Lone Worker Alarm Systems Ensure Employee Safety
Every employer has a legal responsibility to ensure the safety of their staff and lone workers can be at increased risk of harm or assault. A lone worker alarm system is an effective way to meet your duty of care and keep employees safe.
Our lone worker alarm systems allow employees to request help with a simple tap and are monitored by a 24/7 professional monitoring centre. Features include a panic button, timed session, GPS tracking and Man Down alerts.
GPS Tracking
Lone worker alarms are often designed with GPS tracking features. These allow a worker to send a distress signal that notifies up to 10 contacts immediately and includes their GPS location information. lone worker alarm They’re small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and use 4G cellular network coverage areas to ensure safety even when workers are mobile, working outdoors or offsite.
Lone workers are often dispatched to remote locations and can’t rely on a cell connection to communicate with their employers. Some lone worker systems use satellite technology alongside cellular to ensure connectivity and safety, even in areas without a cellular signal.
It’s important for a lone worker safety device to have GPS tracking because it helps employers comply with their duty of care obligations and provide a full audit trail for all emergency alerts. This feature also makes it easier to monitor a worker’s whereabouts and conduct live monitoring when needed.
Different industries require a different set of lone worker safety features, so it’s essential to find a solution that can offer a range of options to suit an individual’s circumstances. Some examples include a duress alarm that sends an urgent message to specified contacts when an employee feels threatened or assaulted, a man down alert which allows workers to request immediate help if they’re incapacitated and can’t communicate with their employer, and a discreet panic alarm which is useful for situations where a worker is at risk of slipping and falling.
Panic Button
Whether working alone in the field or on site, employees in retail, healthcare, school and human services settings often find themselves in situations that could become dangerous. Having the ability to activate a panic button and quickly and discreetly request assistance can help them avoid a harmful situation or even save their lives.
Typically, the press of a single button on a personal safety device or app can trigger an alarm to be sent to a designated monitor (often a manager, team or monitoring station). The panic alert will also send GPS location information if included in the system. This enables the monitor to follow an established response plan and quickly and effectively dispatch assistance.
Many lone worker devices feature adjustable man-down and fall detection, as well as customizable alarm tones and text notifications for the user. Depending on the device, some will also offer an option for a lone worker to create a duress alert by entering a PIN, which requires them to enter a code in order to cancel the alert. This feature can help a lone worker feel safe and secure no matter where they are, as long as they have a cellular signal. SHEQSY, for example, offers a lightweight and portable lone worker alarm with GPS tracking and man down/fall detection to give peace of mind.
Two-Way Communication
Many lone worker alarms also include two-way communication functions that allow workers to send out a message and request help. This feature is perfect for situations where a lone worker may need to quickly call for assistance due to a hazardous situation, such as a gas leak or other environmental risk.
A lone worker safety device with this feature will allow the user to send out an alert to their manager and a 24/7 monitoring centre through voice messaging, with the option for the device to call out an audible alarm when they activate this message. It will usually include a location map, so that anyone can respond quickly to the emergency.
Some devices will also have a man-down alert that is triggered when the device hasn’t moved for an extended period of time, indicating that the lone worker is not moving and may be unconscious or injured. These types of alerts are vital for some professions, such as those working alone in construction, mining and engineering, where a quick response to an incident can save lives.
Some lone worker safety apps and devices will also have a check-in feature that allows the lone worker to easily check in with their management team and monitoring centre at the beginning and end of their shift. This is great for businesses that need to ensure their staff has completed a shift or appointment, and for managers to check-up on how their team members are doing on site or in their workplace.
Check-In Features
The primary function of a lone worker alarm system is to provide employees who work alone a means of alerting the emergency services or their employers in the event that they are in danger. In addition to this, a lone worker alarm system also helps prevent the employee from becoming lost or trapped by sending GPS location data to the authorities.
Many lone workers operate in dangerous environments or travel between locations as part of their jobs and need to be able to communicate quickly with colleagues or clients. Lone worker alarm systems allow a user to send an alert through a push of a button, and this can be sent to a number of contacts simultaneously, along with a live video stream and GPS locations to help locate the person.
A lone worker alarm can also be activated manually through an Emergency SOS button, triggering a telephone call to 24/7 monitoring, which is then monitored for audio evidence and escalated in line with the lone worker’s escalation procedures. These can range from a call to the lone worker’s manager for discussion, to calling the police immediately if it is considered that there has been a serious incident.
The Peoplesafe Pro App allows a lone worker to check in with their employer by submitting their details via their smartphone and using pre-programmed commands such as ‘Working alone, check in’ or 'Working alone, get help'. This is an excellent alternative to manual checking in through calendar apps, and can save time and effort for a supervisor who might otherwise have to track down every single employee. personal alarm system