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How to Choose the Right Lone Worker Device for Your Construction Business
Lone workers face elevated risks as a result of their isolation, but you can put structures in place to support them. This includes carrying out a risk assessment, providing personal safety devices and running health and safety training programs.

Look for a device that offers automatic failover connectivity, whether through cellular or satellite. This ensures your lone workers can always get help in an emergency.
Identify Your Minimum User Requirements

Lone worker devices come in all shapes and sizes, from a smartphone equipped with a lone worker safety app to satellite-based devices that pinpoint workers’ locations. While each type has its own unique features, it’s important to think about who will be using the device and what their needs are. For example, are your employees used to working with specialized equipment and are they comfortable with adding a new tool to their toolkit? If so, they may be more willing to embrace a user-friendly solution than someone who isn’t.


Additionally, consider the types of threats that could impact a single worker, such as inappropriate behavior from guests or customers, medical emergencies, workplace accidents or natural disasters. Some lone worker devices include a panic button that can be triggered to alert colleagues of an emergency. This feature can be particularly useful for hospitality and healthcare employees who work alone, as they can discreetly call for help without their patients or customers noticing.

If you’re looking for a lone worker monitoring solution that will also make your construction team more productive, look for a solution that includes time tracking tools, digital timesheets and tools like time off and PTO management to streamline payroll processes. Streamlining daily operations will save you money on labor costs and allow you to stay on track with your budgets.
Decide on a Monitoring Provider

You need a monitoring solution that will fit seamlessly into your construction employees' daily routines and work with their existing devices. Lone worker safety devices come in many different forms including smartphones (lone worker apps), Bluetooth buttons, or portable satellite devices and can be used for various purposes such as panic/emergency alerting, GPS location sharing, and scheduled well-being check-ins.

The device you choose needs to be quick and durable. Your workers won’t want a device that takes too long to initiate an alarm or is flimsy enough to be damaged or dropped. It also can’t be reliant on cellular or internet, as you need something that will provide communication and assistance even when the network is down.

Look for a lone worker safety device that provides all of the functionality you need in one device. This will reduce the likelihood that a worker will lose, forget, or run out of power for a crucial device like a lone worker safety app or other safety gear. For example, a lone worker safety device that incorporates GPS tracking, emergency alarms, man down alerts, and gas detection with live monitoring is ideal for remote construction jobs.

Lone workers are often in dangerous situations when they trigger an alert, so you need to ensure they will receive immediate help from a BS8484 accredited 24/7 alarm receiving center. Look for a solution that offers both live monitoring and instant text and voice messaging, so you can get in touch with your lone workers quickly if they need to.
Decide on a Monitoring Plan

Once you’ve analyzed the minimum user requirements, it’s time to think about what features you want your solution to have. Lone workers face unique threats depending on their job description – home health care nurses might have to work in unfamiliar neighborhoods, electrical workers may encounter high voltage, and lab staff may have dangerous chemicals in the room. Each of these scenarios requires a different type of monitoring device.

In general, you’ll need to decide if you want your workers to be able to call for help themselves or if you prefer that they be monitored 24/7. If you opt for a device that offers both, it’s important to have automatic failover connectivity. This ensures that if your worker experiences a problem such as an H2S alarm or the device-initiated alert (man down), law enforcement or another professional can be on the way to assist immediately.

Some lone workers also prefer to signal for assistance by simply hitting their panic button or letting their monitoring session expire. This is important because they could be in a life-threatening situation and are not likely to be able to calmly dial 911 or notify law enforcement themselves. In these cases, it’s imperative that they be fully monitored so they don’t have to worry about getting the authorities involved themselves – a monitoring professional can handle it for them.
Decide on a Monitoring Device

When choosing a device, consider whether your employees are used to working with specialized equipment or not. If they're already overburdened with devices, they may not welcome a new addition to their tools. Alternatively, if you can find a solution that doesn't require any hardware beyond the worker's smartphone, they might be more inclined to accept it.

In some cases, it might be difficult for your workers to dial 911 in a panic or emergency situation, particularly when they're injured or experiencing physical trauma. This is why lone worker devices with fall detection functionality are essential. Mercari Technologies man down alarm device When activated, these devices send an alert to the monitoring centre that an employee has fallen and requires help.

Many of your employees will also be working in locations where cellular service is unavailable or unreliable. To address this issue, there are portable satellite devices available that offer a means of communication and assistance to lone workers even in remote areas.

Finally, it's important that your lone workers are comfortable using their device and can easily reach the button in an emergency. Look for a device that is discreet and easy to use, with a large, clearly labeled button. Visibly displaying that the device is active can also deter would-be aggressors and prevent escalations from occurring. You can also opt for a device that uses augmented reality to display an alert to those in the vicinity, such as a colleague or family member.

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