Personal Safety Devices For Lone Workers
A personal safety device for lone workers empowers them to swiftly activate a duress alarm, and provides an avenue to communicate their location in real-time. They can include features like two-way communication, GPS tracking and more.
Whether they’re home health nurses, police officers or electrical workers, each type of lone worker faces unique threats. To best protect employees, managers need to understand which devices are most effective.
Whistles
A whistle is a useful tool that can be used by lone workers to signal for help. It can be blown easily and is loud enough to be heard from far away. It can also be used in conjunction with other safety devices. Whistles are often used by hikers, but they can be used by anyone who works alone. These devices are a great addition to any workplace.
Many lone worker safety systems come in the form of downloadable apps that are used on ubiquitous smartphones and other devices. These apps offer a variety of features that include emergency alarm activation and alerting, GPS location tracking and periodic well-being check-ins.
Lone workers can face a wide range of threats, depending on their specific job role. For example, home health care nurses can find themselves in unfamiliar neighborhoods that could pose a threat, while electrical workers might be working around high voltage.
It’s important to determine the primary risks for your lone workers so you can choose the best device to protect them. For example, if fall detection is one of the main risks, it’s essential to ensure your lone worker safety device has this feature. personal alarms It should also have a no-motion alert that will request help when the employee can’t do it for themselves. Lastly, if your lone workers are required to work in remote locations without cell service, then you’ll want to consider using handheld satellite devices that allow them to signal for help and offer two-way communication.
GPS Trackers
When mobile workers are working alone, it’s crucial for them to be able to call for help at any time. Personal safety systems – also known as lone worker devices – include a range of technologies that can be worn or carried. These can include GPS trackers, fall detection and man down alarms, and more.
GPS trackers are useful for lone workers, as they allow them to be constantly monitored from a central location, ensuring that they can always request help if needed. These systems can use a variety of methods for monitoring the lone worker, including text messaging, two-way voice communication, and more.
A lone worker device can also include a panic button that is used to signal an emergency to a remote monitor. These can be used by field service technicians who may need to work in remote locations, security guards who might be confronted by an aggressor and need a discreet way to contact their supervisor, or other workers who may find themselves in dangerous situations outside of their comfort zone.
Teltonika’s GH5200 personal autonomous GPS tracker is one of the most reliable lone worker safety devices available today, as it provides employees with a practical and effective way to contact their supervisor for assistance. This helps to boost employee morale and loyalty, as they know that their employer cares about their safety.
Worn Devices
Workers can clip a personal safety device on to their clothing, ID badge or other place to get immediate support if they encounter a threat. These devices usually include a button that, when pressed, activates an alarm and alerts the appropriate contacts. Depending on the product, it may also detect gas wirelessly or offer two-way communication and GPS location.
These tools are designed to bolster the well-being of employees who work alone or in remote locations. They incorporate features such as panic alarms, check-in systems and GPS tracking to provide a sense of security for vulnerable employees.
Comprehensive lone worker solutions, like G7 lone worker monitoring, incorporate these types of devices to ensure employee safety. This includes the option to activate a panic alarm via a manual patented emergency latch and automatic alarms for person-down events or when a team member misses a scheduled wellness check-in.
Other devices are carried rather than worn and can be retrieved when needed, but they require workers to remember to bring them from job to job and ensure they are charged. They are especially effective for those who are unable or unwilling to wear a device. This includes frontline staff in healthcare and correctional facilities, retail and hospitality workers as well as lone workers who are vulnerable to physical or verbal assault.
Carry Devices
Lone workers face many threats while they're at work, from unfamiliar neighborhoods for home health care nurses to high voltages for electricians or dangerous chemicals for lab personnel. To ensure that they can quickly reach someone for help, personal safety devices enable a diverse range of professionals to signal for assistance.
Employers can offer a wide range of personal safety devices that feature alarms, check-in systems and GPS tracking to keep employees safe. Some even provide communication tools like discreet panic alerts and two-way audio. Some are handheld or wearable while others clip to clothing, ID badges and hard hats, or attach to bags or backpacks.
However, a major drawback of these types of devices is that they require workers to remember to bring them with them from one job to the next and to ensure they're fully charged. Plus, they run the risk of being inaccessible when a threat arises because they must be worn or carried on the person.
A more intuitive option is a smartphone app that enables workers to signal for help while at work. These apps can be downloaded to CAT rugged smartphones and Garmin InReach satellite devices, and they work with internal cellular radios to track worker locations. They can also offer features like discreet panic alerts, automatic emergency detection and man-down alerts.
