Lone Worker Alarms Help Businesses Meet Their Duty of Care

Lone worker alarms help businesses meet their duty of care when employees are working alone. These devices can include features like discreet panic buttons and GPS location tracking to alert emergency responders when a lone worker is in need of assistance.

Employees activate a device's alarm by pressing one of two calls buttons. A Tunstall GO Care Consultant then speaks with them directly from the device to provide advice and assist with their situation.

What is a Lone Worker Alarm?

For employees that work alone or remotely, a lone worker alarm can provide 24/7 monitoring and protection. The device is worn or carried by the employee and can be triggered to send an alert to a central control room (ARC). This alert will then follow a company’s escalation procedure to get in touch with management, a designated colleague or the emergency services.

Lone workers can also trigger a panic alert via a button on the device that will instantly call a buddy, employer or the emergency services. This provides extra reassurance for staff that can be at risk from violent customers or working in dangerous environments.

Other features on lone worker alarm devices include automated check ins, overtime alerts and safety checklists/forms for extra peace of mind. The ConnectMe management portal for lone worker alarms allows employers to view live alerts and access reports on serious incidents. This helps companies to better manage resource, redeploy staff where necessary and review lone worker procedures for best practice.

Lone Worker Panic Alarms

Lone worker panic alarms enable employees to call for help when they feel threatened, witness inappropriate behaviour or experience a medical or workplace emergency. They can also be useful for those working in the hospitality industry where guests or patients may become aggressive.

A lone worker panic button or safety device can be triggered at the touch of a button and will automatically send an alert to designated monitors (either colleagues, a monitoring station or the emergency services) depending on the business’s chosen response plan. Wireless devices can offer GPS location so that help is sent to the employee’s exact location, while mobile apps and a range of dedicated devices work even in areas where WIFI or cellular signal is weak.

Some lone worker alarm apps also have the option of a ‘duress’ function which can be activated by entering a false pin, giving the impression that the device has been closed but sending a duress alert to the monitoring service. This feature can also be used for lone workers in vehicles as they are driving to their destination or travelling between locations.

Lone Worker Check-In

When employees work alone it’s the employer’s responsibility to ensure they have a system in place that allows for regular lone worker check-ins. This can be done via an app on a mobile phone, a bespoke device worn by the employee (such as a panic button or two-way radio) or even a dedicated monitoring centre.

lone worker personal alarms With manual systems, lone workers are required to contact their supervisor or manager at a specific time or interval in order to confirm they are safe and accounted for. These call or check-in procedures are often inefficient and degrade employee and supervisor productivity.

Automated lone worker monitoring apps avoid this drain on value and offer far greater capability for incident detection, locating staff and response management. They can also be used to monitor the physical wellbeing of lone working staff by registering falls and vibrations. Designed to work on smartphones, these safety apps are often easier for staff to engage with than traditional check-in processes and many offer GPS technology.

Lone Worker Incapacitation Alarms

Lone worker alarm solutions that include fall detection and man down can help workers in remote areas or at heights to signal for assistance in the event of a fall. Some alarms can also notify a user’s contacts if they are unresponsive for a pre-defined time period.

In addition, a modern lone worker safety device like AlertMedia allows employees to set up a timed session on their smartphone app that automatically notifies law enforcement and supervisors if they don’t end the session within a certain amount of time. This feature helps to eliminate the manual process of calling for emergency assistance.

Planning and preparing for unforeseen situations is crucial to ensure a lone worker’s safety. It is recommended that organizations carry out a full lone working risk assessment to identify potential hazards and risks, so they can be addressed by the appropriate lone work safety solution. This includes implementing a comprehensive lone worker alarm policy, and choosing the best lone work alarm device for your employees.