you first set up your lone worker solution.
If a manager/colleague/security team are designated to answer alarms they will be alerted by automated phone call, text message and email one by one, until action is taken or everyone in the lone worker's escalation chain have been contacted. In this case your organisation is responsible for contacting the lone worker who has raised an alarm to check they are safe. This can be done by going to their location (shown in The OWL portal) or by calling them. In the event of a false alarm a manager will need to log in to the OWL portal to close down the alarm.
If the ARC are designated to answer alarms, when the alarm is raised this will direct a two-way voice call to the ARC. The ARC will call several times, will remain silent for a couple of seconds and then will try to speak to the lone worker to ascertain the situation and decide on the best course of action. This may be contacting the lone workers' colleagues, next of kin or the emergency services. If a false alarm has been raised the ARC will simply ask for the lone worker's PIN number and close down the alarm. If the ARC need to pass responsibility over to someone in the worker's organisation, a manager will need to log in to the OWL portal to manage the alarms once the lone worker has been attended to and is safe.
A lone worker management system is an operating system used by employers to monitor the safety of their lone workers. Here at LONEALERT, our lone worker management system is known as The OWL. Lone worker management systems are connected with the devices and apps used by lone workers within an organisation so that employers can:
An emergency response procedure is a set of instructions to follow in the event of an emergency. Before you can use a lone worker solution you will need to consider your emergency response procedure.
A critical part of this is who will be contacted in the event of an emergency. Your lone worker solution provider can help you with this and help you to set this up in your lone worker management system and ensure your lone worker apps and devices are configured accordingly. They can also assist you should you need to alter this at any time (for example during holiday time or if a staff member changes).
The cost of a LONEALERT lone worker solution starts from as little as £102 per worker, per year. Pricing varies depending on the functionalities you require and therefore the type of device(s) you purchase. Payment is flexible; choose from monthly or upfront payments - whichever is best for you.