App keeps lone workers safe

Lone working engineers at Ericsson can be faced with dangerous situations while carrying out essential maintenance services across the UK.

The team of over 500 staff work around the clock as well as in remote locations, meaning that they require a reliable way to alert their supervisors during an emergency.

Ericsson therefore implemented StaySafe, a safety app that monitors the location and safety status of lone working staff whenever they begin a timed session. Missed check-in and session expiry alerts automatically alert the employer even when they are unable to do so, while a panic button can be used immediately to request emergency assistance. Beginning a session or triggering an alert allows an external monitor at Ericsson to view an accurate location of the employee through the StaySafe Hub.

Due to the simplicity of the application, Ericsson employees were able to begin using it within two weeks. Training was rolled out to the team of lone workers online, through videos and digital user guides. StaySafe worked closely with the business to develop and customise the technology to fit their individual lone worker needs.

In addition, StaySafe worked with Ericsson to set up a hub structure that enabled line managers to be responsible for their own engineers, but also allow dispatch to have access to alarms. This ensured that someone was always available to respond. Ericsson now has a total of 27 hubs which vary in size and structure and can be easily modified by the business.

Hub reporting has also been a particularly useful feature for Ericsson. By using StaySafe analytics, supervisors are able to analyse user behaviour and take the appropriate action on incorrect usage. By monitoring alerts and providing additional training to those using the solution incorrectly, Ericsson can ensure the solution is used regularly and properly.

Image courtesy of StaySafe.