Take a moment and think about this worker. They operate far from the safety net of the organization, so to speak, often in isolation.
They could be gas station attendants, utility workers, security guards, or professionals in any field that require people to work independently and away from direct supervision.
What these lone workers share is a common challenge: limited access to immediate assistance or oversight when things go awry.
For this reason, lone worker safety is a conversation your business should have.
This guide is going to introduce you to the best practices that can help you put measures in place to keep your workers safe and protected as they do whatever it is they do best.
Run risk assessments beforehand
Every job role and environment has its risks. Say your employee is a field technician. They could be working at heights, be it climbing poles or ladders.
They could slip and fall. There's also the risk of electric shocks or even malfunctioning equipment if they work on power lines.
When you run risk assessments beforehand, you prepare your business and employees for all these adversities.
When running one, you need to ask yourself: What physical hazards are likely in store for your staff member?
Are they physical factors like slips, trips and falls? What about environmental risks? Is adverse weather a threat?
There's also human factors. Would they expect violence or aggression? Knowing the possible risks can help you make a safety plan to counter them.
Develop clear policies and procedures
Safe working practices, communication plans, and training programs.
These are non-negotiables when it comes to setting the stage for how your lone worker will conduct their day-to-day activities.
Since both you and your staff know the risks at hand, you need to focus on establishing a communications plan to help keep the employee and their direct supervisor abreast of what's happening.
Start with rules and procedures that guide the lone workers when they are out and about. You may decide.
The lone worker should regularly get in touch with colleagues and supervisors in case there are issues that must be addressed.
Say the member of staff is a security guard. You can have a rule that they must check in with the central control room every hour using a two-way radio.
If they fail to check in within 15 minutes of the scheduled time, the control room will initiate an emergency response.
Finally, training programs. You need to make sure that your member of staff is well-trained to recognize hazards, use equipment the right way, and to respond to emergencies.
Set up reliable communication tools
Your staff may be alone in the field, but that doesn't mean keeping them disconnected. There are many ways to keep in touch. One is through mobile app integration.
Your worker can use a dedicated mobile app to send real-time updates about their progress and any issues they encounter during the repair process.
Here's a typical flow:
As the worker begins the repair, they use the app to log their status:
"Started inspection of conveyor belt."
"Identified loose gear mechanism."
"Replaced faulty part; testing functionality."
If the app detects no movement or interaction for more than 10 minutes, it triggers an alert to the supervisor or central control room.
For example, if the worker slips and falls while repairing the machinery, rendering them unable to interact with the app, the system will automatically send an emergency notification.
Once the supervisor receives the alert, they'll review the worker's last logged location and status via GPS tracking integrated into the app.
If necessary, they dispatch another team member or emergency services to the site to assist the worker.
Use tech to keep an eye out for your staff
There is a whole host of technological tools to help take lone worker safety to the next level.
First is the GPS tools. These tech marvels can help you monitor the location of lone workers in real-time.
Say your member of staff is a delivery driver who's been assigned to transport goods across a large metropolitan area.
A GPS-enabled smartphone will help you know exactly where they are at all times.
There are also wearable devices. Modern ones come equipped with features like fall detection or inactivity sensors.
If the worker falls or for some reason becomes unresponsive, the device automatically sends an alert to the supervisor.
Investing in reliable and up-to-date worker monitoring tools or others that can do the job can go a long way.
Research the different options out in the market and go with the best fit for your business and worker needs.
Ensure proper equipment
All the tech and monitoring tools in the world may not be of much help if your staff isn't wearing the right kit or having the right tools for the job.
Start with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
If your employee is a lab technician who's around harsh chemicals every day, they need to be protected.
Provide them with goggles, gloves, lab coats, and respirators.
If they work in construction, see to it that they wear a hard hat, steel-toe boots, a high-visibility vest, and a safety harness when working at heights.
Also, make sure that any equipment provided comes with clearly translated user manuals so workers can use them safely and correctly.
Provide adequate training
Anything can happen in the distance. The least you can do is make sure your staff is well-equipped to handle themselves should the need arise.
One important skill to have is first aid and CPR training. In case there's an emergency, they can take care of themselves before professional help arrives.
Another equally important training to consider is self-defense training.
Sometimes your staff may end up in high-crime neighborhoods or find themselves in a situation where they need to de-escalate violence.
Knowing how to protect themselves can be a life and death matter. Make sure they are well-equipped.
There's also scenario-based learning. A great way to prepare your staff for adverse conditions such that when they occur, they are well-prepared to handle them.
Take care of your employees' mental health
A lone worker may find themselves constantly isolated. A result of this could be anxiety, burnout, and stress.
You should do your best to grant them access to counseling and stress management workshops. These services help them cope with emotionally demanding situations.
Social connections are another very important factor.
You can make arrangements for your staff member to join a video call with colleagues to discuss ongoing projects, share updates, and participate in informal conversations.
This can help maintain social bonds despite physical distance.
Foster a culture of safety
A culture of safety starts with an open and honest conversation.
You owe it to your business to create an environment where your staff can report unsafe conditions or incidents without fear of repercussions from their superiors.
In case that seems like a tall order, you can still put up an anonymous reporting system where workers can submit concerns or near-misses.
But it's not enough to have them report it. The management team has to acknowledge the fears and do something about it.
You could call a town hall meeting to handle it or do one-on-ones. Once you've reached a resolution, let the employee know and thank them for their input.
This is the best way to build trust in the safety protocol in your business.
Be on the right side of the law
The penalties for failing to ensure worker safety can be harsh. That's why you wouldn't want to be caught on that end of the spear.
To get this right, you must make sure you know where the law stands on this pertinent issue.
First, you need to understand the regulations on lone worker safety. It's best practice to appoint a compliance officer to research and interpret applicable regulations.
This is especially important if your business extends across states or even countries. Say you have a foot in the US and another in Europe.
You have to make sure that all US-based operations adhere to OSHA guidelines, while European branches comply with ISO standards.
If an audit establishes that part of your safety equipment doesn't cut it, quickly replace it to align with current benchmarks.
Also, revise the policies around it to make sure such incidences don't fly under the radar in future.
Regularly review and update safety measures
Safety isn't something you put into play and completely forget about. You have to keep a constant eye to make sure the measures you have in place are actually working.
If something's off, you're better off making adjustments. If something's working, double down on it.
Some of the key performance indicators you should track include incident rates, response times and compliance levels.
Keep the feedback lines open so your staff can keep you updated. Also, keep up with the changing trends.
You wouldn't want new developments cropping up in the industry and catching you unawares.
Closing thoughts
Every worker deserves to feel safe, wherever it is they end up delivering on their mandate.
That's why you should make it a priority to at least give your team that guarantee.
If this is something your organization needs, take the best practices you've seen here to heart as you lay the ground for this noble goal.
Getting it right can do a lot of good not just for your business but also the well-being of your staff.