A lone worker alarm is the device a lone worker carries to raise an alert after a fall, a medical emergency or an assault, manually or automatically. There are seven main families: smartphone app, smartwatch, dedicated device, panic button, satellite messenger, two-way radio and ATEX-certified equipment. The right choice depends on network coverage, the work environment and the main risk.
A Personal Safety Alarm (PSA) is the device that detects the incident and sends the alert: a smartphone with an app, a smartwatch, a dedicated device or a satellite messenger. It raises a distress alert manually (SOS button) or automatically (fall, immobility, loss of verticality), together with the worker's location.
Protecting lone workers benefits the whole organisation. An employee equipped with an alert device feels safe and stays focused on the job. The company shows it has put the necessary measures in place, which supports both compliance and its employer brand. And a personal safety alarm lets you respond faster to an accident and limit its consequences.
The budget for a lone worker solution depends on three factors: the software subscription, the hardware, and the 24/7 remote monitoring option.
A Neovigie expert answers your questions!
Lone worker safety expert, former lawyer
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Lionel Lewin is president of Neovigie and an expert in protecting lone workers. A former lawyer, he combines legal expertise and technological innovation to support companies' compliance and strengthen their security.
His motto: “Combining technology and compliance for uncompromising safety.”
One Lone Worker Device is a solution to protect an employee working alone, without the possibility of immediate assistance. It is an alert system capable of detecting risky situations (fall, immobility, loss of connection) and of quickly warning emergency services. There are various lone worker devices adapted to different missions.
Imagine being alone at the end of the day at your desk. You get up to get a piece of paper from the printer on the floor below and you fall down the stairs. You lose consciousness, no one will come to help you until the next morning. This dramatic situation happens every day, a device for an isolated worker makes it possible in such a situation to automatically contact the emergency services.
An alert solution for a lone worker is beneficial at all levels for a company:
Have you identified lone workers in your company? Do you want to equip them with an alert device? Yes, but how do you choose? Several criteria must be taken into account:
