REPORT: State of Lone Worker Safety

My Safety Buddy surveyed 100 Australian businesses to gain an understanding of the common challenges faced when managing lone worker safety.

The results provide a fascinating insight into the shared concerns of employers in sectors as diverse as aged care, allied health, trades, transportation and government.

It is our hope that the data presented below leads to a rethink of lone worker safety systems nationwide, because everyone deserves to get home safe.

The Report

Click to download the State of Lone Worker Safety Report:

Then read on to discover the answers to these questions:

  • What challenges and safety concerns do Australian businesses have in regard to their lone or remote workers?
  • How do they rate the overall safety of their staff who work alone?
  • What safety systems do they have in place for those staff?
  • Are their staff who work alone safe enough?

One of the most interesting insights is that almost half of all businesses surveyed have no lone worker safety management system.

This is an extraordinary figure given the technological advances we have seen in recent years, where employers can now monitor and protect their lone workers remotely – without having to hire dedicated IT staff or draining their budget.

Challenges

What Challenges and Safety Concerns do you have?

When it comes to lone worker safety, the challenges are many. Around 70% of businesses highlighted at least one area of concern regarding lone worker safety – some identified multiple.

What stands out is the inability of supervisors to know if their lone workers are OK, and the exposure of staff to aggressive behaviours when working off-site.

These concerns highlight a pitfall of the ‘analogue’ management of lone worker safety – things like scheduled phone-ins, buddy systems and location boards. Businesses tell us these approaches often have spotty usage, do not provide up-to-date location data and cannot send real-time updates on the status of their lone workers.

If your system is too clunky to function as required, shouldn’t you be looking for a replacement?

Safety

Rate The Overall Safety Of Your Staff Who Work Alone

While 88% of businesses surveyed rated the overall safety of their lone workforce as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’, a third said their lone worker safety systems ‘could be improved’.

It appears many businesses believe their staff are safe, but do not have as much faith in the systems underpinning that safety.

This can be easily and cost-effectively addressed with modern technology.

Systems

What Safety Systems Do You Have In Place For Staff Who Work Alone?

Respondents identified four primary approaches for managing lone worker safety in the survey.

While a quarter said they regularly used the phone to check in on staff, 44% did not have a formal lone worker safety system in place.

This is a potential ticking time bomb for businesses.

Employers must manage the foreseeable risk of harm to their lone workers. Without taking steps that are deemed ‘reasonably practicable’, businesses will be found to have failed in their legislated duty of care. And this obligation extends to the managers responsible for key decisions.

The upshot is clear – Australian businesses collectively need to lift in order to protect their lone workers.

The good news? Next generation technology means it does not need to be costly, time-consuming or difficult to implement.

Are Your Lone Workers Safe Enough?

Are Your Staff Who Work Alone Safe Enough?

Some of the most alarming survey data reveals a third of respondents believe there is room for improvement regarding the safety of their lone workforce.

And with 44% of businesses saying they have no formal lone worker safety system in place, it is little wonder they believe there is room for improvement.

One of the fastest growing solutions to this problem is the use of app-based, GPS-enabled software on mobile devices. And it makes sense – the one thing nearly everyone carries with them, no matter where they are, is their mobile phone!

If you are like many of the businesses surveyed, you are probably reflecting on the state of your lone worker safety systems.

Whether you are using a phone-in arrangement, a buddy system, a dedicated lone worker safety solution … or, like 44% of survey respondents … nothing, it is clear a new approach is needed for many organisations to keep their staff safe AND to protect themselves from potential liability.

That is exactly why we developed My Safety Buddy.

Click here to take a look, or get in touch for an obligation free call to discuss your lone worker safety strategy.

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Travis Holland

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.

We are 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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