Notes

Lone Worker Support Boosts Productivity
Lone workers who feel secure and cared for are more productive. Tunstall’s lone worker solutions help businesses to boost productivity by reliably protecting isolated employees.

Effective lone worker support requires clear safety guidelines and procedures including regular check-ins, protocols for reporting incidents and emergencies, and equipment training. Lone workers should also be aware of the physical risks associated with their work.
Identifying Lone Workers

Working alone can present many risks to employees who don’t have colleagues around to spot a potential danger, offer assistance or help in the event of an accident. In some instances, this could even prove fatal. This is why it’s important to identify your lone workers and make sure they receive the right level of support to keep them safe.

The first step in this is creating a lone worker procedure that details how staff should work alone and provides them with steps to follow if they ever feel unsafe or uncomfortable while on the job. This should be distributed to employees and regularly updated as procedures change. It’s also worth conducting a one-to-one interview with your lone working staff to uncover any specific concerns or experiences that have made them feel uncomfortable while working alone.

Once a lone worker procedure is in place, it’s essential that it is followed and this should be monitored by senior management. Employees should be given clear instructions on how to check-in and when to do so, and it’s crucial that any lone worker solution you use incorporates automatic check-in functionality. Any time an employee misses a check-in or exceeds their activity or shift times, you should receive a notification. Lone worker solutions like SHEQSY enable you to receive real-time notifications and can even be programmed to automatically activate a duress alarm should an employee require urgent attention.

A lack of immediate assistance is often cited as the main reason why lone working accidents occur. Employees may struggle to call for help if they are unconscious or in severe shock, so it’s crucial that the right procedures are in place. This includes having a backup system such as the lone worker app and having an evacuation plan for remote or unmanned locations in case of an emergency.

A lone working policy should be created and implemented as part of an employer’s duty of care to their staff, especially those who are at a greater risk of injury or ill health due to their working conditions. This is especially true for those who do not have colleagues in close proximity to provide assistance or support if something goes wrong, such as self-employed contractors or private hire drivers.
Training

Lone workers include anyone who works alone for periods of time, from nurses doing in-home visits to service techs completing isolated repairs on equipment or construction work onsite. They are often at greater risk than their colleagues because they do not have the benefit of a coworker nearby to help them in an emergency or deescalate a situation. The first step in ensuring their safety is providing the proper training for each type of emergency they may encounter.

Lone worker training should include instruction on effective communication protocols and the use of emergency notification devices for check-ins and alerting. In addition, they should be trained on how to scan their environment for any possible hazards that could affect their safety and the steps they must take to mitigate those risks. Emergency response training is also vital, ensuring that they have the knowledge and skills to react swiftly in case of an incident.

Once the necessary training has been provided, organizations should implement and communicate a policy on working alone. This should be clear and specific about the arrangements that are in place to protect employees when they are working alone, who is responsible for implementing those arrangements, and what will happen if an employee experiences an incident while working alone.

Finally, a company should consider the physical well-being of its lone workers. This involves educating them on how to keep themselves healthy while working alone, including tips on how to prevent heat stress, fatigue and physical health problems. It may also be helpful to provide a range of educational safety resources for lone workers, such as posters and reminders on how to stay safe when working alone.

Lastly, companies should be transparent with their lone workers on monitoring and the use of location data to ensure that they are aware of how their information will be used. This includes ensuring that they know who will be able to access their information and if it will be viewed in real-time. Keeping employees informed about how their data will be used allows them to make an informed decision on whether it is suitable for their role and also helps to avoid any misunderstandings or false alarms in emergencies.
Man Down Devices Monitoring

Lone workers can be exposed to a variety of risks. It is important to have a system that will facilitate the communication between them and managing staff of the company/organisation in case they need to seek help or alert them of an incident. This way they can ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to keep them safe.

The most effective monitoring and support process for lone workers is an automated system. This will remove the need for a supervisor or assigned buddy to call each worker to check they are safe. Rather, time-based check ins will send an automated message to the worker asking them to reply with a short period of time. The system will then check that they have responded and if not, will trigger the emergency response procedures.

These lone worker monitoring systems are fully scalable to suit your organisation’s needs and are compatible with any smartphone or mobile device. They can also include features like covert panic alarms and GPS to pinpoint the location of your lone worker in an emergency. These systems are designed to provide the right balance of flexibility, reliability and functionality.

Once you have a good system in place, you must be consistent and thorough in your risk assessments. It is also necessary to regularly review your lone worker policies and procedures because working conditions are constantly changing. You may discover new hazards or that your existing ones have not been adequately controlled by the controls you have put in place.

Lone working can be challenging for employees, especially when they work in remote locations and are away from the office set up. However, the employer must be sure to make it clear to their workers what they are responsible for and how to contact them in an emergency. They should also provide training on how to use their personal safety devices. Often, this will also include a demonstration of alternative methods for communicating with the organisation in case the device is not available or has no signal in remote areas. The device should also have the option for the lone worker to press an immediate SOS alarm to trigger emergency procedures.
Communication

Lone workers are often isolated from colleagues or managers and may feel that they don’t have the means to communicate safety issues or concerns. This can lead to stress and low morale and may also affect the quality of their work. In some cases, a lack of communication can lead to a serious incident and a possible loss of life.

Employers should implement clear communication protocols that ensure lone workers check in regularly with supervisors or designated contacts and are aware of the emergency response procedures in place. This will help to ensure that they are able to raise the alarm in an emergency situation, and that any action taken is timely. Additionally, a communication system that allows for multichannel functionality will improve the chances that a lone worker can be reached in an emergency situation.

Using a lone working solution, such as SHEQSY’s simple, smart and reliable lone worker app, will give employees the ability to report incidents and provide employers with a complete record of an employee’s safety. The app provides a quick duress activation button, regular check-ins, hazard reporting and calendar scheduling, as well as a lone worker panic alarm that can be activated quickly in the event of an attack or an untoward incident.

In addition to implementing a lone worker safety solution, businesses should develop clear emergency response procedures and document them. These can be aligned with a company’s existing incident management process or documented if one does not already exist. In a worst case scenario, a company’s lone worker policies should be followed by their Asset Protection team in order to ensure an appropriate level of response in an emergency.

Lone workers face unique risks in a variety of environments and industries, from making curbside deliveries late at night to working on cell tower sites in remote locations. As such, a lone worker support strategy should be tailored to the specific needs of each business and should include training, clear communication protocols and a range of safety devices. By taking these steps, companies can keep their lone workers safe and productive.
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