Working Alone Stats and Facts

FACTS

  1. Hazards that lone workers may encounter include:
  • accidents or emergencies,  including inadequate provision of first aid.
  • sudden illnesses.
  • inadequate provision of rest, hygiene and welfare facilities.
  • physical violence from members of the public and/or intruders.
  1. Dangerous Falls. A fall can turn fatal if help is not dispatched immediately. If the worker is knocked out or concussed, they won’t be able to call for help. Using security cameras doesn’t typically help with lone workers, as it is financially unfeasible to have cameras at every single turn.
  2. Health Emergencies. Risks facing lone workers include on the job health emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes are not uncommon for employees working in industrial environments.
  3. Workplace Violence. Risks facing lone workers include workplace violence. Workplace violence has become an increasingly important safety and security issue for many organizations.
  4. Fires & Explosions. In the event of a fire, or explosion in a remote location, how would a lone worker be able to handle it? 

STATS

There are 53 million lone workers in the United States, Canada, and Europe combined. To put that statistic into perspective, it represents about 15% of the overall workforce. In fact, the International Labor Organization estimates that 2.3 million work-related fatalities happen each year. 

  • 44% of workers say they face personal safety issues in their primary employment practices.
  • OSHA states that 48% more assaults occur in the healthcare and social services industries more than any other.
  • 62% of social workers have been subject to psychological aggression in the past year, with 86% experiencing this at some point in their careers.
  • 15% of social workers have been physically assaulted by clients in the past year, with 30% having experienced this at some point in their career.
  • 50% of retail workers that are killed are employed alone at late night establishments, such as liquor stores or gas stations.
  • An HSE report found that of the workplace fatalities reported between 2012 and 2017, 22 percent were individuals working in the manufacturing industry.
  • In 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported multiple Oil & Gas-related fatalities in the United States.