SoloProtect Lone Worker Panic Alarms

With the increasing number of staff carrying out home visits, it’s essential that they have an easy way to alert their employer to their safety. This is where a lone worker panic alarm can come in handy.





Personal alarms can be in the form of a mobile app or device and some offer a range of functionality including man-down detection and discreet panic options. They also help employers to meet their legal duty of care.

What is a panic alarm?

A lone worker panic alarm is a device that allows employees to alert their team and/or the monitoring center that they are in distress or in danger. It can be triggered in a variety of ways, from an emergency button or a timed session to hands-free triggers. The most important feature of a lone worker panic alarm is the ability to discreetly call for help without alerting a potential attacker or even giving away an employee’s location.

While many businesses may be familiar with the use of alarm systems in buildings and workplaces, not all companies are aware that they can offer a range of safety measures to protect their employees who work remotely or on their own. personal alarm In fact, keeping in touch with employees who work alone can be a legal requirement.

Panic alarms (also referred to as duress alarms, emergency signallers or personal safety devices) can be a useful tool for employees in high risk situations such as robbery, assault and violence; and those working in social risk areas including community health, security and retail. A red alert on a lone worker app such as SafetyLine, for example, will open a one-way call with a monitored alarm centre where specially trained staff can dispatch the necessary assistance and monitor the situation until it has been resolved.

Panic buttons

Panic buttons are small, discreet devices that lone workers wear on their lanyard or clip to their clothing. When pushed, they open a one-way call with SoloProtect’s Alarm Receiving Centre and immediately sends an alert to those logged into the system. This includes on-duty police, security officers at the company and other trusted employees whose location is identified through their phone’s GPS data. The operators will listen in and quickly dispatch help if necessary, without any noise that could aggravate the situation further or scare off a potential assailant.

In addition, the device also allows staff to communicate with the operator directly if they are concerned about a colleague or have concerns over their own safety. Often, these are situations where they feel unsafe at work or outside of work in the community.

In addition to panic buttons, many lone worker solutions offer a button within the app which will automatically notify those in a network of contacts if pressed. This is a useful feature for healthcare workers who may need to contact family members and friends in case of an emergency and for those who work alone in the community who are at risk of being targeted. Similarly, many lone worker apps with built-in panic buttons also include fall detection. This will sound an alarm if the user falls and can immediately signal the monitoring centre that assistance is required.

Lone worker apps and devices

There are a number of different devices and software lone worker alarms available that can help protect employees who work on their own. Many of these can be incorporated into existing smartphones or tablets for cost-effective solutions that fit easily and discreetly into working life. These devices offer a range of benefits such as emergency alerts and duress activation, GPS location sharing, and periodic well-being check-ins, helping organizations meet health and safety regulations while streamlining administration and management.

When selecting a lone worker app or device, it’s important to consider the risk assessment for each member of staff. If your staff are facing higher risks and you have identified that they need an extra level of protection, then a lone worker device may be the best option for them. These are often smaller and more discrete than smartphones, with options like a Bluetooth button (like StaySafe’s V.BTTN) which can be pressed to request help or used as a duress signal, or a hands-free solution that works even when the smartphone is locked and can’t be activated by buttons (like the Peoplesafe Pro app).





Lone worker apps can be accessed by managers via an online hub so that they can track each individual’s performance and see who has completed a lone working session. These can also be viewed by the employee themselves, giving them confidence that they have complete control of their own safety.

StaySafe’s V.BTTN

The V.BTTN is a discreet button that pairs with our lone worker app to allow employees to check-in and send an alert without needing to unlock their phone. The device can be attached to a work belt, car dashboard or hidden in a pocket, making it ideal for workers who may not want to take out their phone during a lone working session. It also doubles as a man down alarm with configurable sensors that can trigger an alert even if it’s not activated by the user.

Users can configure their button’s functions from the 'Button Settings' in the StaySafe app. We recommend assigning ‘check-in’ to single click and ‘panic’ to press and hold. You can also choose to enable fall detection (please note that this will use up battery quickly) and configure LED and sound confirmations.

Once paired, an alert is broadcast until acknowledged and cleared within the StaySafe app. Alerts can be monitored either in-house through the Hub or outsourced to one of our professional 24/7 monitoring and response partners. This gives you the flexibility to structure a service that best meets your needs.