According to a report from Berg Insight, more than 15% of the workforce are considered lone workers. With many people working remotely because of the pandemic, we can assume that percentage has gone up significantly.
Working alone poses risks to safety, even if the occupation isn’t necessarily a ‘risky’ job. The CommAlert Group offers lone worker safety solutions that can help keep you safe if you work alone. Here are some tips that can help.
How lone workers can improve safety
Always check-in at the start of your shift. If you travel for work, make sure you check-in at the beginning and end of your journey.
Make sure you have a work alone monitor. That monitor can be a person in your company or a third-party call centre like CommAlert.
Before you leave for work, make sure you bring your phone charger. You want your mobile phone to have a full battery throughout the day so you can respond to check-in alerts.
If you travel for work, make sure your monitor knows the route you plan on taking. Do not change your planned route without updating your monitor first.
How to avoid risks when working alone
If you’re a lone worker, ensure you have work alone monitoring in place. If you’re an employee, the law requires your employer to provide this for you. If you are a business owner or contractor, it is your responsibility to ensure a lone worker monitoring solution is in place.
Remember to always carry your phone with you. Don’t leave it in your vehicle, even if you’re stepping out for just a few minutes.
Never change your schedule or route without informing your monitor. Whether you rely on a call centre lone worker safety solution or someone at your work, they need to know your plans and of even the slightest change.
If you feel uncomfortable with a task, don’t do something you’re not trained to do or feel comfortable doing. If you forgot a tool that you need for the job, go back for it or save that task for another day. Never use the wrong equipment if it poses a safety risk. When working alone, you never want to take unnecessary risks.
Lone worker monitoring with CommAlert
The CommAlert Group offers an easy and effective lone worker monitoring service. Lone workers use verbal check-ins at the start and end of their shifts with our trained agents. Then they can use their smartphones for check-ins throughout their shift. Check-ins can be done via phone, text, email, or through a mobile app.
If you miss a check-in, your allocated agent will know to follow up with you. If they cannot reach you, they’ll initiate a call-out procedure to make sure you’re okay or send help.
Learn more about lone worker safety and start building your plan for staying safe on the job.
