On Saturday was World Day for Safety and Health at Work. But “at work” doesn’t just mean workers in brick and mortar buildings.
More and more workers are mobile.
By 2020, the mobile worker population in the U.S. is projected to hit 105.4 million, representing 72.3% of the total U.S. workforce.1 Employers have a responsibility to protect these workers, no matter their workplace.
Technology, especially mobile connectivity, has led to workers being more mobile. And it’s that same technology that can help keep the mobile worker safer. AlertGPS uses the highly secure AT&T network to connect its safety wearable device. The device, along with our cloud-based safety platform, can quickly locate, communicate and get help to mobile workers.
Think about home healthcare workers. They travel to unfamiliar neighborhoods. And they are often alone in a home with people they don’t know. A study by the New England Journal of Medicine found that 61% of home care workers report workplace violence annually. Some of the issues they face are weapons, drugs, domestic violence, robbery and car theft.2
AlertGPS lets employers proactively monitor, quickly communicate and provide emergency response to injured or threatened workers.
Here are some of the helpful features.
Companion SOS – Enables a worker to speak with a safety agent who acts as a virtual companion when they are walking alone, being followed or feeling uneasy about a situation.
Domicile of a Registered Offender – The worker and their manager receive an alert if the worker approaches or enters the home of a registered sex offender.
Threat & Assault – An SOS button allows the worker to initiate a 2-way call to the AlertGPS Safety Monitoring Center.
Mass Notification – In the event of fire, bad weather, or other emergencies, organizations have the ability to communicate to all or a subset of their mobile workforce at once.
Technology can provide peace of mind if there’s an issue. In support of World Day for Safety and Health at Work, we encourage all companies to adopt new safety protocols and technologies to protect their mobile workforce.
1International Data Corporation (IDC)
2New England Journal of Medicine, Workplace Violence against Health Care Workers in the United States (2016)
