Lone Worker Devices

Lone worker devices are personal safety solutions that can include a wide range of features from covert duress triggering to automated check-ins. They can be worn discreetly and provide an essential lifeline for employees who need to be alerted to their location if they require help.

Ideally, you’ll look for a device that’s integrated into your lone worker policy and backed up by an emergency response centre. This will make sure your lone workers are fully protected from any potential threat or accident.

Standalone

Lone worker devices are a discreet and undetectable way for employees to communicate with their employers or, in serious situations, emergency services. They’re used in a wide variety of sectors to give staff reassurance and confidence that help is just a button press away.

When choosing a standalone device, consider your company’s specific needs and nuances. You may need to customize features like sending alert calls to a particular number, or want the option for an alarm to be silent. You may also want to reduce the countdown time between when an alert call is sent and when it’s answered by an emergency response operator. Look for a solution that offers customization so you can optimize safety for your workers in the unique environments they’re working in.

Standalone devices can be worn around the neck or attached to keys, and they offer the advantage of being more discrete than a mobile phone. Some even have a small speaker so they can make voice calls if necessary. However, standalone devices can be expensive because they often include a fee for the device itself, SIM charges and a monthly fee to the service provider. Many of them are also quite bulky and might not work for some workers, especially those who must use their hands for their job. This is why many businesses choose to use apps that can be downloaded to existing mobile phones or tablets to create a lone worker safety solution.

Clip-on

Adding a safety device to mobile devices employees already own means they can use these familiar tools to perform a number of essential functions. Typically, this includes periodic check-ins, fall detection, two-way communication and GPS tracking/location.

Many lone worker apps and devices are connected to wireless panic buttons that allow staff to signal for help quickly and discreetly. Often these are small enough to clip on to a person’s clothing or even their keychain. They also don’t require WIFI or cellular to work and have an impressive battery life.

When the button is pressed it can send an emergency alert with the employee’s GPS location to their monitor. lone worker tracking devices This enables security or colleagues to respond to the situation as soon as possible.

Other useful lone worker monitoring features include a fall detector (for those at risk of falling), no motion alert and a silent emergency alarm. This is important because falls are one of the most common workplace injuries and accidents in the US and Canada.

Consider whether a lone worker monitoring app or device is right for your business. Many solutions are easy to install and can be loaded on an existing smartphone or tablet. If you do opt for a standalone device make sure it includes a panic button and 24/7 monitoring to ensure your team is always connected and protected.

Two-way

If your lone workers must travel long distances and may not have access to cellular coverage, you should consider satellite-based solutions. They can pinpoint a worker’s location and sometimes offer two-way communication, depending on the device. Some are small enough to fit into a backpack or other carrying device.

Standalone devices often include a built-in timer that activates an alarm after a set period of time – if no signal is received from the user, a response team is notified to begin searching for them. Some also include a fall detection feature, which detects when a user has fallen or is not moving for a prolonged period of time and automatically triggers an alert.

Other lone worker devices come in the form of an app that transforms the user’s mobile phone into a lone worker device. This type of solution offers a variety of features in a familiar and easy-to-use format, such as one-button SOS, discreet panic, geo-fencing and GPS tracking/locating, man down alerts and recorded voice notes.

A good lone worker device will allow employees to feel safe at work, and will enable managers to ensure that all safety protocols are being followed by their staff. In addition, a robust lone worker solution can help businesses comply with government workplace health and safety laws and prevent unnecessary accidents and injuries by responding quickly to emergencies.

Satellite

Lone workers who are outside of mobile coverage, or in remote and isolated locations will require a satellite-based device to keep them connected. These devices like SPOT or Garmin inReach provide 100% global satellite network coverage, enabling employees to connect and communicate with monitoring personnel via their smartphones (with lone worker safety apps), or standalone GPS communicators and handhelds. These devices integrate with the cloud-based SHEQSY lone worker app, providing users with one-touch emergency response, periodic check-ins, escalation plans and real-time duress notifications.

Locator Beacons for tracking employees Designed for outdoor use, these devices are powerful tools in an emergency and are a must-have for anyone who needs to be protected while working alone. Using GPS technology, the devices automatically send the user’s location to alarm receiving centres at regular intervals. This allows the ARC to locate the device if it is activated and take immediate action.

The latest lone worker device from Globalstar, the X, enables two-way satellite messaging and provides a powerful tool for workers who require more than just one-touch emergency response. The X is designed to be worn discreetly, allowing it to be used in situations where workers need to communicate without drawing attention to themselves. The X can be used with the SHEQSY lone worker safety app, and features GPS location tracking, two-way messaging, a long battery life, and the ability to trigger an SOS alert and duress notifications.