Why Do You Need A Lone Worker Policy

What is a Lone Worker Policy?

Before diving into “why”, here’s a quick refresher:

• A formal document describing how an organisation manages the health, safety, welfare of employees who work alone, those without direct supervision, or who are physically isolated.
• Covers risk assessments, control measures, emergency procedures, responsibilities of employer and lone worker.
• Ensures legal compliance under Irish law (e.g. Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005) and specific regulations.

Why You Really Need a Lone Worker Policy

Let’s break it down question-and-answer style, with real incidents to show what can go wrong.

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, employers must carry out risk assessments and ensure safety of workers, including lone workers.

If the risk assessment indicates that it’s unsafe for work to be carried out alone, controls must be put in place, which might include supervision, communication devices, or changing how work is done.

Below are real incidents from Ireland that illustrate the dangers:

Almas Industries offers a range of devices, monitoring and support services. Here’s how they can integrate into a policy to make it robust:

Devices & Features

Safety Watch: wearable device with SOS, fall/inertia detection, two-way comms, indoor/outdoor location. Lone Worker Safety+1
App + Wearables: mobile app plus wearable or Bluetooth-bracelet, combining constant presence with portability. Lone Worker Safety+1
ATEX range: for explosive or hazardous atmospheres, where ordinary devices might fail. Robust, certified hardware. Lone Worker Safety

Monitoring & Response

24/7 monitoring via ARC (Alarm Receiving Centre) for when manual alerts or automatic triggers happen. Lone Worker Safety
Non-usage reporting (to see where devices are not being used, so policy compliance can be tracked). Lone Worker Safety
Employer platform: overview of all active devices, alerts, location, status. Useful for both prevention and after-incident investigation. Lone Worker Safety

Training, Communication & Culture

Policy is more than a document: devices must be used correctly, people must know what to do in an alert, regular drills should be conducted.
Ensuring workers trust the system – e.g. that alerts lead to response, privacy is respected, devices are comfortable / reliable.

• Lower insurance premiums/risk; fewer costly incidents.
• Better staff morale & retention – people feel safer, especially in high-risk sectors.
• Improved reputation with clients, regulators, community.
• More resilience: policies help when unexpected events happen (medical issue, injury, attack, etc.).

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