Many employers wonder if the law requires them to provide lone worker panic buttons. While citations and guidance documents from agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommend them, they are not required.
Nevertheless, they can be an invaluable tool in preventing workplace violence. Here are some of the best practices for using a lone worker alarm.
1. Be Prepared
If you’re one of the many lone workers who have an inherent risk of working alone, it’s important to understand how best to protect yourself. Whether you’re a healthcare worker, a delivery driver or a hotel employee, being prepared for potential dangers is a critical step in keeping yourself safe.
As a result, it’s important for lone workers to equip themselves with safety tools such as mobile phone-compatible lone worker panic buttons. These devices are designed to allow lone workers to alert their colleagues or emergency services in an emergency situation. This can be a lifesaver for those who work in high-risk situations, such as jewellery stores, banks and betting shops where robbery or violence may occur.
For those who work remotely, a mobile phone-compatible lone worker alarm is also useful. These are often simple, discreet devices that can be used in an emergency to alert a colleague or the police. In addition to the panic button, these devices can have GPS tracking capabilities so that emergency responders can pinpoint where a staff member is.
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Some lone worker panic button solutions also include features such as motion sensors or a shake-for-emergency function that can be activated by vigorously shaking the device. This can be useful for solitary security personnel who may encounter dangerous people or for receptionists who may need to quickly call for assistance due to a person becoming unwell or aggressive.
It’s crucial for employers to consider the use of lone worker alarms as part of their overall security strategy. They should provide training to employees on how to be aware of their surroundings and the risks they face when working alone, including how to use a lone worker alarm if the need arises. Ideally, a lone worker alarm solution will be a key component of an employee’s safety system alongside other preventative measures, including appropriate clothing and equipment and regular check-ins with their colleagues. These checks can include details like the location and weather conditions, an update on their mental/physical state and any other information that could aid emergency response if needed.
2. Be Communicative
A panic button is a communication tool that communicates a distress signal to emergency contacts and monitors. It allows employees to discreetly trigger an alert without causing alarm or escalating a situation. When a worker activates their panic button, a high priority message immediately provides their location and ambient audio to the designated emergency channel in real-time.
Whether they’re realtors showing an open home, utility workers operating in dangerous or remote areas, or health nurses visiting patients in their homes, lone workers often work alone. They face unique safety challenges, but a well-designed lone worker safety program can help prevent them from becoming victims of violence and assault.
Lone worker panic buttons provide a powerful deterrent for those who might be threatening your lone employees. When a worker presses their device’s panic button or the timer on their hands-free safety solution expires, an alert is sent to the monitoring center and their emergency contacts. This gives them the confidence to know that their employer and other people are always on the lookout for them, and will respond quickly if an emergency does arise.
Most lone worker panic button solutions include GPS location tracking capabilities, which can be extremely helpful in an emergency situation. When a worker activates their device’s panic button, the software transmits their exact coordinates to emergency contacts and the monitoring centre, which can be very useful in sending the appropriate response team.
Panic buttons are also a valuable safety measure for people working in office buildings and other large spaces where they might be at risk of getting lost or disoriented. Many lone worker panic button solutions, including SHEQSY by SafetyCulture?, allow a user to raise an alert by pressing their device’s panic button or when they fail to check in within a set amount of time. This can send a real-time help request to emergency contacts and alert the monitoring centre, which can be a huge relief for office staff who are working alone.
Ultimately, a successful lone worker safety program requires a combination of technology and a detailed plan. Providing lone workers with wearable devices and a lone worker panic button is one important step, but to ensure that your team actually uses them, they must be incorporated into their daily routines. This can only be achieved through extended training that ensures a consistent and safe usage of the devices.
3. Stay in Touch
Whether a lone worker panic button is used in conjunction with two-way communication, a smartphone app, a mobile device, or a wearable panic alarm, the point is to provide a safe, quick, and easy way for employees to call for help when they need it. Many lone worker safety apps feature a dedicated emergency alert, called a Duress alarm, which immediately transmits an employee’s location and ambient audio to their manager(s) and/or their organization’s security monitoring center when triggered. Similarly, some personal panic alarms also offer the ability to activate duress via integrated devices such as handheld satellite devices (for workers who are outside of cell phone coverage) and Bluetooth wearables/panic buttons (for those who need a discreet way to trigger their device).
Many personal alarm systems and lone worker safety apps allow users to request assistance by either pressing a physical button or by setting a timed session, which automatically triggers an alarm when it expires. This feature is ideal for lone workers who need to be able to signal for help quickly and discreetly, such as those working in volatile environments like a restaurant or retail environment, or those whose roles require them to be on the edge of their comfort zone, such as security guards or delivery drivers.
Other features that make lone worker safety apps and personal panic alarms useful include man-down detection, which can be enabled in some personal panic devices to detect a period of no movement or if the device is dropped, allowing an employee to quickly alert their contacts for help. Some smartphone devices with lone worker panic buttons and duress alarms also come with fall detection, which can be set to detect falls or other accidents that may leave the device inactive for an extended period of time.
https://loneworkerdevices.com/man-down/ Having a well-planned lone worker safety strategy is essential for every business that employs a lone worker or has a remote workforce. Having a clear plan in place allows managers to make sure their employees can safely operate and, should the worst happen, helps them meet their legal duty of care to keep their staff safe.
4. Stay Safe
There are certain workplaces and industries that have unique hazards associated with them, especially when employees work alone. Lone worker safety devices like lone worker panic buttons, duress alarms and lone worker apps can be vital for these employees’ health and wellbeing. Lone workers are at a higher risk of violence and other incidents, such as burglaries and kidnappings, due to their lack of direct supervision.
These personal safety items can give a greater sense of security for lone workers, especially if they pair them with a safety app that allows users to activate their alarms in discreet ways (such as via the lock screen widget, in-app and Shake for Panic). Many lone worker apps also offer device monitoring services that alert colleagues or the emergency services to the situation without the employee having to remember their contact details. They can also track a staff member’s location, meaning that they can be reached faster.
Some lone worker apps are wireless and use GPS tracking, which is useful for those working in remote locations where WIFI or cell signal can be unreliable. Often, this kind of device will have a backup system, such as a satellite device, to ensure that the user can always call for help no matter what.
Several cities and states have passed laws requiring companies to provide lone worker staff members with devices such as GPS systems or cell phone applications that allow them to signal for assistance in case of an emergency. It is the responsibility of every business to keep its lone workers safe.
It is important to consider that a lone worker can be a contractor, an office worker or even an employee that works from home and is only alone for part of the time. There is no industry where the potential for danger is zero and this is why it’s essential that all businesses put procedures and policies in place to ensure their lone worker staff can call for help when needed.
For example, a fixed panic button can be found in jewellery stores, banks and betting shops and is linked to the security company that the store is using. This can be useful for a robbery or in the event of a violent customer, but it doesn’t help those who are working remotely or on the move. A mobile lone worker safety app is more effective, as the lone worker can activate their duress alarm on the go and from anywhere they are.
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