Overcoming Resistance: How to Drive Adoption of Lone Worker Safety Apps

Lone Worker Safety Apps: A Great Idea That Meets Resistance

Lone worker safety risks have always been present, but modern technology has given us powerful tools to manage them. Apps like My Safety Buddy provide duress alarms, man down alerts, welfare checks, journey monitoring, and emergency support in ways that older systems never could.

Yet, even the best solution faces a common barrier: staff adoption. Some workers embrace new technology immediately. Others hesitate, resist, or even refuse. For organisations, this can feel frustrating especially when safety is at stake.

So, how can employers roll out a lone worker app effectively when not all staff are ready to jump on board?

Why Some Staff Resist Safety Technology

Resistance isn’t unusual. In fact, it’s predictable. Staff may resist using safety apps for several reasons:

Time pressures. Employees feel they don’t have enough time in their role to learn and apply new systems.
Low tech literacy. Some staff struggle with smartphones or apps in general.
Distrust of safety tools. A minority don’t see technology as essential for their personal safety.
Privacy concerns. Workers may be uncomfortable with GPS tracking.
General resistance to change. Some individuals resist any workplace change, regardless of its purpose.

Understanding these barriers is the first step toward addressing them.

Privacy Concerns: Safety Comes First

One of the most common objections relates to privacy. Workers may say: “I don’t want to be tracked.”

Here’s the reality: safety laws trump privacy laws. Employers have a duty of care to take reasonably practicable steps to protect their staff. My Safety Buddy is not a surveillance tool. My Safety Buddy is a safety tool designed to keep staff safe.

Clear communication is essential:

Emphasise that GPS location is used only to respond to incidents.
Show staff how data is protected and used responsibly.
Position the app as a safeguard, not an intrusion.

Framing the technology as an enabler of wellbeing, rather than a threat to privacy, will help ease concerns.

Focus on the Majority: Don’t Let 5% Hold Back 95%

In almost every rollout, there will be a group of slow adopters. They may represent 5% of your workforce, but that shouldn’t stop the remaining 95% from benefiting immediately.

By prioritising the majority, organisations:

Reduce overall risk quickly.
Show regulators they are acting in good faith.
Create positive peer pressure, where reluctant staff see colleagues using the system successfully.

In time, many slow adopters come around once they see the benefits firsthand.

Adjusting to Modern Role Requirements

If staff struggle with low tech literacy, employers need to ask a bigger question: Does this person meet the inherent requirements of the role?

Workplaces today are technology-enabled. Whether it’s logging into systems, using apps for communication, or accessing online training, digital literacy is part of modern job performance.

Organisations should:

Provide training and support to build staff confidence.
Recruit with tech literacy in mind, especially for high-risk lone worker roles.
Make it clear that using safety apps is a non-negotiable aspect of safe work systems.

When One Size Doesn’t Fit All

Occasionally an organisation may find that a small portion of their workforce, often as few as 5%, have unique use cases that the app doesn’t quite cover.

For organisations like these, no product in the market will fit 100% of situations. The solution?

Roll out My Safety Buddy to the 95% it fits perfectly.
Explore bespoke adjustments or alternative strategies for the remaining 5%.

Waiting for a “perfect” solution for everyone only prolongs risk exposure for the majority.

Business Rules: Clarity Builds Confidence

Uncertainty can kill adoption. Staff need clear guidance on when and how to use My Safety Buddy. That’s why it’s critical to establish and communicate business rules.

Examples include:

Lone workers must be logged in to the app prior to commencing work on their own.
Check Ins are to be scheduled for the end time of higher risk activities.
Journey monitoring must be used for journeys of more than two hours.
Lone workers are to log out of the app when they return to a work location where they are no longer working on their own, or they have finished for the day.

By setting expectations upfront, you make usage part of “how we do things around here.”

Creating Supportive Communities

Change management works best when staff feel supported. Consider creating a dedicated MS Teams (or similar) chat group where My Safety Buddy users can:

Ask questions.
See the answers to the questions of other users.
Share tips.
Troubleshoot issues.
See management’s encouragement in action.

This builds confidence and reduces the sense of isolation for those who may initially be hesitant.

Monitoring and Managing Compliance

Even with training and support, some staff will resist. That’s where My Safety Buddy’s reporting capabilities give managers the visibility they need.

Administrators can track:

Who is using the app as required.
Patterns of non-compliance.

Armed with this data, managers can have informed conversations with staff, reinforce expectations, and provide extra support where needed.

Performance Management: The Seatbelt Analogy

At the end of the day, My Safety Buddy is not a lone worker safety app that is an optional extra. It’s a critical safety tool.

If a staff member consistently refuses to use My Safety Buddy, despite training and support, organisations should treat it the same way they would treat seatbelt non-compliance. Just as it’s unacceptable for an employee to drive a work vehicle without buckling up, it’s unacceptable to ignore the use of a mandated safety app.

Performance management may be necessary, not to punish staff, but to reinforce the seriousness of the obligation.

The Role of Leadership

Adoption success ultimately comes down to leadership. When managers consistently reinforce the message that My Safety Buddy is:

A non-negotiable safety tool,
Essential for fulfilling the organisation’s duty of care, and
A demonstration of genuine care for staff wellbeing…

…employees are far more likely to accept and use the system as intended.

Leaders can set the tone for the rest of the workforce by leading by example: use the app when applicable, praise staff for compliance, and address any issues quickly.

Turning Resistance into Resilience

Resistance to new safety systems is natural, but it’s not insurmountable. With clear communication, supportive structures, and strong leadership, organisations can drive high adoption rates of lone worker apps.

The outcome is worth it:

Staff are safer.
Staff feel safer, supported, and valued.
Employers reduce risk, cost, and compliance concerns.
Managers can rest assured they are protecting both their workforce and their reputation.

Final Word: Don’t Delay Safety

Every day without a lone worker safety system is another day of unnecessary risk. While some staff may resist change, the vast majority will welcome the peace of mind that comes from knowing help is only a tap away.

The risks are too high, and the solutions are too accessible, to accept excuses. Like seatbelts in cars, lone worker apps should now be seen as standard safety requirement.

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Travis Holland
CEO
My Safety Buddy

Should you wish to discuss strategies to improve your staff’s safety in their work environment, please feel welcome to contact My Safety Buddy.

Passionate about creating safer workplaces our goal is to enhance wellbeing for all concerned whilst also delivering improved operational and financial performance.

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