A lone worker tracking solution is a technology which offers an easy way to monitor the location and safety of employees while at work. If there is an emergency, employees can alert their employer or emergency services who will respond immediately, preventing escalation and reducing the level of harm to the lone worker.
Employee tracking solutions allow businesses to know where their employees are when they are working away from a fixed base – through a mobile app, smart device or wearable technology. Whilst employees may have initial privacy concerns about these lone worker monitoring solutions, these can be easily alleviated. Lone workers can only be tracked whilst at work and the data will only be shared with those monitoring their safety.
Employee tracking systems are designed to help employers monitor the safety of their workers and provide employees with extra assistance should they need it. Keeping track of your employees’ location can be used for a range of operational and safety reasons including:
Management
Accountability
Remote and lone worker safety
Any business that hires remote or mobile workers could benefit from using a lone worker tracking system, including:
GPS stands for Global Positioning System, comprising 27 satellites orbiting the Earth. These satellites transmit signals to GPS-enabled mobile devices at regular intervals to measure the receiver’s location against the location of the satellites. The distance between the phone and each satellite will determine an accurate location.
Most smartphone operating systems, including Android, iOS and Windows, have GPS capabilities, which can be turned on and off by the user.
Once a location is recorded, it can then be stored on the user’s device or transmitted to another device, such as a computer, using SMS, GPRS, Wi-Fi or a 3G/4G connection. The StaySafe app is a GPS tracking app and uses this functionality.
The most common location tracking system is GPS. Formed of 27 satellites, GPS broadcasts radio signals from space. Smartphones and devices containing a GPS receiver will gather and process these signals to create a location. Each device can then send its location to an external database, system or monitoring station to track the location data as it comes in.
Tracking employee location while they work is completely legal in the United Kingdom. However, it is illegal to track employees outside of working hours without consent and can lead to legal action against the employer. Employers should inform all staff members of any tracking apps and devices being introduced into the company ahead of implementation. Failure to inform staff can lead to mistrust so it is crucial that not only are employees told but also that messaging on why they are being tracked focuses on the safety aspect and how it can benefit them.
Some employees may have concerns about employee tracking software and how this will affect their privacy. However, lone workers and individuals using StaySafe have full control over when they start and stop a work session. They will only be tracked whilst in this session or if they activate the panic button. At the end of each session, GPS tracking will cease.
Whilst the user’s routes are stored within the Hub, the only people who have access to this information are those monitoring the lone worker’s safety.
Tracking your employees’ locations while they work, principally for the purpose of ensuring employee safety, is completely legal. It is, however, illegal to track employees outside of working hours without their consent. If an employer continues to track the whereabouts of employees outside working hours, the employees could seek legal action.
Employers must inform all staff members of any tracking apps and devices being introduced into the company ahead of implementation.
Once a session starts on the StaySafe app, the GPS data transmitted from the employee’s phone is used to determine their location. The data is then sent to the StaySafe Hub and displayed on a map. If the employee travels whilst in a session, the GPS will continue to update and the map will display their journey. This means that if something were to happen, the business would have clear, accurate information on their journey and their current location.
Location tracking will also begin if a panic alert is triggered outside of a session on the StaySafe app. This means that assistance can be sent directly to the lone worker’s location in an emergency.
The StaySafe Hub uses Google Maps to show employees’ locations, so the Hub is easy to use, accurate and works globally in real-time. If employees are likely to work in remote areas, where there is no Wi-Fi or data signal, StaySafe offers satellite solutions which would enable employees to be monitored wherever they work.
Keep track of employees and send an emergency response direct to their location.
Navigate remote areas with an inbuilt compass, satellite mapping and an electronic breadcrumb trail.
Satellite device users can be monitored in our cloud-based Hub alongside app users.
Using Iridium’s satellite network – the only network to span the entire globe.
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