Lone Worker Safety in North America: The Staggering Truth Behind Remote Operations

In 2022, our world is more dependent on remote communications than ever before. As a result, our reliance on those who work to keep those connections active — an estimated 53 million lone workers worldwide, with nearly half of that in the United States alone — is similarly massive.

But as you might imagine, lone workers have greater obstacles to contend with when it comes to safety and communication — and despite the existing protocols and regulations designed to keep lone workers safe on the job, the varied nature of their operations and environments means it’s critical that they evolve their processes in order to manage and mitigate risk.

To get a better idea of the lone worker landscape, their working conditions, and their safety and communication needs, TracPlus conducted a survey (in partnership with Ground Control) of 224 people — both lone workers and the people who supervise them — across the transport and cargo, utilities, agriculture, oil and gas, renewables, forestry, and mining industries in North America.

Here’s a quick rundown of the key takeaways — a few of which are frankly shocking, and testify to the extremely hazardous and unsafe conditions lone workers regularly face — and how TracPlus can help address these concerns.

93% of lone workers sometimes or often work outside of cell phone coverage — and 63% have been unable to contact someone due to lack of connection

We found that 93% of respondents sometimes or regularly work outside of cell coverage zones — and a stunning 63% have had difficulty contacting someone when they need to thanks to that lack of connection.

What’s more: that 63% balloons to 88% in the mining industry, already one of the most hazardous work environments in the world.

These perilous conditions further extend to feelings of unsafety, with 44% of respondents confirming they’ve felt that way on the job.

19% of lone workers have had difficulty getting help after being in an accident

This is a startling number to have found themselves in this treacherous scenario, and it’s entirely avoidable.

Though working in these kinds of remote areas poses a considerable safety risk (especially when you don’t have a team on the ground monitoring your whereabouts), software solutions like TracPlus provide you with real-time location tracking whether you’re inside cell reception or out of it — giving you the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re always on the map.

A slim 30% of lone worker supervisors say they use a communications solution that enables them to send and receive messages no matter where their workers are

How frequently do those responsible for lone workers check in with them?

For all the flexibility being a lone worker offers, it can sometimes mean that regular check-ins fall by the wayside — or that you don’t have robust communication practices in place to begin with.

While 57% reported having an emergency procedure and 49% reported having an agreed check-in schedule, a far-too-small 28% said they have a reliable tracking system that they can be assured is keeping tabs on their location at all times.

Further, just 30% of supervisors reported using a solution that enables them to send and receive messages from their workers, no matter where they might be.

This leaves huge numbers of workers out in the field without a robust, reliable way to communicate with their supervisors, greatly increasing the likelihood that they’ll feel unsafe or be unable to contact someone should they need to.

But these situations are entirely avoidable, and they should be remedied immediately to ensure lone workers’ safety. Thanks to TracPlus’s real-time tracking and communication functionality, you’re covered whether you’re in cell reception or not — so you never have to worry about being unable to contact someone or struggling to call for help in the event of an accident.

TracPlus: the ideal solution for lone workers and supervisors

So how do you ensure safety as a lone worker or a supervisor, particularly when in remote areas or places where increased hazards are involved?

TracPlus’ real-time asset tracking and communication software allows you to optimise safety and operational efficiency. For lone workers, it provides a reliable tether to the outside world when operating outside cell coverage, as well as invaluable peace of mind that you’re never truly off the grid.

For supervisors, TracPlus is an essential tool to mitigate risk and to ensure the safety and well-being of your lone workers. By enabling you to send and receive messages regardless of cell coverage and by updating your workers’ locations in real-time, it dramatically improves the overall safety of your assets and makes it quick and easy to increase the regularity of your check-ins and communications.

For more information on how TracPlus can meet your tracking and communication needs, help you manage and mitigate risk, and future-proof your operations, please don’t hesitate to contact us at sales@tracplus.com.