The Benefits of a Lone Worker App

Lone worker apps are a cost-effective way to support employees who work alone and comply with safety regulations. The right safe working app makes compliancy easy and efficient, with enhanced features that simplify management processes.

Innovative safety features include periodic check-ins, discreet duress alarm activation and GPS location monitoring. Plus, many lone worker solutions come with 24/7 emergency response services for extra peace of mind.

Safety Alerts

If your employees are constantly traveling to remote locations or working in isolated environments, lone worker apps provide valuable real-time monitoring and safety support. Designed for a simple user experience and featuring 24/7 alarm monitoring, these apps help you meet your Health & Safety at Work Act obligations while keeping staff safe and engaged.

Many lone worker apps are based on smartphone devices, meaning they can easily integrate into your employee's daily routine. Installed on their smartphone, they can perform regular welfare checks and trigger an alert if they fail to check in. This feature is crucial for keeping lone workers safe, especially as they are often at high risk from accidents and violence.

Some lone worker app providers also offer an emergency response service that can be managed by a team of trained escalation operators. Depending on your requirements, this can either be self-monitored by employees or outsourced to a BS5979 Category 2 Alarm Receiving Centre that deals with lone worker alarms as well as burglar and fire calls.

Lone worker apps use GPS to track employees’ movements and alert supervisors if they haven’t moved for a set period of time, otherwise known as a man down alert. They can also hide their location data when they are running a timed session to ensure privacy. Some lone worker app providers also provide handheld satellite devices for users that work outside of mobile coverage. These devices are ideal for lone workers that are travelling to remote locations and may need to activate a duress alert discreetly.

Panic Button

In addition to emergency alerts, lone worker apps typically include a panic button that can be triggered on-screen to immediately request assistance. This feature helps to deescalate a dangerous situation without alerting the perpetrator that help is on the way, thus increasing the chance of a quick and effective response.

A lone worker app with a panic button can be used to trigger an alarm via the phone's screen or, in some cases, using a physical device that is connected to the lone worker app via Bluetooth. Often the devices are small, discreet and can be worn around the neck or attached to keys so they are easily accessible in an emergency. They may also have an auto-shut off functionality which can be triggered by entering a PIN to prevent the device being switched off by an attacker.

A lone worker app with a built-in panic button is a great tool for retail, travel and hospitality workers who are at risk of violent or potentially harmful encounters. Panic button It can be accessed at any time and in many situations, including when an employee feels unsafe in a public area, such as on the street or outside their hotel room. In addition to the panic button, some lone worker apps offer fall detection which automatically raises an alert if the accelerometer in the user's device detects a sudden drop.

Customized Action Plans

If your organization's lone workers are at risk of injury, accidents, or worse, a lone worker app can provide peace of mind and emergency assistance. These apps help organizations stay in compliance with industry regulations and standards while also providing detailed reports on safety performance.

In addition to ensuring that employees follow their safety policies, the best lone worker apps can help prevent injuries by monitoring employee locations and activities. This ensures that lone workers are where they should be and that they are not at risk of being attacked or otherwise being put in harm’s way.

For example, a worker can use an lone working app to schedule periodic check-ins, and the system will notify them if they do not check in on time. Alternatively, an employee can use an lone worker app to alert their supervisor if they feel unsafe and the supervisor can send immediate help in case of an emergency.

A lone worker app can also enable an organization to monitor duress events using its escalation procedures, which are dictated by the company’s safety policy. For example, SHEQSY offers a flexible and automated lone worker app that makes it easy to protect lone workers and keep organizations compliant with government workplace health and safety regulations. SHEQSY’s lone worker app and management dashboard are fully customizable, with support for multiple teams and escalation processes. It also features employee-enabled location tracking and integration with discreet Bluetooth wearables, handheld satellite devices, and 24/7 monitoring services.

Location Tracking

Lone workers often operate in remote or dangerous environments where it is difficult for supervisors to get to them quickly. To mitigate these risks, a key feature of most lone worker apps is their ability to accurately track the location of their users in real-time using GPS technology. This tracking is non-invasive and offers peace of mind to employees while enabling their employers to monitor safety situations, verify duress alerts, and coordinate emergency responses.

Unlike consumer-focused personal safety apps like Life360, which allow users to share their live location with their family and friends, lone worker apps are only able to show a user’s live location when they self-initiate a monitoring session within the app. This makes it more likely that a user will be willing to use the tool and can also ensure their privacy is protected.

Many lone worker apps also use battery-saving features to limit the amount of data they consume and reduce the risk that continuous gps usage will drain the phone’s battery. They are also designed to be intuitive and easy for lone workers to use, with the goal of boosting engagement and uptake.





If you are a manager looking for an effective lone worker monitoring solution, look for an app that integrates with 24/7 professional manned response centres to verify duress alerts and coordinate emergency responses. It should also offer a variety of other features that empower employees to follow strict safety procedures, including emergency response time estimates and the ability to record significant data for reporting audits.