Isolated Worker Protection: What is it?

Working in isolation increases the dangers. No one else is around to quickly alert emergency services in the event of an emergency. If the employee becomes unwell, for example, he or she has little chance of being spotted and rescued as quickly as possible. Risks are also related to the work environment. Isolated workers may be confronted with accidents, aggression or incivility. According to the French Labor Code, all these risks must be identified and listed by the employer in a reference document.

The lone worker alarm device (LWAD) is the most widespread solution for lone worker protection. The purpose of this type of electronic device is to enable the lone worker to trigger an alarm either voluntarily or automatically. These devices are sometimes referred to as PTI DATI. They are equipped with fall or mobility detectors, are geolocated and connected to a 24/7 remote monitoring center. These systems enable employers to guarantee continuous security and assistance to isolated employees, and cover all types of risk. Existing in various forms (watch, box, badge holder, smartphone application...), it is then advisable to choose the device adapted to the employee's activity so that it is not a constraint.

An employer can decide to provide lone-worker protection himself and self-monitor. However, it must be able to provide the lone worker with the same level of protection offered by professionals in the sector. In the event of an incident, the employer is liable, not the professional. The employee in charge of lone-worker protection must be qualified to handle alerts very quickly (professionals are bound by a response time of less than 60 seconds) and carry out a doubt removal procedure to identify the emergency and alert the appropriate emergency services.

In the event of incidents occurring at night or at weekends, the people in charge of responding to alerts must have a paid on-call clause in their employment contract. Jurisprudence has legislated in this direction when employees performing unpaid on-call duty have turned against their employer.
Taking charge of monitoring PTI DATI devices by a professional therefore makes it easier to manage the emergency chain for the whole company.

Lone worker protection solutions include not only the supply of DATIs, but also remote surveillance services. To ensure you choose the best partner and the best protection for your employees, you need to make sure that remote monitoring services meet APSAD P3 or APSAD P5 standards. These certifications guarantee rapid processing of employee alerts, regardless of location, and guaranteed continuity of service thanks to two stations operating in "mirror" mode. Scutum Premium Services is APSAD P5 certified, the highest level of certification for remote monitoring stations in France. At European level, EN 50518 defines the standards on which remote monitoring centers must operate.

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