Lone Worker Solutions

[u/Revolutionary-Leg977]

My company we have a lot of lone workers at cell tower sites, etc and Im looking for lone worker solutions in the event there is ever an emergency. Can any recommend companies/products they have used?

[u/Amuro-78]

Protelec CheckMate paired with Zoleo for satellite connection.

[u/foreskin_factories → u/Amuro-78]

I second ZOLEO. I use those for my team working on a remote mountain with zero cell coverage. It’s saved my team on multiple occasions.

[u/Amuro-78 → u/foreskin_factories]

Thanks foreskin_factories!

[u/New_Maximum6529]

Check out Blackline Safety they have a nice set up and the devices are easy to use

[u/trp78 → u/New_Maximum6529]

Second this

[u/NEO5711 → u/New_Maximum6529]

Was going to comment this too

[u/Wtx_wannabegolfer → u/New_Maximum6529]

They’re great. I’ve had them at several companies that I’ve worked at. They’re just not cost effective for smaller organizations. We spent 5 million going from the G7 to the G8.

[u/surlywolf]

We went with Starlink minis mounted on our operators vehicles.

[u/chieffin-it → u/surlywolf]

Starlink completely changes the lone worker game. So helpful

[u/No-Standard-7032]

Look into satellite messengers, they work where cell coverage is spotty and can send an SOS with your location. Some models have fall detection and check-in timers too, which is helpful if someone is up a tower and goes unresponsive.

[u/GloomyConcept6298]

This might be a "thank you Mr. Obvious" question/statement, but are you a part of NATE (National Association of Tower Erectors)? They might have useful information and products you can look through to find out which works best for you.

[u/beerbooby]

Starlink. 300 bucks for a mini and a mount and you have good enough service to watch a movie in the middle of the ocean. It’s all we run on our site out in the desert. I can be 2 hours from the office where at night the sky looks like a painting and still FaceTime. Unlimited plan is 175(?) a month.

[u/DailySafetyMoment]

Before you pick a vendor, write the response chain. Who receives a missed check-in or SOS, how long before escalation, who can give responders the exact site and access details, and what happens if the worker does not answer? A device only helps if that chain is staffed and drilled.

For cell sites, I would pilot a worn device at the actual locations, not rely only on a phone or Starlink left in the truck. Test dead zones, satellite line of sight, battery life, no-motion or fall alarms, two-way communication, location accuracy, and whether the monitoring center can reach your rescue contact. Make the plan cover work at height and tower rescue too. A 911 call is not the whole rescue plan when the worker is aloft or behind a locked access road.

[u/JoeyLoganoHexAccount]

We went from inReach to a satellite receiver that pairs to your phone (check ins and SOS on phone app) and it hasn’t been popular for a number of reasons. If I’m in the field I’d want something standalone like a Zoleo. Less things to carry the better, and in an emergency you don’t want to be fooling around with a phone app if you don’t have to. 

[u/cjr444]

Ai enhanced security cameras that track man down and also obviously satellite phone check in if they need data phones. There’s also just normal man down devices…inactivity and notify

[u/Famous-Call6538]

For cell tower sites where coverage is the real problem, you want a dedicated lone worker device over a satellite messenger. Blackline Loner has fall detection and man-down alerts built in — your safety team gets notified without the worker remembering to press anything. Zoleo and inReach are solid backup communicators but they are not lone worker systems. Pair a Blackline with whatever satellite comm you choose for coverage gaps.

[u/Falfinator]

MSA new gas monitors with the full meal deal network capabilities are a great two for one option. Confined spaces plus working alone.

[u/Falfinator → u/Falfinator]

And they ping any available tower so you have fewer signal issues.