How to stay connected with lone workers

Lone workers aren't lone wolves, though they may feel like it when distance puts a strain on communication.?

A person working out of sight or sound from any other person is considered a lone worker. They could be:?

1. Out?in the field performing maintenance or repairs without a partner
2. A security guard, late-night cleaner or shop worker
3. Someone who travels for work (e.g. out to mine sites, house visits for patients, truck driver)

And the reality is, these people face significant risks due to the difficulty of getting help if something goes wrong.?

As HSE professionals we have a duty of care to ensure we stay connected with lone workers and safeguard them when performing their duties.?

But where do you start????

Providing a means to get help:?

High-risk tasks such as driving, working at heights, operating heavy machinery, working with aggressive or erratic clients, and more are risks many workers face. Still, the risk of being injured from these tasks has a higher likelihood of serious consequences when no one is nearby to help.?

Even a 10-minute reduction in emergency response time decreases the likelihood of fatality by 33%. So the ability for a lone worker to send for help as quickly and easily as possible is a must.?

There are a few ways to provide this:?

SOS buttons whether through a mobile app or?wearable device

• Lone worker apps and wearable devices often provide an SOS button that a lone worker can trigger easily in an emergency.?
• Mobile apps are convenient because almost everyone already owns one, so purchasing a device can be an expensive investment.?
• However, if they operate in areas without mobile coverage (which in those rural sites is quite common), the more expensive devices operate with GPS satellite technology

Check-in and escalation systems?

• You can schedule pre-determined check-in times where a lone worker needs to confirm their safety
• If a check-in is missed, their escalation contact (often their supervisor), is notified to make sure they're safe
• From there, the escalation process can continue going up in escalation contacts to the point where emergency services are contacted?and sent to the lone worker's location.?

Location monitoring software

Along with the other solutions, location monitoring is an important feature to include.?

• If an emergency does occur, it's important to know exactly where to send emergency services.?

Find out more about our new?Lone Worker Safety App

Lone Worker Risk Assessment

Identify and mitigate high-risk scenarios for your lone workers with our specialised risk assessment guide. Download here

Case Study:

The Challenge:

Sandvik was unable to effectively manage the safety of their isolated and remote workforce with their disconnected paper-based and call-in/call-out processes.?

The Solution:?

JESI’s Lone Worker module streamlined Sandvik’s safety management procedures, by consolidating the multiple sources of data they used to manage their remote worker safety.

Results:

• ?Complete visibility of workers across Sandvik’s entire operations
• ?Over $1,000 a month has been saved by switching to JESI
• ?42?hours a month is saved by eliminating manual approval processes

Find out more

HSE Snippets

Working in isolation is desired?

Google searches for isolated work in remote locations have risen by 50% as people are looking for "new experiences"?Read the article?

Lone Worker Safety Market 2023 Report

Report findings for the lone worker emergency services market discuss the influence of regions, size, COVID 19 and more.?Find out more?

Guide to Lone Worker Monitoring Systems

What should you look for in a lone worker monitoring system??Read our comprehensive guide