The Best Lone Worker Safety Devices for Staffing Companies
In today's dynamic work environment, where remote workers and independent work is becoming increasingly prevalent, ensuring the personal safety and well-being of lone workers is of paramount importance. Staffing companies responsible for managing and deploying diverse workers to various locations face unique challenges in safeguarding their lone employees.
Digital transformation has brought forth a multitude of lone worker safety devices that offer enhanced protection, real-time monitoring, and quick emergency response capabilities. In this blog post, we will explore some of the essential devices that staffing companies can employ to prioritise the safety of their lone workers, empowering them with peace of mind and enabling proactive risk management.
What is Lone Worker Safety?
Lone worker safety refers to the measures and precautions taken to protect individuals who work alone or in isolation in an emergency situation. The primary concern with lone workers is their vulnerability to potential risks and emergencies. Without immediate assistance or nearby colleagues, they may face challenges in receiving help in critical situations. Therefore, lone worker safety aims to minimise these risks and ensure the well-being of individuals working alone.
Who Are Lone Workers?
A lone worker is an individual who performs their job tasks or duties without close or direct supervision or immediate access to co-workers. They work alone in various settings or industries, often in environments where they may be exposed to specific risks or hazards. They can be found in a wide range of professions, such as:
Security guards – security personnel who patrol premises, monitor surveillance systems or provide protection services.
Event staff – stewards, parking organisers, ticket collectors, first aid providers and other employees working alone or away from other staff members at an event.
Facilities management – employees who maintain or repair utility infrastructure, such as power lines or water systems.
Cleaning and janitorial services – individuals working as cleaners or janitors in commercial or residential settings often work alone.
Field service technicians – professionals who perform maintenance, repair, or installation work at remote locations or customer sites.
Construction workers – workers who perform tasks on construction sites, such as carpenters, electricians, or plumbers.
Home healthcare workers – caregivers or healthcare providers who deliver services to patients in their homes.
Delivery drivers – couriers or drivers who transport goods or provide delivery services.
Social workers – professionals who provide support or counselling services to individuals in the community.
Agricultural workers – farmers or agricultural labourers who work in fields, farms, or isolated rural areas.
Lone workers can also be found in many other areas, but the previous list aims to highlight the specific cases that staffing agencies manage from day to day.
How to Manage Lone Worker Safety?
Staffing companies should follow a comprehensive and strategic approach to protect lone workers with high standards and efficiency with the following measures:
Risk Assessments: Staffing companies should always conduct risk-assessment or ask their clients to provide the specifics in this area. This will help identify the potential hazards and risks associated with the tasks performed by lone workers. It's the basis for developing appropriate safety measures and procedures while paying staff and charging clients accordingly.
Communication Devices: It's crucial to supply lone workers with reliable lone-worker devices for communication, such as mobile phones, two-way radios, or dedicated lone-worker safety devices. These devices enable workers to maintain regular contact with supervisors, colleagues, or emergency services.
Check-In Procedures: Check-in systems require lone workers to periodically confirm their status or location. This can be done through phone calls, text messages, automated systems, or a dedicated lone worker safety device. If workers fail to check in, appropriate actions can be taken to ensure their safety.
GPS and Location Tracking: Lone worker monitoring, Utilising GPS technology or location tracking systems to monitor the whereabouts of lone workers, enabling quicker response times in case of emergencies or accidents.
Training and Education: Providing comprehensive training to lone workers, covering topics such as hazard identification, emergency procedures, self-defence techniques, and communication protocols. This equips them with the knowledge and skills necessary to mitigate risks and handle emergencies effectively.
Emergency Response Plans: Establishing clear and well-communicated emergency response plans that outline step-by-step procedures to be followed in different emergency scenarios. These plans should include contact information for emergency services and designated personnel responsible for coordinating the response.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Providing appropriate personal protective equipment based on the specific hazards workers may encounter during their duties. This can include items such as safety goggles, high-visibility clothing, protective gloves, and safety footwear.
Collaborative Partnerships: Establishing collaborations with external organisations, such as local law enforcement or security services, to enhance the safety of lone workers. This may involve sharing information, coordinating responses, or receiving additional support during critical situations.
What are Lone Worker Safety Devices?
Lone worker safety devices are meant to protect employees with two-way communication. Modern solutions consist of lone worker alarm devices for regular check-ins to provide peace of mind for management about staff safety. But there are still companies using manual methods or legacy systems for safety monitoring.
The popularity of legacy systems for managing lone worker safety has diminished over time for a good reason, as technological advancements provide more features and efficient solutions. More and more organisations are transitioning from manual, paper-based, or outdated systems to modern lone-worker safety solutions that leverage digital tools, real-time monitoring, and automated alerts.
While some organisations may still rely on legacy systems due to specific industry requirements, budget constraints, or other factors, their usage is generally less prevalent compared to modern solutions. Legacy systems often lack the comprehensive features, real-time tracking, and automated incident response capabilities provided by dedicated lone worker safety software and wearable devices.
The shift towards digital solutions has been driven by the need for more efficient safety monitoring devices, improved worker safety, regulatory compliance, and the desire to leverage technology to enhance lone worker protection. Modern solutions offer benefits such as GPS tracking, geofencing, two-way communication, and integration with central monitoring systems, providing greater visibility and responsiveness in managing lone worker safety.
PARiM Check Calls and Checkpoints System
PARiM Staff Management Software offers a comprehensive approach that combines regular check-ins and defined checkpoints. The Automated Check Calls feature ensures that lone workers regularly confirm their safety and status, providing an invaluable lifeline between workers and supervisors. This feature can be customised and set up differently for each employee. The calls will occur automatically without the need for any manual work from management.
Additionally, the Checkpoints System adds an extra layer of security by setting specific locations or routes for workers to follow. This enables real-time verification of their presence at essential checkpoints, ensuring adherence to designated routes and providing immediate alerts in case of any deviations or emergencies.
These features are highly customisable and part of a more extensive Staff Management Software system. This makes PARiM especially beneficial for more extensive staffing operations that must manage a significant number of employees and job sites simultaneously.
Pros:
Audible alarm for calls
Scalable for large operations
An integrated feature of comprehensive Staff Management Software
Checkpoints work with both NFC and iBeacon tags
Highly customisable
No per-user-pricing makes it a cost-efficient solution for larger companies
Cons
Increasing GPS accuracy needs cellular connectivity or managing smartphone settings.
Best for Large Staffing Operations
PARiM Check Calls and Checkpoints system are most suitable for security, events, hospitality and cleaning industries, especially for larger staffing organisations that need to manage multiple job sites and a large staff pool simultaneously at any given moment.
Blackline Safety Monitoring Devices
Blackline Safety's wearable devices incorporate features such as real-time alerting, fall detection, and gas detection capabilities, ensuring the safety of lone workers in hazardous environments. These devices are equipped with advanced sensors that detect sudden falls, impacts, or dangerous gases, automatically triggering alerts and notifying monitoring personnel.
Blackline Safety Solutions require dedicated equipment and software that provides a wide array of specialised features beneficial for specific industries but can ramp up costs and be too cumbersome for other staffing operations that don't benefit from these features.
Pros
Gas sensors
Fall detection
Cons
Requires specialised equipment
Very expensive and difficult to set up
Difficult to integrate into other systems
Best for Oil and Gas Industry
Lone workers in oil and gas operations, such as field technicians, inspectors, or maintenance personnel, can benefit from Blackline Safety's devices with gas sensors. These devices can monitor for hazardous gas levels and trigger alerts in case of gas leaks or exposure.
Grace Industries
Grace Industries empowers workers operating in remote or hazardous environments. These devices are specifically designed to address the unique risks lone workers face, offering features such as panic buttons, emergency alert functionality, and durable construction. With Grace Industries' devices, lone workers can quickly and discreetly notify supervisors or designated contacts in case of emergencies.
Grace Industries' lone worker devices are built to withstand challenging work environments, ensuring reliable operation even in harsh conditions. This makes it an excellent choice for specialised construction or manufacturing but can be inefficient for indoor worker protection or larger staffing operations.
Pros
Interface with SCADA system
Durable modular equipment
Panic button
Cons
Expensive
Complex set up
Suitable for particular use cases
Best for Manufacturing Facilities
Lone workers in manufacturing facilities, such as machine operators or maintenance technicians, can benefit from Grace Industries' safety devices. The panic buttons and emergency alert functionality allow them to quickly call for assistance in case of accidents, equipment malfunctions, or other emergencies.
How PARiM Benefits Your Staffing Company?
When choosing the best lone worker safety devices for your staffing company, it's also important to consider how this fits into your ongoing operations and integrates into your other solutions. This is especially crucial when managing a larger staffing organisation, as implementing and integrating many different software providers may not always go smoothly.
All-in-One Staff Management Solution
One of the most consistent challenges for larger staffing agencies is the management costs of scheduling, time clock, payroll tracking and staff data management. PARiM Staff Scheduling Software provides efficiency and automation for all of these inevitable obstacles, saving costs and time to focus your management's attention on long-term business-critical tasks such as growth and sales.
Unlimited Number of Users
PARiM provides a unique no-per-user pricing model that is especially beneficial for staffing organisations looking to scale their operations. This allows you to add as many employees, part-time staff members and temporary workforce into the PARiM database as needed to ensure that your staffing operations will be able to keep up with sales.
Access for Clients
You can provide your clients with direct access to PARiM Client Portal for real-time information about staff members, schedules, timesheets and checkpoint rounds. This will provide transparency for solidifying your customer relations. It will also reduce the need for back-and-forth calls or text messages to offer streamlined and automated communication.
