Lone worker devices with prices UK – The complete guide
Lone worker device costs can change considerably depending on your employee's needs. With roughly 8 million people in UK being lone workers (22% of the working population) being able to follow the Health and Safety Offences Act 2008 is essential to ensure all your employees are safe and well.
Lone worker protection pricing can vary depending on the type used. Some lone worker apps can be free whilst others charge from £5 to £30 per user per month. Similarly, basic lone worker devices can range from £30 to £100+, depending on its features, and this can be seen across the variety of different lone worker protection pricing models available.
Advances in devices, apps, and technology have allowed lone workers across numerous job sectors including but not limited to the NHS, construction workers, and security guards, to keep lone workers safe and make managing them easier and more efficient.
But how can you decide which lone worker app or device is best for your organisation? How much do these devices cost and what is the best price for you?
At Access Personal Safety we understand how confusing it can be to understand the differences between the lone worker apps and devices currently available and how difficult it can be to decide which one is best for you. We want to make this process as easy as possible.
Fortunately, by the end of this article, you will have all the information you need to decide which lone worker device is the right price for you and what additional services and functions are available to best adapt to your organisation’s needs.
- What is a lone worker device?
- What is a lone worker app?
- Lone worker protection pricing models – What are they?
- Lone Worker Device and App Price Ranges
- Cost of lone worker devices UK – Why are some more expensive than others?
- Lone worker devices with prices UK – What can Access Personal Safety offer you?
What is a lone worker device?
Lone worker devices are designed to monitor and protect employees who work alone in isolation or remote locations. There are lots of different lone worker devices to choose from which all have different features and functionality.
The most common features in lone worker devices include:
- GPS Monitoring
- Panic buttons
- Periodic check-ins
- Two-way communications
The purpose of lone worker devices is to provide a duty of care by keeping employees safe and provide peace of mind to team members and the whole organisation. Through using lone worker devices you can reduce liability and ensure compliance with government health and safety regulations.
Some of the most common types of lone worker devices include Bluetooth panic buttons or alarms, handheld satellite devices, and the most commonly used lone worker apps.
What is a lone worker app?
Like lone worker devices, lone worker apps help enhance the safety of individuals who work alone or in isolated environments. Mobile apps can be argued as the next generation of lone worker devices offering opportunities to link to other third-party systems and offer better real-time updates on an employee’s welfare. Through providing more enhanced real-time updates better timely responses to emergencies can take place.
Lone worker apps are the most broadly used type of lone worker safety device used across all industries as they provide significant data, are affordable, user-friendly, and easy to deploy across employees’ existing devices.
Both lone worker devices and apps work well individually, however, they are most beneficial when they work alongside each other. Often lone worker apps can act as the centralised hub to store all the information needed on an employee’s welfare so managers can better manage their employees to ensure risks are reduced and increase work productivity.
Lone worker protection pricing models – What are they?
Lone worker device costs can vary due to numerous factors. The biggest influential factor is the size of the organisation. Some lone worker device and app companies offer alternative pricing models to help organisations be able to afford the technology and equipment they need. For example, some companies offer options to pay either annually or monthly as well as offer flexible contracts to add or remove people from their database.
Below are some of the main pricing models for lone worker devices explained with the pros and cons of each.
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What is it? |
Pros |
Cons |
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Monthly Subscription |
A recurring fee that provides access to a device or app and its associated services. Prices can vary based on the number of devices needed, the features offered, and the level of service required. |
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Licensing |
Licensing pricing models involve purchasing the rights or permissions to use the device’s software often based on the number of users or devices. It allows access to the device’s features through one-time or periodic payment for the license. |
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Per product |
The per-product pricing model involves pricing each device individually. The cost is determined on a per-unit basis. Within this model, there are different types including fixed price per device, tiered pricing, and customised pricing. |
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Per user |
The per-user pricing model involves charging organisations based on the number of users that utilise the device or app. Often each user is charged a set fee with the opportunity and flexibility to negotiate discounts and add and remove users when needed. |
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The table above demonstrates as discussed previously the size of the organisation can influence how much providers charge for their lone worker apps or devices. However, lots of providers do not publicly advertise how much their packages cost due to offering bespoke packages and more opportunities to meet your individual needs.
The opportunity to customise specifically to your needs can both reduce price as well as increase price. What is important to note is to know the difference between these pricing models to determine which one is best for you now and in the future to make budget forecasting more successful. By being better prepared for the future your organisation can grow more sustainably and can be aware if changing to a different pricing model later on is needed.
Learn more about personal safety solutions for lone workers
Lone Worker Device and App Price Ranges
It is clear that depending on your business needs the price for lone worker protection devices, apps, and alarms can change significantly. In simple terms the more advanced you go or the more users you need typically the more expensive it will be, but by how much?
A lot of providers and organisations often do not share how much they charge and ask you to enquire. Often this is because they will offer additional services or bespoke packages that are more suitable to your business’ needs to add extra fees.
Some providers also offer both annual and monthly plans or discounts for larger organisations to best suit your needs. Basic lone worker protection services can start as low as a few pounds per user per month, whilst more advanced solutions can start from £5 up to £20 per user per month.
The table below shows the average price breakdown for both different types of lone worker devices as well as the different pricing models available.
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Type of lone worker device or pricing model |
Price Range |
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Basic Lone Worker Devices |
£30 - £150+ per device |
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More Advanced Lone Worker Devices |
£100 - £500+ per device |
|
Bluetooth Panic Buttons |
£20 – 150+ per device |
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Handheld Satellite Devices |
£150-£800+ per device |
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Lone Worker Alarm Systems |
£100-£500+ per device |
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Lone Worker Apps |
Free or £5 to £30 per user per month |
|
Subscription Pricing Model |
£5 to £50 per user per month |
|
Licensing Pricing Model |
£50 to £300+ per user for one time license fee |
Cost of lone worker devices UK – Why are some more expensive than others?
One of the main reasons why the cost of lone worker devices, apps, and alarm systems vary in price is due to the type of solution, features, or technology used.
The cost of lone worker alarm systems, however, tends to be a lot more expensive than GPS monitoring devices or apps. A basic lone worker alarm system can have starting costs ranging from a few hundred pounds to thousands of pounds depending on how advanced the system is and the number of them needed.
Across all the different types of lone worker devices, one of the biggest reasons why some providers will be more expensive than others is due to the additional services they offer or if they integrate with other services.
The list below demonstrates some of the main contributing factors that impact the cost of lone worker devices, apps, and alarms.
1. Features and Functionality
As discussed above the features and functionality available can massively impact lone worker protection pricing. More advanced features including real-time GPS tracking, two-way communications, fall detections (also known as man-down detection), and integration with other systems tend to make devices and apps more expensive. These devices will often require higher production costs leading to higher costs for organisations and businesses.
More simple devices with fewer features tend to be much more affordable but can lack the comprehensive support and capabilities necessary to follow safety standards and procedures, especially in more remote areas.
2. Additional services and customisation
Additional services and customisation can also make the cost of lone worker devices vary. More tailored solutions for different organisations may require additional development, engineering, or modifications leading to production costs increasing.
Certain industries may also need more specialised features including advances in GPS for remote locations where signals may be weaker. These bespoke features can also increase the device’s cost.
Some industries also need to regulate their safety conditions more regularly than others including having certifications to adhere to specific guidelines. This can increase the cost of devices to cover the compliance costs needed to be certified.
3. Types of device and compatibility
The types of devices can massively impact the cost. There are many types of lone worker devices ranging from basic alarms and apps as we have already discussed to more advanced wearables, biometrics, and communication features. The complexity of technology and materials used to make these devices therefore can increase the cost.
These costs can be increased higher depending on their compatibility. To enable devices to seamlessly integrate with specific software to monitor systems can be expensive. For the devices to work they need a higher interconnectivity to improve communications between employees and their managers. This includes third-party integrations where there is often a higher price to facilitate such compatibility. The development of this can take time and resources, subsequently increasing the price further.
4. Onboarding, training, ongoing support, and maintenance
Finally depending on the pricing model used, the onboarding, training, ongoing support, and maintenance can also be additional charges. Some pricing models don’t include training and ongoing support within their initial package so a subsequent fee will often be needed.
Without having support and maintenance included in pricing models devices can become unreliable and get too expensive to fix and replace putting your employees at risk. It is crucial therefore to check with your provider what options they offer for both their onboarding and their ongoing support so you can get the best price possible.
Lone worker devices with prices UK – What can Access Personal Safety offer you?
At Access Personal Safety we know every business and organisation with lone workers is different, and to accommodate that we offer fully bespoke services and packages to match every need. To determine the cost of your package we deliver an assessment to understand your needs and the solutions that will best fit your organisation.
Our Access Access Personal Safety technology offers a variety of different lone worker solutions from a Personal Safety badge and watch, and our ruggadised handset with our Access Personal Safety app already installed into it.
We have made sure our selection of devices are easy to use to ensure safety, offer faster provision of support, and improve work productivity. We are trusted by organisations across multiple different types of business and adapt to every specific need.
All of our lone worker devices are linked to our Assure dashboard (formelly IntelliCare), our intelligence data platform, which manages all the data and insight on your employee’s welfare to enable managers to check in, monitor, and respond to alerts immediately so no one is left in danger.
At Access Personal Safety we like to go further than typical lone worker providers. We understand that lone workers can be seen in a wide range of industries and with our global response teams we also offer safety and protection for employees that have to travel internationally.
It is clear therefore that the lone worker protection market is vast with a wide range of types available at different prices.
To find out more about making a bespoke package suitable for your business learn more about our lone worker solutions today.
Contact us and see first-hand how we can be flexible to both your business needs and your budget to provide better safety to your employees, follow all guidance and regulations, and improve work productivity.
