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10 tips for safe home visits and working on site
Out and about on your own, but not unprotected
Every day, thousands of staff visit customers, clients, residents and other contacts on site. This often happens alone and in places where colleagues are not immediately present. Examples include care workers, engineers, inspectors, housing association staff, enforcement officers, social workers and field staff.
What begins as assistance or a service can suddenly turn into an unsafe situation. An unknown situation may lie behind every front door. A client in crisis, a tense home situation, a frustrated resident or an aggressive customer: these are situations that can develop within seconds.
Although most visits go smoothly, staff may encounter aggression, unsafe situations, workplace accidents or medical emergencies. That is why awareness, preparation and reliable support are essential for anyone working alone on site.
Good preparation and clear safety protocols help to minimise risks.
The tips below will help you improve the safety of staff who are out and about on their own.
1. Prepare thoroughly for the visit
Check the address, the contact person and any specific details in advance. If you are aware of any previous incidents or risks, it is advisable to take these into account during your preparations.
2. Inform colleagues of your plans
Let colleagues know where you are, who you are visiting and when you expect to be back. This will enable action to be taken more quickly if anything goes wrong.
3. Make use of check-in points
Agree that staff should check in before or after a visit. This makes it easier to notice if someone does not return as planned.
4. Assess risks in advance
Are there any signs of aggression, conflicts, mental health issues or other safety risks? Assess in advance whether additional measures are required.
5. Do not plan high-risk visits alone
Where there are heightened risks, it may be wise to take a colleague with you. Two staff members can support one another and often manage situations more effectively.
6. Observe your surroundings on arrival
On arrival, take a moment to look around. Be alert to any unusual situations, people or circumstances that could affect safety.
7. Choose a safe position during meetings
Ensure that you can easily leave the room if necessary. Avoid situations where you no longer have a clear route out.
8. Trust your instincts and recognise signs of tension
When you arrive, take a moment to look around. Be on the lookout for any unusual situations, people or circumstances that could affect safety.
9. Use technology as a safety net
Should an emergency arise, help must be available quickly. Modern personal alarm systems make it possible to alert colleagues or an emergency response centre immediately at the touch of a button.
A good system offers not only safety but also peace of mind. Staff know that they are never truly alone, even when colleagues are at a different location.
10. Report and evaluate incidents
Even minor incidents can provide valuable information. By recording and discussing experiences, organisations can better identify risks and help prevent future incidents.
What if an employee is unable to make a phone call?
Not every emergency allows employees to call for help themselves. In the event of a fall, a medical emergency, an incident of aggression or a threatening situation, every second can count.
That is why more and more organisations are using personal alarm systems. Features such as emergency buttons, interval checks, fall detection and non-movement detection ensure that colleagues are alerted more quickly and that help can be deployed in a targeted manner.
Risks vary by sector
Although the basic principles of working safely are the same everywhere, the risks vary greatly from sector to sector.
Healthcare
Community nurses, home care workers, mental health care staff and other healthcare professionals visit clients at home every day. They may encounter aggression, confused behaviour, emotional situations or medical emergencies.
Important: rapid alerting, location tracking and immediate support from colleagues.
Local authorities and the social sector
Advisers, debt counsellors, neighbourhood teams and other local authority staff regularly hold discussions on sensitive topics such as debt, benefits, housing and enforcement. This can lead to tensions.
Important: robust safety procedures, direct communication with the intervention team and accurate location tracking within buildings.
Housing associations
Staff at housing associations visit tenants to carry out inspections, maintenance, deal with nuisance issues or discuss rent arrears. Emotions can run high, particularly in the event of conflicts or when delivering bad news.
Important: carry out a risk assessment in advance and provide rapid support in the event of incidents.
Installation and engineering firms
Technicians often work alone at unfamiliar locations, in technical rooms or outside normal working hours. In addition to aggression, workplace accidents also pose a significant risk.
Important: lone worker safety measures, non-movement detection, fall detection and interval checks.
Energy and utility companies
Emergency response teams and field staff regularly work at remote locations or in customers’ homes. They may face technical risks and, at times, aggression from frustrated customers.
Important: location tracking and rapid response to emergency alerts based on availability and shift patterns.
When are additional safety measures advisable?
Additional safety measures are often advisable when staff:
- Work alone;
- Carry out regular home visits;
- Visit unfamiliar locations;
- Work outside office hours;
- Face aggression or conflicts;
- Work in high-risk environments.
By identifying risks in advance and providing staff with the right tools, safety can be significantly improved.
Safety is a shared responsibility
Working safely on site is not solely the employee’s responsibility. Employers, managers and safety coordinators play a key role in creating a safe working environment.
Clear procedures, proper training, open communication and reliable tools ensure that employees can carry out their work with greater confidence. A safe organisation invests not only in prevention, but also in rapid support should something go wrong.
Working safely on site with MultiBel
Good preparation forms the basis for working safely, but not every situation is predictable. With MultiBel, employees in an emergency can immediately alert colleagues via their smartphone, a Bluetooth emergency button or automatic detection in the event of a fall or lack of movement.
This ensures colleagues receive an immediate alert, allowing help to be provided more quickly when every second counts. At the same time, organisations gain insight into alerts, follow-up and incident reporting from a single central platform.
Would you like to know how your organisation can better protect staff during home visits and on-site work? Please feel free to contact us for a demonstration of the possibilities, with no obligation.
