Introduction
Employee safety is increasingly critical for organizations today. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2021 alone. Ensuring employee safety, particularly for lone workers who may be more vulnerable, is crucial not only for protecting employees but also for mitigating organizational risk and maintaining operational continuity.
This article is based on the extensive experience and insights gained from Aware360’s work with thousands of organizations globally, ensuring the safety and well-being of millions of lone workers and individuals operating in isolated or remote environments. The following expanded guidelines offer detailed, practical recommendations to help your organization select a robust lone worker safety solution tailored precisely to your needs, and ensure your procurement process is thorough and effective.
Regulatory Compliance & Data Security
- Require vendors to demonstrate compliance with:
- SOC 2 Type II certification to ensure rigorous data protection standards.
- HIPAA compliance for managing sensitive health information.
- Request recent audit reports or certifications from vendors.
- Verify how frequently the vendor conducts security audits and confirm their procedures for data breach notifications and response.
- Require evidence of secure storage, encryption methods, and detailed explanations of data handling practices.
Communication & Connectivity
- Prioritize solutions providing multiple communication options:
- Cellular and Wi-Fi for standard connectivity.
- Satellite communication capability for remote areas with limited cellular coverage.
- Compatibility with FirstNet to guarantee prioritized connectivity during emergencies.
- Specify fallback procedures or failover protocols to maintain communication continuity during network outages or failures.
- Request details of coverage maps, communication reliability metrics, and documented performance in remote or challenging environments.
Emergency Response Integration
- Ensure integration with a certified 24/7 emergency monitoring center.
- Specify that solutions must offer rapid two-way voice communication to verify and dispatch emergency responses quickly.
- Require vendors to provide emergency response metrics, including average time to answer calls and initiate dispatch.
- Clarify escalation protocols, including backup response options if primary contacts are unreachable.
- Ask vendors to detail their monitoring center certifications, operator training standards, and continuous quality improvement practices.
Accurate Location Tracking
- Request solutions capable of precise indoor and outdoor location tracking using technologies such as:
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- GPS & Assisted GPS for outdoor locations.
- Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons for accurate indoor positioning.
- Wi-Fi and cellular triangulation as complementary location technologies.
- Vendors should demonstrate accuracy and reliability of location services through trial or real-world performance data.
- Specify acceptable accuracy ranges (e.g., within 10 meters indoors) and the frequency of location updates.
- Request clarification on privacy controls, employee consent mechanisms, and compliance with privacy laws related to location tracking.
Usability and Adoption
- Ensure ease of use through intuitive interfaces and minimal training requirements.
- Conduct field trials or pilot programs to gather real-world feedback on usability. \
- Request vendor-provided training resources, onboarding, and user adoption support.
- Clarify post-deployment support services, including ongoing user support, periodic refresher training, and continuous improvement based on user feedback.
- Ask vendors to provide case studies highlighting successful user adoption and testimonials from similar organizational deployments.
Scalability, Configurability & Interoperability
- Specify requirements for solutions to scale across large employee bases and multiple locations seamlessly.
- Demand high configurability, such as customizable emergency escalation paths, alert settings, and notification options.
- Confirm cross-device interoperability (mobile apps, dedicated wearables, satellite devices) to offer comprehensive coverage for all types of lone workers.
- Request details of system capacity limits, provisioning processes for adding users and devices, and ability to support international or multi-jurisdictional operations.
- Ask vendors to illustrate integration capability with existing IT infrastructure, security systems, and human resource platforms.
Field Trials & Pilots
- Include a pilot or trial phase in your evaluation to test solutions under real operational conditions.
- Collect user feedback on solution reliability, ease of use, and operational integration.
- Vendors should assist in setting up and supporting pilot programs.
- Clearly outline pilot program duration, number and diversity of participants, key performance indicators to be measured, and criteria for success.
- Require vendors to document results comprehensively and suggest improvements or customizations based on trial findings.
Evaluation Metrics & Vendor Performance
- Define clear, measurable performance metrics in your RFP:
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- Emergency response times (call answering and dispatch initiation).
- System reliability metrics such as uptime percentage and connectivity success rates.
- User satisfaction and adoption rates based on actual deployment data.
- Require vendors to provide data and client references to substantiate their performance claims.
- Specify reporting expectations (frequency, detail level) for ongoing performance monitoring.
- Clarify terms for contractual guarantees, service-level agreements (SLAs), and vendor accountability measures for failing to meet specified metrics.
Conclusion
A detailed, criteria-driven RFP empowers your organization to identify a comprehensive safety solution, enhancing worker safety and organizational risk management. Align stakeholders across EHS, IT, and procurement to choose the most effective partner for protecting your lone workforce. Following these expanded guidelines ensures a thorough, objective, and strategic evaluation process, ultimately leading to successful implementation and increased safety outcomes.
If you're starting your own RFP or exploring lone worker safety solutions, our ready-to-use template will save you time and help you choose with confidence.
Download your Lone Worker RFP Template