Personal Alarm System for Lone Workers – The Business Case

Business owners and legislators haven’t always paid much attention to lone working as a specific source of risk to workers and organizations. But that’s changing. States are implementing laws to protect lone workers, and safety and risk managers are increasingly aware that reducing harm to employees working alone is a core part of a company’s due diligence duties.

At the same time, workplace violence and injuries are ever higher. And with financial crunches hitting almost every sector, businesses can’t afford the costs of compensation – or the reputational damage that occurs when they make the news due to employees being harmed.

It’s clear that organizations need a cost-effective way to protect their lone workers while also protecting themselves from liabilities. SureSafe’s Lone Worker Solution provides just that, allowing businesses to act fast to help their employees when emergencies arise – because in a crisis, time is of the essence.

Why are lone worker alarms so crucial for workers and for businesses? Join us as we dive deep into the risks involved with lone working and the returns on investment that lone worker solutions can provide.

What is a lone worker?

The CDC states that OSHA currently has no overall legal definition of a lone worker, although legislation about particular industries or in individual states may be more specific about lone working.

But lone working is commonly defined as someone working for some or all of their time in a place where colleagues or supervisors can’t see or hear them. In other words, it doesn’t matter that a worker is with clients or members of the public, and it doesn’t matter that they’re working on company property. They could still be a lone worker if no-one else involved with the business can see or hear them.

Industries that can involve lone working include:

• Retail

• Real estate

• Taxi driving

• Delivery driving

• Healthcare

• Agriculture

• Construction

• Utilities

• Oil and gas extraction.

Why do lone workers need special attention when it comes to safety protocols and risk management?

Working alone naturally carries its own risks – specifically, that no-one might help or even notice when a worker is in distress or danger. If an illness strikes, a worker might be unconscious with nobody nearby to assist.

But many lone working occupations also carry additional risks:

• In healthcare and social assistance, home health aides and nurses face physical assault and medical emergencies.

• In construction and utilities, isolated field workers risk falls, electrical injury, and machinery incidents.

• In real estate, realtors frequently work alone with the public, increasing the risk of violence.

• In retail and hospitality, employees opening/closing stores are vulnerable to theft and aggression.

• In logistics and delivery, drivers may suffer vehicle accidents or health events on the road.

What’s essential to remember is that without rapid detection and response, these incidents often escalate in severity and cost. For example, hours or even days can pass before the worker’s family or employers realize they are missing or unconscious. In that time, what could have been a minor injury can turn into a severe one. And what might have been a moderate injury can become a tragedy.

What are employers’ obligations regarding lone working risks?

Employers have a general duty of care to protect lone workers from hazards of the job – and in the case of lone working, that includes common risks that lone workers in that industry face. For example, a convenience store or gas station owner should know that an employee alone at night is vulnerable to crime, so that employer needs to put measures in place to decrease risks. In the past, OSHA has found employers in just this situation to be non-compliant with its General Duty Clause if they haven’t taken steps to protect their workers from risks.

Some industries also have specific legislation regarding lone working – and so do some states. There has been recent legislation focused on lone retail workers who face violence, for example.

The bottom line is that employers need to protect lone workers from harms of their jobs, and they need to protect themselves from the financial, legal, and reputational consequences of failing to do so.

Therefore, safety managers need to ask themselves – are we truly doing enough to mitigate the risks our lone workers face?

How much can workplace injuries cost?

Workplace injuries may not be the first item on the radar when employers and managers think about the costs of business. But they can end up being immensely costly. A severe incident can result not only in worker’s compensation expenses, but also in administrative costs, higher insurance premiums, and regulatory fines. And that’s not even counting lowered worker morale and reputational damage.

In fact, according to the National Safety Council, the total cost of workplace injuries in the US exceeds $167 billion annually.

This includes $47.4 billion in wage and productivity losses, $36.6 billion in medical expenses, and $59.7 billion in administrative and uninsured costs.

So, it’s no surprise that employers pay more than $1 billion per week in direct workers’ compensation costs alone, according to OSHA. Indeed, just one severe injury claim leads to an $80,000 payout, on average.

It’s easy to see that safety managers who implement lone worker systems can save their companies money and protect lives – a win-win that reflects well on leadership.

How do SureSafe’s Lone Worker Alarms address the risks of lone working?

SureSafe’s Lone Worker devices are small, easy to use, and tough. They’re built for real-world conditions and designed to do what really matters in a crisis.

Core features include:

• A simple SOS button that workers can press to summon help

• Two-way communication directly through the alarm device, so the worker can explain the emergency and get reassurance

• Automatic fall detection that raises an alert when the device’s sensors detect a fall

• GPS tracking that lets monitoring staff know exactly where a worker is when they raise an alarm – and lets them locate a worker who’s missing or who hasn’t checked in on time

• A rain-proof, rugged, and reliable structure that can handle tough work environments

• 24/7 monitoring from a US-based response center or self-managed monitoring from your internal security or help lines – your choice.

Returns on investment from lone worker devices

Let’s go back to that average $80,000 payout for one severe injury claim – a claim that could have been avoided if help had gotten to a worker faster. For example, this could be a worker who was trapped under a fallen piece of machinery for hours.

The cost of SureSafe solution is <$300 per worker per year. That means the potential ROI is a >266x return on avoided costs.

And the benefits go beyond preventing the need for injury compensation. A simple lone worker device system provides a host of positive impacts to your business:

A real-world case study

SureSafe was contacted by a national property management company with 300+ residential sites. They employed lone workers for inspections, maintenance, and tenant interactions. They faced several unreported minor injuries and a major legal claim when a maintenance worker suffered a head injury while alone and unconscious for over an hour.

Their challenge: Despite strict safety policies, they lacked a system to confirm the real-time well-being of lone workers.

The solution: The company deployed SureSafe Lone Worker Devices across all regions, supported by 24/7 monitoring and GPS tracking. The devices included a fall detection sensor, SOS button, and check-in features.

The results were:

• A 70% reduction in incident response time

• 100% compliance with lone worker check-ins

• Legal costs avoided: $45,000+ in a single avoided lawsuit

• Improved employee confidence and retention.

The safety manager was credited internally for improving team morale and reducing the firm’s exposure to liability with minimal spend.

Act now to protect your employees and your business

Mitigating risks in your business is a complex yet crucial task. SureSafe’s lone worker devices can help, offering a simple and affordable way to mitigate a wide range of hazards to your lone workers. With a SureSafe lone worker solution in place, both employers and employees can enjoy peace of mind – because they’ll know there’s a way for lone workers to get help if they need it.

Why should you trust us at SureSafe? Because we’ve protected over 170,000 individuals, businesses, and employees since 2012, with a 4.8/5 Trustpilot score and global operations across the US, UK, and Australia.

If you’d like a consultation or demo, or if you’d just like to learn more, get in touch with us. You can email us at [email protected] or call 1-888-540-1889 to learn about the use of lone worker alarms and pricing in your industry. You can also use our contact form, try our live chat, or request a call back.