How to Choose the Best Lone Working Devices

A good lone working solution isn’t just about equipment - it requires a robust service to monitor workers 24/7. This includes a trained monitoring team to act upon the device’s signals when employees need help.

man down alarm Many lone worker solutions include devices that clip to an employee’s safety gear or ID badge, offering features like two-way communication and GPS tracking. However, this option can be more expensive than using a smartphone app or standalone device.

Handheld Devices

Handheld devices are portable electronic gadgets like tablet computers, smart phones, personal digital assistant, calculators and digital cameras that perform a range of functions. These handheld devices are a boon for students as they help them complete assignments and other academic work in a convenient manner. They also provide a variety of additional functions that enhance the student’s learning experience.

There are a variety of handheld devices that can be used by lone workers to protect themselves from violence, aggression or accidental injury. These lone working devices include cellular or WIFI apps, bluetooth panic buttons and satellite lone worker alarms. These lone working devices can be deployed across the workplace to increase employee safety and security and reduce response times.

Using a lone worker app, which is usually downloaded onto a cellular phone, employees can instantly communicate with dispatchers and colleagues. Many lone worker apps allow workers to change the frequency of check-ins and can also be configured with a duress button for emergency alerting. They also typically feature GPS technology, which can track a worker’s location and send real-time updates to a team back at headquarters.

These types of lone worker devices offer the greatest level of convenience, as most employees will already have a device in their pocket that can be easily upgraded to a lone worker app. They also have the added advantage of being able to be used in remote areas where a mobile phone’s signal may be weak or unavailable.

Apps

Lone working apps work on portable existing devices and don't require additional hardware to be used. They use up minimal storage space, run quickly and don't waste data or drain batteries, making them a cost-effective solution for many businesses. Apps also make it easier for employees to use as they don't have to remember a separate device to bring along on shift and can be installed onto existing smartphones which are likely already in their pockets and within reach.

Apps like Loner Mobile fit into a worker's routine and replace productivity-draining check-in procedures with an easy to use system that allows them to confirm they're safe before leaving for the day, their location and their ongoing risk level. They can even change their own check-in timers if they know they're about to enter a high-risk environment. If a lone worker hasn't checked in for a predetermined time or the app senses no movement it will sound audible alerts first to avoid false alarms before automatically escalating to a live monitoring centre with GPS location information.

Lone working apps can be integrated with discreet Bluetooth wearables and handheld satellite devices for added functionality such as emergency panic buttons and specialised hazard reporting, and come with 24/7 live monitoring. The management portal is simple to access and allows managers to view real-time alerts, respond as per the escalation procedure and monitor team performance to keep employees engaged.

Modems

A modem acts as a translator between the digital language that computers and phones use and the analog signals used in wired transmissions. It modulates the digital information so it can be sent over telephone lines and then demodulates it when it receives back from a central internet hub.

Without a modem, accessing the Internet over telephone lines would be pretty difficult. This is why many Internet service providers rent modems to their customers, which also helps them manage the devices and upgrade them at regular intervals. Modems can be either external or internal and they often come in the form of black or white rectangular vertically standing boxes with blinking lights and an array of ports on the side.

Modems typically have a port for the connection to your ISP, as well as a couple of other ports that connect to your devices like routers and electronic devices. They usually accept ethernet cables, which are the same wires that power cable TV sets and run high-speed Internet connections.

The name ‘modem’ is actually a contraction of the words modulator and demodulator. The modulator part of a modem takes the digital data that needs to be sent and adds it on top of an analog signal or carrier wave so it can be transmitted over a telephone line. The demodulator part of a modem then removes the carrier wave and sends back the data to a computer in a digital format that it can understand.

Satellite Devices

If a worker’s work takes them into an area with no mobile connectivity, satellite devices offer communication, location monitoring, and duress alerting. These devices are a necessity for outdoor adventurers, workers who travel to remote locations, and anyone else that needs a reliable means of calling for help when out of reach of land-based cellular towers.

Unlike a cellular phone, which relies on cell-tower signals to bounce back and forth, satellite devices rely on specialized private networks of satellite systems that were designed for communication and data transfer (as opposed to GPS networks that specialize in pinpointing location). These devices work independently or pair with a smartphone, and most offer two-way messaging, SOS and duress alerting through GEOS, live tracks, weather forecasts, and other useful functionality.

The satellite messengers we recommend here use the Globalstar or Iridium networks—both of which offer great reliability and coverage in remote areas. Some of these devices, such as the Garmin inReach SE+ and Explorer, require a subscription similar to that of a cellular plan to operate; others, such as ZOLEO’s device, are more affordable but offer a similar array of features.

These devices are a clear step up from the personal locator beacons (PLBs) that only have one SOS button and allow you to transmit a predetermined message and GPS coordinates to an emergency response team. We recommend pairing these devices with a robust lone working software solution, such as SHEQSY, to ensure your team can easily communicate and get the assistance they need when needed.