Wearable Alerts Are a Growing Help for Solo Workers

In the fast-paced modern world that we’re living in, more people classify as “solo” workers than ever.

Gone are the days when someone sat behind a desk or an office – or was surrounded by colleagues – during the work day. More and more, people find themselves in the field and totally on their own. They may enjoy the freedom and the flexibility these positions bring with them, but unfortunately these things can come at the expense of the most important factor of all, which is safety.

There are a number of potentially dangerous situations that a solo worker might face, regardless of the job position or industry. Thankfully, wearable alerts have already proven that they can help out significantly in more ways than one.

How Wearable Alerts are Helping the Modern Day Workforce

Wearable devices include not just dedicated safety devices that a solo worker might be issued by their employer. Fitness trackers in the standalone medical devices and the smart watches of today are being supplemented by smart clothing such as Samsung’s smart shirt that can monitor breathing. Many wearable devices exist with fall detection and can automatically call a monitoring center or 911 if it determines that the wearer has fallen and has gone unresponsive for a period of time.

Likewise, many of these devices allow people to contact the authorities in seconds with the press of a button. Doing so will transmit accurate location information as well. Safety from accidents, and safety from threat of theft or assault.

It’s easy to see how this can come in handy in a variety of contexts. Consider your average real estate agent or even insurance adjuster, for example. The majority of their day is spent not only alone, but also dealing with total strangers in environments that they are unfamiliar with. If a real estate agent is showing a home and feels uncomfortable, or if an insurance adjuster visits a home to verify a claim and runs into much the same situation, they can quickly alert the proper authorities and let someone know that something has gone wrong.

Of course, this doesn’t just apply to situations where a solo worker may feel endangered by those around them. A utility worker could be out in the field performing routine maintenance on something like a power line, only to have the situation turn dangerous in a matter of seconds. Maybe they’ve fallen off a utility pole and have hurt themselves to the point where they are incapacitated. Maybe the fact that they’ve been in the intense heat all day has led to some type of heart issue, causing them to pass out. In both situations, wearable devices can alert emergency contacts and first responders so that the solo worker can be cared for as quickly as possible.

Staying Safe While Staying Solo

Mail carriers and delivery drivers are another great example of the types of people who can benefit from wearable alerts. Especially since the onset of the pandemic, online shopping is on the rise. More people are buying from online services than ever, putting more delivery drivers and mail carriers to work than ever.

On their feet and the road all day long, delivering packages and other essential items, these workers are essentially alone, and often in extreme weather. If they got into a car accident or otherwise injured themselves, it wouldn’t necessarily be immediately obvious to those in the area. Wearable alerts, however, can certainly help.

These are just a few of the many examples of how wearable alerts are already a growing help for solo workers across the globe. When you think about how far this wearable technology has come in even just the last five or so years, it’s truly exciting to think about the safety-related features that are no doubt right around the corner.