Choosing the Right Lone Worker Device for Your Business
Lone workers face significant challenges when it comes to workplace safety, as they aren’t in the presence of colleagues to watch out for them or help in an emergency. These risks may include being targeted by a criminal, having a medical emergency or experiencing an accident. Lone worker devices are essential for keeping lone workers safe in these types of scenarios.
When selecting a lone worker device for your business, you’ll want to look for durable equipment that is resistant to moisture, dust and shocks. It’s important to choose a model that is simple to operate as well. Workers will need to be able to clip the device onto their safety suit or ID badge so they can easily access it when needed. Most of these lone worker devices have features such as man down detection, GPS tracking and two-way communication.
Before purchasing a lone worker device, it’s best to conduct a risk assessment for your employees. You’ll need to understand the threats that they will encounter on a regular basis and identify any actions that can be taken to mitigate those risks. For example, if you employ home health care nurses, their primary threat might be walking through unfamiliar neighborhoods or dealing with dangerous chemicals.
Once you’ve conducted a risk assessment, it’s also recommended to consult with your lone workers about whether they would feel safer if issued with a lone worker device. This consultation will show that you value their opinions and demonstrate that you have their safety in mind. It will also give you a chance to ask them what specific features they would like in their safety device.
The most advanced lone worker devices come with a manual patented emergency SOS latch that generates an instant visible and audible alarm to alert monitoring personnel. lone working devices of these devices also feature panic and duress alarms that can be triggered manually or automatically when the worker loses consciousness or experiences a severe physical injury. Some models also have a fall detection sensor that can trigger an alarm if the worker falls or is immobilized.
Another key feature of these devices is that they can connect to a central monitoring station over satellite or cellular networks. This allows supervisors to monitor the location of a lone worker when an alert is triggered and improve response times in a crisis situation. These lone worker devices can be used standalone or integrated with other devices and solutions such as the SHEQSY lone worker system.
