Keep a close eye on field workers’ safety with Lone Worker app

An innovative mobile phone app is helping organisations improve the safety of their workers out in the field – with Melbourne water retailer South East Water launching Lone Worker on iTunes.

South East Water’s General Manager - Corporate and Commercial, Phil Johnson, said one of the biggest challenges in the utility sector is ensuring the safety and security of employees who work alone in often remote areas.

“South East Water has identified this risk and involved people from different areas of the business to come up with a revolutionary app to support our workers in the field,” said Johnson.

“The Lone Worker app is a vital tool for improving safety and minimising risk in the workplace. It gives workers peace of mind to know that there will be a swift response to accidents or sudden illnesses and, if an emergency situation becomes apparent, the emergency services can be alerted immediately.

The Lone Worker app informs colleagues, or an operations contact centre, by SMS and email if a worker is unresponsive. It also sends GPS details of the worker’s last known mobile phone location to ensure they can be located quickly.

The app features two modes: ‘interval’ and ‘motion detection’. In interval mode, a worker can set the time they want to routinely check in and the app sends an alert if that time has lapsed. The innovative motion detection mode uses the accelerometer in the worker’s mobile device to detect a lack of motion over a period of time.

This enables colleagues to be alerted in situations where a worker has collapsed, is immobile or is unable to respond.

“Many of our treatment plant workers and maintenance crews work in remote, and sometimes dangerous, locations. They can be exposed to snakes, spiders or rough terrain, and fire hydrant repairs are often carried out at night. In these instances, the Lone Worker app helps to keep our workers connected,” said Johnson.

Ben Spedding, a South East Water treatment plant officer, has been using the Lone Worker app since its inception. “The app has prompted me to keep safety top of mind and to think about potential risks on the job. It’s also good to know that someone will be alerted if things go wrong,” said Spedding.

“The Lone Worker app can easily be customised to suit the requirements of different work environments. It has applications for workers in building and construction, engineering, on-site inspection, water and sewer, and taxi industries, to name just a few. A number of government organisations are also looking to use the app to improve their workplace safety,” said Johnson.

“These are exciting times in safety and risk management. We are constantly updating the Lone Worker app, based on feedback and practical suggestions from users, and are currently working on an international version of the app as well as a panic alarm function. We are also in the process of integrating the app with our 24/7 operations contact centre and individual business monitoring systems,” concluded Johnson.

The Lone Worker app was developed by iota, the commercial arm of South East Water, which was established to promote innovative ideas and proven technologies to the utility sector.

Lone Worker Lite is free and available from the iTunes app store.