It is essential to pay particular attention to the protection of lone workers. In the event of an accident or assault, in the absence of people nearby to assist them, these people find themselves in a situation of distress that can have dramatic consequences. While prevention and training on the risks associated with the isolated work situation (worsening of the damage caused by an accident, greater mental load, etc.) are important to limit accidents, it is still necessary to provide these isolated workers with an alert means to alert the emergency services.

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The Dedicated device

More commonly called “Lone Worker Alert Device” (LWAD), this equipment must at least allow the lone worker to trigger a manual alert to prevent emergency services.

Like many other safety equipment, LWAD have been able to benefit from Numerous Technological Advances Of the last few years.

Indeed, they can now Detect Abnormal Situations and Automatically Trigger an Alert. If the number one cause of accident still remains The Fall, other situations can be detected such as the absence of movement (discomfort for example) or a loss of network (White zone) which prevents the transmission of the alert by DATI.

First-generation LWAD were often walkie-talkies, which offered limited functionalities and proved to be very cumbersome. Today, there are countless solutions for the Lone Worker Protection (LWP) on the market such as smartphone applications, dedicated boxes, watches, badges, medallions, telephones, radios...

Faced with the multitude of types of existing devices, the task of finding the right equipment can quickly become obsolete and the risk of choosing an unsuitable solution that will not protect lone workers is a real risk.

In order to be able to analyze these various equipment in more depth, we have chosen to analyze the 2 types of PTI solutions that are among the most used today:

• The LWP mobile application that turns a smartphone into a real LWAD
• The dedicated LWAD terminal

The choice of a device must take into account the constraints and objectives of the company as a whole. As such, alongside OHS issues, cybersecurity issues should be backed up.

• OHS issues: The Health Safety and Environment department (represented by HSE managers) identifies the risks to which company employees may be exposed, and sets up the necessary means to eliminate or manage them.
• Cyber issues: The purpose of the IT systems department is to maintain a high level of security of the company's information system. It should be integrated into the selection process to ensure that the chosen solution complies with the company's cyber security requirements and is in a position to protect the privacy of employees.

1- Dedicated terminal: A robust solution for the security of Lone Workers

A. The 3 advantages of dedicated terminal

1. Reliability and durability: Dedicated terminal are designed to withstand tough environments and ensure reliable use in all conditions.
The IP protection index indicates the level of resistance to water and dust of the device. The higher the value, the more resistant the LWAD is. An IP67 for example means that the product is completely dustproof and is protected against immersion up to 1 meter deep.

2. Features specific to lone workers: The terminal has a single objective: to ensure the sending of an alert in case of distress manually or automatically in some cases with its location. The intrinsic functioning of the box assures you that the worker will not be able to misuse it.

3. Ease of use: This advantage joins the previous one since LWAD only has the essential LWP functions, it will necessarily be simpler than a mobile application requiring to know how a smartphone works.

3. Dedicated alert button: LWAD are equipped with a dedicated physical alert button that is always accessible. This allows isolated workers to easily activate it in case of danger or emergency.

4. Bi-directional communication: If the LWAD is equipped with a microphone, it can be used to communicate with supervisors in the event of an alert.
Some LWAD also offer an automatic unhooking function allowing emergency services to be systematically in communication with the lone worker, even if the worker cannot pick up.

5. Homogeneity of operation: Equipping all lone workers with the same LWAD allows for the same level of safety for all since the product is the same unlike smartphones whose model may be different.

6. Sustainability of the system: The LWAD manufacturer is the owner of its solution, it therefore masters it from end to end, which ensures sustainability in the proposed function, unlike a third-party application installed on a smartphone subject to the evolutions of Android and iOS. Be careful, however, this assumes that the LWAD seller is indeed its manufacturer and not a reseller of the device who will not have control of the product.

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B. Disadvantages of dedicated LWAD

1. High initial cost: If we contrast the cost of a subscription to a LWP mobile application to the cost of a dedicated LWAD, the terminal will always be higher.

2. The terminal is not necessarily scalable: Old-generation LWAD still convey today the image of a product that ages poorly for lack of updating. Know that there are now scalable DATI boxes that benefit from new functionalities so that your isolated workers continue to benefit from technological advances allowing better security. Like a mobile, it can thus be updated directly from its mobile connection. For example, LevigieLink can be updated directly when it is switched on.

3. Potential congestion for workers: Dedicated boxes can be perceived as additional equipment with all the associated inconveniences: remember to have it with you before leaving on a mission, remember to recharge it and have the right adapter, painful to wear... especially if the worker already has a lot of equipment to work with... especially if the worker already has a lot of equipment to work with... especially if the worker already has a lot of equipment to work with...

4. Logistical complexity to deploy: Who says physical product necessarily says logistics. In the case of a project aimed at equipping a large number of workers, the provision of equipment can quickly become obsolete.

5. Limited functions: The limited functionalities are both an advantage (simpler use, no misuse...) but also a disadvantage compared to more flexible equipment such as a smartphone which can embed business applications in addition to the PTI/DATI application.

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2. Smartphone apps: A versatile solution and

Economical

A. Benefits of smartphone applications

1. Accessibility and ease of use: A LWP application benefits from the smartphone screen allowing a more user-friendly interface. The use of development standards makes it possible to propose ergonomics of use with which the user will be familiar.

2. Reduced learning curve: Today, the use of the smartphone has become widespread and it does not present any difficulty to use. Providing a LWP application therefore makes it possible to use this ease of use.

3. Reduced initial cost: This is often the first point companies look at: “How much does it cost? ”. The strong point of the LWPI mobile application is that it most often results in the payment of a monthly or annual subscription, drastically reducing the cost of the Lone Worker Protection project for the company.

4. Possibility of updates and scalability: Evolution is part of the DNA of an application and everything is done by Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) to facilitate these evolutions by allowing the user to update their applications with a simple click. PTI/DATI applications can therefore rely on stores to deploy new functionalities quickly allowing LWP applications to evolve rapidly in contact with their user.

5. Portability and centralization of tools: The smartphone is by nature versatile: launch your PTI application and it becomes a LWAD, the next minute launch a mapping application and it becomes a GPS... You will have understood that the smartphone centralizes all the digital tools necessary for workers.

6. Safety at your fingertips: In recent years, the smartphone has become the number one work tool for a large number of workers. So there is little chance that your employees will forget it on site or forget to recharge it. Therefore, they can activate their protection with a simple click.

7. Easy deployment: There is no need for a logistical organization here. Each worker can download the application in a few seconds on their smartphone and then start their protection. Deployment can even be controlled remotely using managed smartphones.

8. The smartphone application is integrated into the policy of digitizing tools

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B. Disadvantages of smartphone applications

1. Reliability dependent on the smartphone: The LWP application uses smartphone sensors to detect an abnormal situation. An aging or low-end smartphone will not be able to protect workers as effectively as a LWAD dedicated solely to this function.

2. Compatibility issue: Not all smartphones are compatible with all mobile applications. It is therefore important to check the good compatibility of the PTI/DATI application when buying or renewing the smartphone fleet.

3. Sensitivity to operating system updates: LWP applications are third-party applications with respect to the operating system (OS) installed on the smartphone, the main ones of which are Android (Google) and iOS (Apple). A change in policy by one of the giants may result in the temporary or permanent unavailability of an important feature of the LWP application.

4. Confidentiality and respect for privacy: LWP applications generally need to access numerous “sensitive” smartphone services to be able to function, including the GPS position or the microphone, which may raise questions of confidentiality and respect for privacy on the part of workers who are asked to install the application on their personal smartphone.

5. Improper use of the smartphone: The flexibility of the smartphone can allow the worker to divert its use (games, internet browsing, online videos, etc.) or to deactivate certain smartphone functionalities (in) so that may be prejudicial to his safety. The most common case is the deactivation of the GPS to no longer be “clicked.”

6. Smartphone bulkiness: If the installation of a PTI/DATI application on the smartphone makes it possible to reduce the amount of equipment to be carried, it may be unsuitable for detecting anomalies if it is not carried with you. This is most often explained by the current size of smartphones, which can make working positions uncomfortable for a lone worker who would put them in their pocket. As a result, the smartphone is placed next to the worker and will therefore no longer be able to detect the fall.

Conclusion

Each of the 2 devices presented has its advantages and disadvantages, the choice of one or the other solution will depend on several factors including:

A. What are your lone worker safety needs?

B. What is the environment in which lone workers operate?

C. Are lone workers subject to particular constraints?

D. What equipment (s) do lone workers have?

E. What is the budget allocated by the company to the lone worker ptrotection project?

F. Are there any constraints imposed by your company's security policy?

G. Ergonomics and ease of use

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It is important to clearly identify the needs and constraints of isolated workers to be equipped in order to thus be able to move forward more effectively.

With experience, we have identified some key questions allowing you to quickly direct your research towards a terminal or an application.

The LWP application will often be retained when :

• Workers are already equipped with smartphones
• The company wants to digitize its tools: the PTI project can be the starting point for this policy
• Workers Regularly Forget Their DAT I When They Go on a Mission

The LWP device will often be used when:

• The system must be shared between several workers (3x8 or external service for example)
• Workers Are Not Comfortable Using Digital Tools
• The company wants a security system dedicated to this task without the risk of misuse.
• The Company Does Not Want to Equip Workers with Smartphones
• The company's IT security policy is very strict and slows down/limits the implementation of a PTI/DATI application
• The number of workers to be equipped is reduced

Finally, be aware that there is no type of alert system for lone workers that is better than the others.