In case you work alone, obviously your employer has the obligation to keep you safe but you too are obliged to help keep yourself safe. With this in mind, here are a few personal safety tips for lone workers.

1) Remain observant

An essential skill that will keep you safe is the ability to learn how to know what is going on around you. Look at your environment, the people around you and take note of their behaviour. Learn how to spot warning signs such as a change in atmosphere, or perhaps body language and tone of voice.

It’s very useful to always have in mind an exit strategy in every situation you are in. For instance, if you are entering a building look for your nearest exit, objects that could be used as weapons against you and always try to sit or stand in places which won’t make you vulnerable.

2) Do not make yourself a target

Unfortunately, simply by being present in certain situations you are already putting yourself at risk. However, that is not to say you cannot manage and control the risk level. This is particularly relevant when working with other people who could be potentially violent or even commit a crime. Monitor and keep track of your own attitude and behaviour, for instance, in case a situation becomes rather tense do not respond with anger since this could antagonise the person in front of you.

You could also reduce the risk of robbery simply by keeping valuables hidden – for instance, in case you are a delivery driver, aim to keep your mobile phone device out of sight and avoid creating temptation in the way of a would-be robber.

3) Always let people know where you are

One of the most significant acts you can do as lone worker is to let people know where you are at all times. This can potentially save your life in an emergency situation. It can feel a little strange to know that your a colleague or your employer always knows where you are exactly but it is not that different compared to working in a usual office job. Your manager or boss will always know where you are!

So if your job requires you to commute to different locations get used to frequently reporting where you are. This can be done in several ways; by calling or messaging your boss for instance.

4) Trust your intuition

Ask any robbery or attack victim: most people who have been victim to a robbery or violent incident will tell you that all the warning signs were there in front of them. Being this like that, why did the incident still happen? It is often because we are scared to listen to our instincts. This can actually be for several reasons; fear of getting into trouble from a manager or employer or worries about how they will come across for rejecting to enter into a house, for instance.

If at some point you feel uncomfortable or you feel something is ‘off’ with a particular person or with a situation, go ahead and listen to what your inner voice is saying and get yourself out of the situation or if you are really worried raise an alarm. It does not really matter if it turns out to be a false alarm, after all it is better to be safe than sorry.

5) Carry a panic alarm or lone worker device

In case there is an emergency, it is always a good idea to carry a panic alarm with you or perhaps lone worker device. Traditional panic alarms will make a loud noise, heavily distracting your assailant and hopefully giving you time to escape.

A lone worker device will distract an attacker and it will also get you the help you require. Either from a colleague or from the emergency services. There are many lone worker solutions to solve this issue and the aforementioned device is one of them. A lone worker device will give you the possibility to open 2 way audio communication with someone who will be able to record the conversation or interaction, reassure you or even give you advice.