staff safety
Report finds exec gap over lone working safety
A brand new report has found a gap in exec knowledge with regards to lone working and safety.
EcoOnline, the risk mitigation software developer, has launched its annual Lone Worker Landscape Report 2024 where it surveyed over 1,200 executives and lone workers, and this year’s survey highlights significant discrepancies between executives’ views and the actual experiences of lone workers.
According to the survey, lone workers identified violence and aggression as their greatest risk, with 46 per cent reporting an increase in incidents over the last two-to-three years. This is reflected in incident reports, which show that violence accounts for 20% of all reported incidents, a figure that has doubled since 2023.
On the other hand, executives are more concerned about workers being in remote areas without a mobile signal, with 50 per cent identifying this as the top risk, placing violence as a secondary concern.
When it comes to risk management, 46 per cent of those executives surveyed believe lone workers are adequately included in risk assessments, compared to only 30 per cent of lone workers doing the job. While over half of the executives questioned believe risk assessments occur regularly, only 31 per cent of lone workers agree.
In 2024, 50 per cent of executives report that safety is prioritised equally to financial targets and 18 per cent believe it’s prioritised even higher. However, 29 per cent of lone workers feel that safety is given less priority than financial goals, while 17 per cent of executives agree with them.
Executives are increasingly recognising workplace violence as the top future challenge, with 67 per cent of them predicting that lone worker safety will grow in importance over the coming years.
Speaking about the research, EcoOnline’s chief customer officer Helen Jones explained: “Lone workers are facing more risks than ever before. There’s a clear gap between how executives and workers perceive these risks. As such, it’s important for employers to seize the opportunity and bridge that gap.”
Jones added: “Business leaders must align safety measures with the realities lone workers face by being proactive and ensuring teams are aware of policies and risk assessments, can give input on processes and have the right support in place. Through transparency and technology, we can significantly reduce risks and keep lone workers safe.”
