Lone worker needs are not universal

The recent introduction of the Health & Safety Executive's Fee for Intervention and new H&S demands constantly evolving – such as ensuring the health and safety of lone workers – means organisations now face significant costs (estimated at £100 per hour, up to £8,000 for a major breach) should an HSE investigation occur. It is therefore imperative that organisations act now to safeguard lone workers in the most appropriate way for their employees and their business. Safeguarding lone workers is not only relatively simple – it can transform business productivity and effectiveness if utilised as a communication tool. Companies must first consider the dangers facing a lone worker and the potential communication limitations based on location and the risks associated with a job or activity. How can an engineer react if there is a problem or accident? What happens if a security guard is hit over the head and cannot call for help? And what happens after the alarm is raised? How is that information shared? How is the rescue coordinated? Organisations cannot simply provide a mobile phone and consider its lone worker health & safety obligations are covered. However, in considering these issues organisations should also assess the day to day activities of such lone workers and whether improving communications could deliver productivity improvements. For example, providing a robust communications framework can also enable the organisation to deliver a real-time alert to an engineer if a machine has failed and needs repair. By integrating these two solutions onto a single communications platform – that exploits radio, GSM, DECT or Wi-Fi – an organisation not only meets its health & safety obligations but also improves the timeliness of repair, minimises the administrative process typically involved in locating and allocating an engineering resource, and increases machine uptime. In addition many companies may already have a communication platform in place (Radio or DECT), replacing it with a new one is generally not viable unless the system is considered end of life. As such, standard alone solutions can be a suitable alternative or implemented as an intermediary step until a more suitable time to replace the incumbent radio or DECT platform. There are a variety of stand-alone solutions available for different types and sizes of organisations so it can be a challenge to select the right one. For example, there are a range of GSM devices available some suitable for up to 20 users but too costly for 100 or 1000, whereas other devices maybe more cost effective but not robust enough for industrial environments. Alternatively, integrating a loneworker application with an incumbent DECT or Radio communication platform or where possible simply adding lone worker DECT phones or radios could be the best means, in terms of cost and usability, of protecting staff working alone. Overall, the suitability of a solution is dependent on individual requirements and what current infrastructure an organisation has in place. Without thoroughly evaluating this an organisation can run the risk of either not providing the necessary protection for staff or making it too costly to purchase. It is with all this in mind that organisations wanting to safeguard lone workers must look to progress their lone worker solution with a company that will provide a consultancy service that acknowledges and works to address the individual business requirements best fitting to the provision of a cost-effective lone worker system. Factors to consider when choosing lone worker systems: • Number of lone workers • Size of organisation • Existing infrastructure • Communications needs of an organisation • Whether you have an environment that requires an Intrinsically safe device