Choosing a lone worker app: ten questions to ask
By the SafetyEvo team · · reviewed · 5 min read
Lone worker apps tend to look alike in a demo: a big button, a map, a list of alerts. The differences show up when something goes wrong at three in the morning. These are the questions worth asking any supplier, including us.
Alerts and escalation
- 1. What happens if the first person does not answer? Does the alert move on automatically, and does it ever stop on its own?
- 2. Does it rely on push notifications alone, or does it also send texts and make phone calls?
- 3. Does escalation run on a server, or does it depend on the worker’s phone staying on?
- 4. Can the worker see that someone has taken their alert, and who?
In the field
- 5. What happens to an SOS with no signal? Is it saved and sent later, and can retries create duplicates?
- 6. How are false alarms prevented without slowing down a real one?
- 7. Is there a way to signal duress if a worker is forced to cancel?
Privacy and records
- 8. When is location collected? Only during working time, and can staff see when it is on?
- 9. Is every view of a location recorded, and who can see past trails?
- 10. Can incident records be edited after the event?
SafetyEvo’s answers: alerts escalate until a named person acknowledges and never stop on their own; push, then text, then call; escalation runs on our servers; the worker sees who has their alert; offline SOS is saved and lands once; a two second hold and five second countdown; a duress PIN; location only during a shift; every view audited; and timelines that cannot be edited.
Sources
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to a health and safety or legal adviser.