Lone Worker Safety

Lone worker safety is essential to the wellbeing and protection of workers who work alone at work or out in the field. Locator Beacons for tracking employees Workers working alone are especially susceptible to accidents; accidents are more likely than with teams, yet simple yet vital policies and procedures can ensure protection of lone workers.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 23 million Americans work in industries that involve solo work - such as construction workers, truck drivers, electricians and others who spend long stretches away from an office or in remote locations. This group includes construction workers, truck drivers and electricians - these workers include construction workers as well as truck drivers and electricians among many others who may spend long stretches apart from an office setting or in remote locations.
As many risks these employees encounter are unique to their jobs and environments, without anyone to turn to for assistance, it is crucial that employers pay close attention to lone worker safety when designing new work alone procedures or reviewing existing ones.
Key to ensuring the safety of lone workers is developing clear emergency arrangements, including protocols for checking-in on a regular basis, reporting incidents promptly and quickly contacting supervisors or responding to emergencies quickly. Furthermore, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and reliable communication devices that work remotely like GPS tracking, two-way communications devices and alert systems such as panic buttons should also be made available to these lone workers.
One effective strategy for increasing lone worker safety is providing employees with training that addresses both risks and response mechanisms in place. The training should take place within the workplace environment and employees should be encouraged to practice procedures so that they feel confident that they can respond appropriately in an emergency situation.
Final tip for lone workers is never undertaking tasks which cannot be safely completed in isolation. While companies may wish to save money by only paying one worker instead of two to complete a job, doing so can have serious repercussions that can prove deadly. Therefore it is vital that any worker understands all risks involved with each task they are engaged with, along with receiving proper training on relevant safety protocols, emergency response plans and safety technology provided.
No matter how comprehensive an employer's lone worker safety policies may be, ultimately it remains up to each employee to read, comprehend, remember and execute them on the job site. Tragically, many lone worker deaths could have been avoided simply by reading the policy and adhering to it.
Implementing robust lone worker safety policies is both necessary for keeping employees safe and complying with legal regulations. A risk assessment must be conducted prior to developing any policies; any established policies should then be reviewed regularly against changing conditions and any necessary revisions implemented as soon as they arise. A great way of doing this is making safety part of each employee's daily routine while encouraging dialogue on any concerns they might have and finding additional measures that would make their workplace feel safer.