What Is Duty of Care
What duty of care means, the UK laws behind it, and practical steps employers can take to protect staff who work alone, on the road or abroad.
A lone worker app turns the phone your staff already carry into a safety tool. With a tap or a swipe, a worker can raise an alarm, share their location and get help, even when nobody else is around.
There are a lot of lone worker apps on the UK market, and on the surface many of them look alike. The differences show up in the detail: who answers the alarm, what happens with no signal, and whether staff will actually use the app day to day. This guide sets out what to look for, compares some of the best known lone worker apps in the UK and explains how to choose.
A note before we start: this guide is written by Vismo, and Vismo is one of the apps listed. We have kept descriptions of other providers to what they say publicly about their own products, and we recommend checking current details with each provider before you buy.
What is a lone worker app?
A lone worker app is a mobile app that helps protect people who work alone or out of sight of colleagues. Typical features include a panic or SOS button, timed check-ins, location sharing and alerts that go to a manager, a monitoring team or an alarm receiving centre (ARC).
Lone worker apps are used across health and social care, housing, retail, utilities, security, engineering and any role where people work alone, travel between sites or work out of hours. If you are not sure who counts as a lone worker, our guide to what a lone worker is explains it.
What to look for in a lone worker app
Before comparing providers, decide what good looks like for your organisation. These are the questions that separate one app from another.
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Who answers the alarm: does an alert go to nominated colleagues, your own control room or an accredited ARC that is staffed 24/7?
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BS 8484 certification: BS 8484 is the British Standard for lone worker services. A certified service with an accredited ARC can escalate alarms to the police more quickly. Check the scope of any certificate, not just the logo.
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Discreet alarms: can a worker raise an alarm without drawing attention, for example with a press-and-hold or a swipe?
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Check-ins and timers: can staff set a session timer, with automatic escalation if they do not check in?
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Man down and fall detection: does the app detect a fall or a lack of movement, and does that need a separate wearable?
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Poor or no signal: what happens in a basement, a rural area or abroad? Some providers offer satellite devices for areas without coverage.
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Location accuracy: how precise is the location shared with responders, and how often does it update?
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Management and reporting: is there a portal to see active alerts, manage users and keep an audit trail?
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Ease of use: will staff actually turn it on? The best app is the one people use.
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Privacy: can you limit location sharing to working time or active sessions, so staff feel comfortable?
Best lone worker apps in the UK at a glance
| App | What it offers | Often a good fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Vismo | App, lone worker devices and satellite devices, with mass notification, geofencing and travel risk tools in one platform | Organisations that want lone worker safety alongside wider people risk management |
| Peoplesafe | App and a wide range of lone worker devices, with its own monitoring centre | UK organisations wanting a broad device choice |
| SoloProtect | Dedicated lone worker devices and app, with its own monitoring centre | Teams that prefer discreet dedicated devices |
| StaySafe | App-led lone worker service | Organisations wanting a phone-first approach |
| Safepoint | App and devices, with monitored or self-monitored options | Teams that want flexible monitoring options |
| Vatix | App and devices, with ARC monitoring | Organisations looking at lone worker and EHS tools together |
| LONEALERT | Lone worker devices and app, including devices for hazardous areas | Industrial and hazardous environments |
| OK Alone | App-led check-in and alert system | Smaller teams and international users |
The best lone worker apps in the UK
1. Vismo
Vismo's Locate & Protect app combines a discreet panic button, scheduled check-ins with automatic escalation, man down detection and real-time GPS location, using Vismo's patented BlackBox technology. Alerts can go to designated contacts or an alarm receiving centre, and Vismo's lone worker service is BS 8484 certified.
Where Vismo differs is breadth. The same platform covers lone worker devices for staff who cannot rely on a phone, satellite devices for remote areas, mass notification across SMS, voice, email, app, Microsoft Teams and Slack, geofence alerts and travel security. That suits organisations that want one system for people who work alone, travel or need to be reached in an emergency. The app runs on iOS and Android and can be deployed through MDM.
When an alert comes in, Vismo Workflows guides the person responding through your procedure step by step: acknowledge the alert, contact the worker, close it if they are safe or escalate if not. Every step is timestamped, so you have a record of how each alarm was handled.
2. Peoplesafe
Peoplesafe offers a lone worker app alongside a wide range of dedicated devices, and runs its own alarm receiving centre. It is widely used in the UK public sector and health and social care.
3. SoloProtect
SoloProtect is known for discreet dedicated lone worker devices, such as ID badge style devices, alongside its app. It runs its own monitoring centre in the UK.
4. StaySafe
StaySafe, now part of EcoOnline, is an app-led lone worker service with check-ins, location and panic alerts. It suits organisations that want staff to use their own smartphones rather than carry extra devices.
5. Safepoint
Safepoint offers an app and devices, with the choice of monitoring by an alarm receiving centre or by your own team. It positions itself as flexible for organisations that want to manage some alerts internally.
6. Vatix
Vatix offers a lone worker app and devices with ARC monitoring, alongside wider health and safety software. It can suit organisations looking for lone worker protection and EHS tools from one supplier.
7. LONEALERT
LONEALERT provides lone worker devices and an app, including devices designed for hazardous environments. It is often considered by industrial and utilities organisations.
8. OK Alone
OK Alone is an app-led system built around check-ins and alerts to nominated contacts, with optional monitoring. It is popular with smaller teams and organisations working across several countries.
Are there free lone worker apps?
Yes, some providers offer free or low-cost versions, usually aimed at self-employed people or very small teams. These normally send alerts to friends or colleagues rather than a professional monitoring centre.
For an employer, the question is whether a free app meets your duty of care. If an alert goes to a colleague who is asleep or out of signal, nobody may respond. Most organisations with regular lone working choose a monitored service, and many look for BS 8484 certification so alarms can be escalated to the police quickly.
How much does a lone worker app cost?
Lone worker apps are usually priced per user per month. Costs vary with the level of monitoring, contract length, the number of users and whether you need dedicated devices or satellite coverage. App-only plans tend to cost less than device plans, and ARC monitoring adds to the price but changes who responds when something goes wrong.
To compare quotes fairly, price the same set-up from each provider: the same number of users, the same monitoring level and the same contract term.
How to choose the right lone worker app
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Start with your risk assessment: the right app depends on what your lone workers actually do and the risks they face.
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Decide who should respond: an internal team, an ARC or a mix of both.
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Test it with real staff: run a trial with a few teams and ask them what they would actually use.
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Check the gaps: what happens with no signal, a flat battery or a locked phone?
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Think beyond lone working: if you also need to warn staff about incidents, support travellers or manage site safety, a broader platform can save you running several systems.
Lone worker app FAQ
What is the best lone worker app in the UK?
There is no single best app for every organisation. The right choice depends on who you need to protect, who should respond to alerts, how much signal your staff have and whether you need devices, satellite coverage or wider safety tools.
Do lone worker apps work without signal?
Most apps need a mobile or data connection to send an alert. Some can hold and resend an alarm when signal returns. For areas with no coverage, satellite devices are the reliable option.
Is a lone worker app a legal requirement?
No. The law does not require a specific app, but employers must assess and manage the risks of lone working. For many roles, a lone worker app is one of the simplest ways to show you have done that.
What is BS 8484?
BS 8484 is the British Standard for lone worker services. It covers how devices, apps and monitoring centres should work together, and certified services with accredited ARCs can get a faster police response to genuine alarms.
Can staff use their own phones?
Yes. Most lone worker apps run on iOS and Android. Clear rules on when location is shared help staff feel comfortable using their own devices.
Protect your lone workers with Vismo
Vismo gives your people a discreet way to call for help and gives you the tools to respond, from the app and lone worker devices to 24/7 monitoring options. See how Vismo's lone worker safety solution works for your teams.
