Glossary
Lone-worker protection
Lone-worker protection is the program of policies, procedures, training and technical controls that keep solo-working guards safe. The core technical components are deadman switches, panic buttons, GPS tracking with geofence alerts, automated check-ins, and escalation chains. The program is regulated in the EU and recommended by OSHA and ANSI in the US.
Definition
A complete lone-worker protection program covers: risk assessment per role and site, scheduled check-in cadences with deadman switches, panic button hardware (wearable or app-embedded), GPS tracking with geofence-based alerting, automated escalation chains (supervisor → manager → dispatch → emergency services), incident-response procedures, and post-incident review. The technical layer integrates with the guard tour platform so check-in events appear in the same audit trail as patrol scans.
Context
Lone-worker programs are not optional in many EU markets: the UK HSE expects a written assessment under the Health and Safety at Work Act, Germany requires DGUV-13 risk assessments for solo workers, France requires lone-worker provisions in the DUERP. In the US the regime is more flexible — OSHA implies general duty of care, and insurers price premiums against documented programs. Guard tour software platforms that ship deadman switches and escalation natively reduce the cost of compliance.
Compliance relevance
ANSI/ASIS PSM-1-2017 lists lone-worker controls as required for higher-risk programs. ISO 45001 §6.1.2 requires hazard identification including lone-worker exposure. Insurance carriers in the EU commonly require documented lone-worker protocols before underwriting solo-guard sites.