Working Alone? How an App Could be Your Answer to a Safer Work Environment
Working alone can be a dangerous, whether you’re working in a remote region, or simply without the aid of supervision; each job type comes with its own risks. So what can you do to make your situation safer? The answer may depend on your industry.
As a general rule of thumb, most work alone situations can be lumped into five categories:
- Employees who handle cash (liquor store, convenience store, taxi driver)
- Employees who travel away from home to clients (home care, social services, bylaw enforcement)
- Employees who do hazardous work, but have no interaction with the public ( geologist, forestry, oil and gas)
- Employees who travel alone, but have no public interaction (truck drivers, delivery services)
- Employees who may be prone to violent attacks as part of their occupation (custodian, security guard)
Although some situations may seem a bit more dangerous than others, there are certainly risks associated with each type of job environment. So how do you go about tackling each of these types of working conditions?
The Problem
The biggest problem with employees working alone is keeping them accountable, and in touch with the workplace; while maintaining their personal safety. Although each job has its own method, anyone in a work alone industry will know that their system is likely outdated and inefficient. Often times bad weather, poor reception, and user error can lead to mishaps. These mishaps can easily be avoided, with a more efficient work alone management system. If you work in an industry that requires you to work alone, you may have been told that risks are simply “part of the job.” This type of thinking is clearly a problem, not only for the employee but also the employer.
The Age of the Smart Phone
Sometimes the solution isn’t as obvious as it may appear, and it is extremely circumstantial for each type of job. For example, if you handle cash, you may wish to invest in a security system; or simply reorganize your workplace. If you work in an industry that requires phone check-ins (such as delivery), you will likely have a system that requires checkpoints. For drivers, checkpoints are put in place to ensure their safety and accountability, but these checkpoints are often ineffective and costly to implement. Why not utilize something that most Canadian employees carry already: a smartphone. Mobile apps are the future of how businesses operate, and work alone management is a part of this change.
The Better Solution: eJourney Manager
Vog App Developers has the unique opportunity to explore this issue. Having been approached with this current health and safety and environmental problem, we decided that a new and innovative app could be developed to tackle this problem. By collaborating with industry experts, the Vog team created eJourney Manager: an all-in-one safety solution for any work-alone industry. Ths app works using a simple check-in system, which automatically informs its users of the risks associated with their current tasks, and how to properly avoid them. This app also includes a real-time check-in system (between employees and supervisors), emergency notifications (bad weather, emergency alerts), a journey management log, and management notifications. This journey management app allows the user to alert supervisors about emergencies encountered throughout the work day as well as keeping in constant contact at all times. This system is gaining traction internationally, and Vog looks forward to supporting the app in the future as it continues to grow.
Conclusion
The bottom line is: the majority of work alone safety systems in the industry are incredibly outdated and inefficient. Consider bringing forward a new solution like eJourney Manager as a work alone management system. To learn more about this app, and the developers behind it, visit eJourney Manager’s website; also check out the innovative work happening at Vog App Developers! At Vog, we build more than apps, we build businesses.
