The rise of lone and high-risk workers has become a significant concern in the post-Covid landscape. Organizations, particularly in the higher education sector, are grappling with the challenge of ensuring the safety and security of employees who often find themselves working alone or in potentially hazardous conditions. This blog explores some of the various scenarios faced by lone and high-risk workers and presents SafeZone as a comprehensive solution to these emerging challenges.
The Increasing Presence of Lone and High-Risk Workers
Post-Covid, many organizations have adopted hybrid working models, resulting in more employees working alone, whether on-campus or at home. This shift has amplified the risks associated with lone working, particularly in sectors like higher education, where roles can range from laboratory work to counseling sessions.
Laboratory Workers: A Case of High-Risk Lone Working
Laboratory workers, especially those handling high-risk substances or conducting intricate experiments, often work late into the evening. Traditional safety systems, such as manual check-ins with managers, are prone to human error and may fail to provide immediate assistance in case of emergencies like heart attacks or exposure to toxic materials. These scenarios highlight the inadequacy of conventional systems and the need for more reliable safety measures.
Hybrid Working: New Risks for Home and Office Workers
The hybrid working model introduces two critical safety concerns. Firstly, employees working from home remain under the employer’s duty of care. However, existing safety and security systems are often not adaptable to remote environments. Secondly, employees who occasionally work on campus may find themselves isolated as lone workers, raising questions about their safety in the absence of colleagues.
Volatile One-to-One Sessions: Counselors and HR Professionals
Campus counselors and HR professionals frequently engage in one-to-one sessions that can become volatile. Relying on managers to ensure their safety during these interactions is not foolproof, as urgent priorities can cause oversight. The risk of neglecting the safety of staff members in such situations is significant and cannot be underestimated.
Facilities and Soft Services Staff: An Overlooked Yet Essential Group
In addition to the new wave of hybrid workers, there is already a large number of facilities and soft services staff who work alone, often in sparsely populated areas. Facilities engineers working in plant rooms, cleaners working alone at night in classrooms, and other similar roles also require continuous Safety Everywhere protection. These workers are often overlooked but play a crucial role in maintaining the infrastructure and cleanliness of campuses, making their safety just as important as that of other high-risk lone workers.
Looking to the Future, Not the Past: The Limitations of Traditional Systems
Traditional personal safety systems often rely on paper-based processes or the goodwill of managers to ensure worker safety. Fixed panic buttons, although serving a purpose, are costly and require the user to be in proximity to the device. In modern smart campuses, where room booking systems replace dedicated spaces, fixed systems are becoming obsolete. This calls for a more flexible and responsive approach to worker safety.
SafeZone: The Solution for Comprehensive Safety
SafeZone offers a robust solution, providing organizations with “Safety Everywhere.” This system empowers the community, regardless of their work location, with consistent safety and security provisions. Customizable workflows and escalation processes allow specific risks to be programmed into the system. For instance, in the event of a chemical inhalation incident, the appropriate response team, such as HAZMAT, can be notified instead of a general security or police response.
Enhanced Safety Features with SafeZone
To enhance worker safety, individuals can program the SafeZone app with activity-specific information and set timed check-ins. This feature allows users to set a timer, which, if it expires without being reset, raises an alert to a manager or security team automatically. Additionally, the app includes incapacity monitoring, detecting sudden falls and alerting first responders immediately.
Ensuring 24/7 Safety for Lone and High-Risk Workers
With the increase in lone and high-risk workers, it is crucial for organizations to adopt a comprehensive approach to safety and security. SafeZone addresses these concerns by providing round-the-clock protection. For instance, if a fire alarm goes off late at night, SafeZone can identify who is supposed to be in the building, enabling targeted evacuation efforts by first responders.
Conclusion
The post-Covid era has brought about significant changes in working patterns, increasing the prevalence of lone and high-risk workers. Ensuring their safety requires innovative solutions that go beyond traditional methods. SafeZone offers a comprehensive and adaptable approach to safety, empowering organizations to protect their workers effectively, regardless of their location or the nature of their work. By implementing such advanced safety systems, organizations can fulfill their duty of care and provide a secure working environment for all employees.