SOS buttons and check-in timers: which do lone workers need?
By the SafetyEvo team · · reviewed · 4 min read
Lone worker systems usually offer two ways to raise the alarm: an SOS button the worker presses, and a check-in timer that raises an alert if they do not respond. They solve different problems.
What an SOS button covers
An SOS button is for when the worker knows they need help and can press it: a threat, an injury they can still respond to, a situation getting out of hand. It is fast and direct.
What a check-in timer covers
A check-in timer is for when the worker might not be able to press anything: a fall, a medical emergency, being trapped. They set it before a risky task, and if they do not check in, the alert goes by itself.
Use both
- SOS for situations the worker can react to.
- Timers for tasks where they might not be able to.
- Silent phone alerts for when the phone itself goes quiet.
The part that matters most
Whichever way an alert starts, the outcome depends on what happens next. In SafetyEvo, every alert, from SOS, a missed check-in or a silent phone, follows the same escalation ladder until a named person acknowledges it.
Sources
This article is general guidance, not legal advice. For your own situation, speak to a health and safety or legal adviser.