Occupational dangers aren’t always obvious to employees who are working in hazardous locations and conditions. While protective equipment such as hardhats, earmuffs, gloves, and others can help prevent minor injuries. For complex hazards, any amount of equipment can be inadequate vs preventative solutions. In this article, we look into why a lone worker system can benefit the safety of your employees.
1. Work Place Hazards Are Invisible
Not every hazard can been seen before moving into an area for work. The most common case of the most invisible work place hazard is poor air quality. Workers in high areas can be exposed to rising heat and fumes can leave them with long term effects and ultimately unconscious away from help.
2. Trips and Falls
Trips and falls are on the most frequent causes of workplace injury. These hazards can affect employees at any workplace, despite job responsibilities or other contributing factors.
3. Heavy Equipment Accidents
Heavy equipment accidents can take many forms, and the resulting injuries such as machine entanglement have been identified among the most common workplace injuries. Following heavy equipment accidents, lone workers can be left immobilized away from assistance.
4. Environmental Dangers
For employees working outdoors, the environment itself can pose many risks. Besides threats from exposure including heat stroke and hypothermia, workers may encounter attacks from wild animal.
5. Employees unable to communicate
Many safety systems rely on workers to call for the people nearby when they need assistance due to an injury or fall. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to predict situations where someone will be unable to call for help when they need it, ranging form medical emergencies to situations of extreme workplace violence.
6. Remote Workers in Distress
Remote workers are special case, because in remote areas with limited cell service employers can face a challenge locating a missing worker. Most employers will use a GPS tracker, but additional details are necessary since an employee can become separated from the equipment that is tracking them.
7. Medical Emergencies and Allergies
To protect their workers, employers need to plan for health-related dangers that can’t be anticipated. Medical emergencies like heart attacks and severe allergic reactions can be sudden and happen anywhere.
8. Hazardous Objects
Whether working in construction, warehousing, or even retail, workers are often put a risk by objects near them as they work. Injuries from being struck by or against nearby object can be serious and include cuts, lacerations, and concussions.
9. Vehicular Accidents
Lone workers often need to be mobile, meaning that vehicles are part of their daily routine. Just like when employees are at a work site, employers are responsible for the safety of their employees when they travel.
10. Violence in the workplace
People don’t always recognize that when they work with the public, they are working alone. Employees working with the public who can easily become isolated are particularly at risk of violent attacks. Listen to our webinar: Technology and Violence in the workplace for Health and Care workers.
When an emergency happens in the workplace, a lone worker system can get workers in distress with the help they need. Lone worker system can provide safety and reassurance for any workplace setting, environment and occupation.
To speak to a Scatterling representative please call us 1-866-604-2055, email us at info@scatterling.co, or fill out the form below: