TL;DR
- Lone workers often face distinct risks and challenges due to remote locations, odd hours, and a lack of immediate assistance from others.
- Taking care of their safety is essential for worker well-being, business continuity, cost control, regulatory compliance, brand reputation, etc.
- Common risks for solo workers include falls, violence, isolation, medical emergencies, etc.
- Best practices for lone worker safety include risk assessments, emergency response training, strong communication, monitoring, etc.
- Solo worker monitoring solutions encompass wearables, mobile apps, centralized systems, and two-way communication devices.
- Safety equipment for lone workers often includes high-visibility vests, personal alarms, fall sensors, and rugged communication hardware.
- Neglecting the safety of solo workers can lead to regulatory citations, penalties, lawsuits, and high workers’ compensation costs.
How Employers Can Guarantee Lone Worker Safety
Employees in sectors like healthcare, fieldwork, delivery services, and utilities often work alone, without direct supervision or the presence of a team. This creates a unique set of risks, especially when they are the only person on site, operating in remote locations, or working during late or irregular hours. These conditions make it critical for employers to treat lone worker safety as a core responsibility.
Prioritizing safety strengthens worker well-being, ensures compliance with required regulations, and protects the organization from lawsuits, penalties, and reputation damage. It also supports employee retention by showing that their safety is non-negotiable.
With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at lone worker safety: the risks involved, the best practices for managing those risks, the monitoring tools available, and the regulatory obligations every employer should be aware of.
Common Risks Faced By Lone Workers
While lone workers encounter the same risks as other employees, the consequences can escalate for them since no immediate help is available. Common risks include:
- Trips, Slips, and Falls: These are the most common workplace injuries. About 21% of preventable injury-related fatalities happen due to falls. Lone workers can slip on slippery floors, trip on uneven surfaces, or fall from scaffolds.
- Medical Emergencies: Lone workers might suddenly faint, experience a heart attack, or become incapacitated in some other way.
- Harassment or Violence: In unsecured environments or roles that require public interaction, lone workers might be exposed to violence or harassment.
- Exposure to Hazards: A delivery driver navigating a locality known for serious crimes is at a higher risk of harm than other similar lone workers in safer areas. Similarly, someone working on power lines in a desolate region is at a higher risk than a comparable worker in a city.
- Stress, Tiredness, and Isolation: Access to fewer resources, lack of team support, and additional work pressure can impact lone workers both physically and mentally. They might also spot and respond to emergencies slowly.
Best Practices for Lone Worker Safety
The following best practices can help you protect lone workers:
- Conduct Risk Assessments: Assess the concerned site or task’s potential hazards before deploying lone workers. Figure out what kind of controls are required.
- Ensure Communication Protocols Are Clear: Define in advance who the lone worker will report to, what devices they will use, and when they will check in. Communication and backup methods must be two-way, like mobile apps and satellite phones.
- Establish Procedures for Check-In and Check-Out: Make sure workers check in when the shift starts and check out when it’s over. They should also log timings and locations. In the event of failed check-ins, set up a system that sends automatic reminders.
- Train on Situational Awareness and Emergency Response: Train lone workers to stay aware of their situation in isolated environments. They should be aware of the risks of isolation, exhaustion, and environmental hazards. They must also understand how to respond to emergencies, whether calling for help or pressing a panic button.
- Create a Safety Policy: Put together a policy that specifies who is deemed a lone worker, necessary devices and controls, and incident handling and emergency response procedures. Formalize it for the sake of organizational accountability and consistency.
- Regularly Monitor and Update: From time to time, review everything from check-in logs and incidents to usage of devices and worker feedback. This will help you tweak risk assessments and training.
Effective Solutions for Lone Worker Monitoring
Tech-powered lone worker safety solutions help minimize hazard oversight and improve emergency response:
- Mobile Apps (GPS Tracking Included): With these, supervisors can obtain real-time visibility into the status of a lone worker. Such mobile apps also come with features like scheduled reminders, check-in and check-out logs, panic buttons, etc.
- Wearable Devices: These smart bands, badges, and similar wearable devices detect abrupt movements like falls and even a lack of motion for a set duration. They send automatic alerts, which helps especially when a worker is unable to trigger them themselves.
- Two-Way Communication Devices: Radios and mobile phones equipped with an emergency button can enable lone workers to seek help quickly. However, two-way devices are a better idea these days, as these facilitate automatic escalation monitoring, logging, and encryption.
- Centralized Systems for Monitoring: A central platform that consolidates check-in logs, status updates, location data, and device alerts for solo workers can help safety teams respond quickly in emergencies. Real-time monitoring reduces response time in the event of an issue.
Lone Worker Safety: Protection Equipment and Devices
Although lone worker safety solutions in the form of protective gear differ across industries and risk profiles, the following remain widely used:
- Emergency Buttons and Personal Alarms: These are pocket-sized, easy to carry and use, and send alerts to a supervisor or monitoring establishment.
- High-Visibility Safety Vests: These vests strengthen visibility and help minimize the risk of collisions or accidents for utility or delivery workers.
- Hazard Detectors: Portable or wearable detectors keep solo workers safe against low oxygen, noxious gases, and other dangers in risky environments.
- Sensors for Fall Detection: Fall sensors protect workers at heights by detecting falls the moment they happen and sending alerts right away.
- Rugged Communication Hardware: Designed to withstand rough terrains, rugged communication devices come with long battery life and are perfect for emergencies in remote sites.
Remember that the device you choose should align with the nature of the job, the work environment, the assessed risks, and the communication infrastructure.
Legal and Regulatory Considerations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s General Duty Clause mandates every employer to eliminate recognized hazards in the workplace, including those that affect employees working alone. This means you have a clear responsibility to identify and address every risk a lone worker may face. OSHA also enforces specific standards for high-risk situations where working alone is restricted, such as near energized equipment or inside confined spaces. Several states also mandate workplace violence prevention plans that explicitly include solo workers.
Failing to act is not an option. Overlooking lone worker safety guidelines puts lives at risk, drives up workers’ compensation costs, and exposes your organization to costly citations and legal consequences. Prioritizing safety protects your people and your business.
Also Read: OSHA Standards: A Comprehensive Guide to Workplace Safety & Compliance
Conclusion
Common workplace injuries, such as falls, slips, cuts, burns, and sprains, affect many employees across various industries. However, the risk is particularly high for solo workers, as they often lack immediate supervision or support from colleagues.
As an employer, it is essential to be proactive about lone worker safety by implementing risk assessments, formal policies, training, monitoring, and providing appropriate protective equipment. You must also stay informed about regulatory frameworks to avoid penalties and protect your organization’s reputation.
Partner with WorkPartners USA to Ensure Remote Medical Assistance for Lone Workers
Immediate medical attention is crucial for solo workers in the event of injuries and other medical emergencies. However, the lack of immediate assistance or lonely sites makes it difficult for them to seek timely help.
Fortunately, at WorkPartners, licensed occupational physicians are available 24/7 to provide remote first aid instructions and control the situation promptly. This prevents symptoms from aggravating and buys time while your safety team reaches the location.
To learn more, get in touch. For injury handling, please call (800) 359-5020. For other consultations, you can reach us at (651) 323-8654 or info@workpartnersusa.com.
FAQs
Q1. What is a lone worker?
Ans. The term refers to employees who work alone without immediate supervision or the support of a team.
Q2. What is the OSHA rule for working alone?
Ans. Though there’s no specific OSHA rule for lone workers, employers must ensure an environment free from hazards for all employees, including those who work solo.
Q3. What industries have the highest risk for lone workers?
Ans. Utility, healthcare, fieldwork, and delivery are some of the industries that pose the highest risk for solo workers.
Q4. What is the best safety system for lone workers?
Ans. The ideal safety system is a combination of proper risk control, robust communication and monitoring, technology, protective gear, training, and protocols.
