| By :
Iain Jones
Lone workers run increased risks in their day-to-day work when compared with their desk-based colleagues. Their isolation from colleagues means that communications and GPS tracking technology can provide significant benefits in ensuring that, should the need arise, the employer can raise an alarm and be confident that the lone worker's location is accurately known. The number of people who work alone, either some or all of the time is now increasing. Many people who travel for work or who work at night, are lone workers. Some of these occupations have a higher degree of risk than others. Particularly at risk are likely to be: Mobile workers who are working away from their fixed base. For example these may include: workers involved in construction, plant installation, maintenance and cleaning work, electrical repairs, lift repairs, painting and decorating or vehicle recovery, agricultural and forestry workers. Secondly, service workers, e.g. postal staff, rent collectors, home helps, social workers, medical staff, pest control workers, drivers, sales representatives, estate agents and similar occupations visiting both commercial and domestic premises. It is not possible to continuously supervise lone workers, but communicating with them and checking their working conditions and practices plays an important part in reducing health and safety risks. Employers have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare at work of all of their employees. They are also responsible for the health and safety of those affected by work activities, for example any self-employed people they engage and visitors such as contractors. These responsibilities cannot be transferred to any other person, including those people who work alone. The employer has a duty to assess the risks to their lone workers and then to take steps to avoid or control the risks identified. As a result, processes and procedures must be put in place by the employers to monitor their lone workers in order to provide the best means of keeping them safe. These procedures may include: - Supervisors regularly visiting and observing people working alone; - Regular contact between the lone worker and their supervisor, e.g. either mobile phones, telephones, radios etc; - The use of automatic warning devices which operate if specific signals are not received periodically from the lone worker, e.g. staff security systems; - Adoption of other types of device intended to raise an alarm in an emergency, these can be used manually or activated automatically by a period of inactivity; - Checks to ensure a lone worker has returned to their base or home once their task is completed. So as well as putting in place sound management processes to ensure that there is regular contact between an employee and their employer, it is clear that technology has a great deal to offer in support of these steps. A small personal GPS tracking device can give both parties the reassurance that the lone worker's location is being continuously monitored, and that the employer will be able to tell when the worker has returned safely at the end of the day. Equally important is the facility that most GPS tracking devices will have to send a communication back to base in the event of an incident. Most devices will support making an emergency alarm call at the touch of a button. In addition, devices can respond in the event of a "man-down" - for example characterised by a period of inactivity. More and more responsible employers are now recognizing the benefits that GPS tracking and communications devices can bring to their lone workers, and coupled with the falling running costs, they are convinced that there is a sound business case behind the adoption of GPS tracking devices for Lone worker protection.
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