Lone Worker App

[Edu-IT]

Does any school using a lone worker app for employees who are on site on their own or in isolated parts of the building?

[Oaktech]

Two sites have a protocol:

 

On site with few others, such as in the holidays: We all use PMR radios and we have designated check in times and we let each other know when we move - if you miss check in, somebody comes to find you. The radios have SOS buttons as well which notify all other radios

 

On site fully lone working: You inform the BM or the Site Manager when you arrive and leave, where you're working, if you move and by text every hour.

 

One site uses Hytera radios which have a man-down function and lone working functions - the radios have fall detection built in and the site manager and BM are notified either on their own radio or to their mobile if they're off site. The lone working function sends a tone to the radio at a set time (ours is 30 minutes but can be anywhere between 5 minutes and 4 hours) which you have to confirm by pressing the PTT button within a set time (ours is a minute but it can be anything between 5 seconds and 2 minutes) otherwise all radios are alerted to a man down as are anyone using the Unified Comms app. The Hytera system is frankly outstanding, but is eyewateringly expensive and we only have it because we are being used as an all-singing-all-dancing case study for a supplier.

[MatthewL]

Why an app, just a simple phone and check every so often simplest easiest way. Update calendars so you know where people are or just let someone know, then you can do find. If you really want to something like Life360 or similar.

[Oaktech]

Why an app, just a simple phone and check every so often simplest easiest way. Update calendars so you know where people are or just let someone know, then you can do find. If you really want to something like Life360 or similar.

 

I agree it does seem excessive, but the main advantage of a dedicated loneworking app is things like realtime location, enforced check-in intervals & motion detection where it works out if you've fallen, haven't moved for a while or have suddenly started running and can alert those things without interaction.

 

Life360 doesn't really have those things. The crash detection works for big impacts and might trigger if you say, fell off a ladder, but wouldn't for a fall from standing and doesn't do sudden running or excessive stillness. The SOS on Life360 is also a manual interaction.

[noelmm]

We tested a couple of apps for our Site team and found the location accuracy not good enough. One of the apps showed out staff member out, moving around a field across the road from us, all while they aware stood in front of me and their phone was on their desk. In the end we came to the conclusion this type of app may work for users going from one site to another or over very large sites but they just weren't accurate enough for us.