The world is changing. The economy is evolving, and so too is the way that many of us spend our work days. With the introduction of new technology and the drive for efficiency, more and more Canadians spend at least part of their day working alone.  Working alone has become increasingly common in just about every industry imaginable. A lone worker could be anyone from a night cashier in a convenience store, to a long distance trucker, to a real estate agent, a battery operator in the oil patch, an administrator staying late to finish some paperwork, a plumber or an electrician ...  it’s a very long list.

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Perhaps the only thing everyone on that list has in common is the need for support and backup to ensure their safety should something go wrong at a time when help is not immediately available. 

As an employer you want to protect your people.  It’s up to you to make sure that everything possible is done to ensure they can do their job safely.  When it comes to lone workers that obligation comes with its own special set of challenges. 

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Let’s start with a definition.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety says someone is a lone worker when the employee is on their own, when they cannot be seen or heard by another person, and when they cannot expect a visit from another worker within a reasonable period of time.  - https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/workingalone.html

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In an ideal world illness or injury would never be an issue, but the fact is for most of us there will be times when something does go wrong. And if there’s no one else around when that happens, well, obviously, that’s a problem. That’s why it’s vital for a lone worker to have an effective way of communicating with someone who can respond immediately in the event of an emergency.

So here’s the challenge.  

How do you keep the lines of communication open with those who work alone without hiring extra staff or completely interrupting the workflow of the person you’re trying to protect?

Before we go any further it’s important to acknowledge that there’s no one size fits all solution. A gas station attendant working the night shift will have quite different needs to a real estate agent travelling to a remote property or a trucker hauling a load through the mountains.  It’s a question of finding the right way to keep in touch for each situation and crafting the right schedule in order to do so. That’s where Intercon Messaging comes in.  We will work with you to come up with a program which is custom-designed for the specific needs of your industry and your employees.  We’ll never forget that your business is unique. We’ll be as flexible and adaptable as you need us to be.

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Here are some examples of what we can offer. 

1. We operate around the clock. Our doors are never closed and our phones are always answered. That mean we can arrange for regularly scheduled one-to-one voice or two way radio calls between your employees and one of our customer service agents at any time of the day or night, and on any day of the year. And we can work with you to schedule those regular check ins so they meet or exceed the necessary standards while keeping interruptions to the work flow and daily routine of your staff to an absolute minimum. If you have an employee heading into a potentially high risk situation – anything from visiting a difficult client to travelling on treacherous roads -- we can check them in and check them out. That both helps to ensure their safety and gives you peace of mind. If someone misses a scheduled check in or doesn’t respond, we’ll take the necessary follow up action as laid out by your previously determined instructions.

2. Another option is the I.M. OK work alone app. This app goes a long way toward making life easier for both you and your staff. Simply put, it’s a cell phone application which tracks the user throughout the day as they go about their routine.  Your employee simply has to check in periodically by clicking through the app on a prearranged schedule. That’s all it takes to let us know that all is well.  The great advantage of the lone worker app is speed. It’s only takes a few seconds to go through the check in process and you’re all set. The app is compatible with most operating systems, including Android and Apple. It’s easy to download. There’s no other equipment or specialized software needed. 

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And remember, whether you choose to use the app or person to person check in, our doors are always open and our phones are always answered. We operate around the clock every day of the year so you can count on Intercon Messaging to be there when you need us. 

And finally, if you have staff whose job requires them to do a lot of travelling it can be very hard to keep track of where they are, particularly in areas where the cell coverage isn’t so great.  Live GPS tracking uses satellite technology and allows you to pinpoint the location of any vehicle almost anywhere on the planet. If you’ve lost contact with a member of your team you can quickly determine exactly where they are.  If you determine there’s a need to send assistance, you’ll know exactly where it should go. 

No matter what your industry is or where they are working, we can help make sure that your employees who find themselves alone on the job have a worthwhile and productive day and most importantly, that they get home safely. For more information on this or on any other service that we offer, give us a call at or click on the link below.