Lone Worker Security for Food Delivery Workers

Here SoloProtect highlights specific risks that food delivery workers face that a lone worker safety solution could help protect, including robbery and attacks by animals.

The Food Services and Drinking Places sector (NAICS 722) includes full-service restaurants, limited-service eating places and special food services (such as catering). In this particular sector, food and catering delivery employees can face risks associated with lone working.

Not only do food and catering delivery employees perform the majority of their job tasks out and about on their own, but they also deliver on someone else’s “home turf.” This gives the customer the upper hand, as they are familiar with their surroundings and can expect relatively no surprises on their end. Unfortunately, there have been many reported cases of workplace injury and/or fatality in the food delivery industry.  Many attacks on food deliverers can stem from robbery due to the fact that they are known to carry cash.

An additional unique risk that food delivery drivers face is the possibility of animal attacks during home delivery. They run the risk of running into animals both outside and at their customers’ doorsteps. Animals can be distrusting of those they don’t know. They also can be attracted to the smell of the food being delivered and will attack for that purpose. With any attack, response time is of the utmost importance. Lone workers with the SoloProtect ID who faced this situation could get help by activating a red alert themselves with one touch of a button whereby emergency operators could quickly dispatch to appropriate local authorities. If the attack escalated quickly and the lone worker was unable to manually activate the red alert, 'Incapacitation' enabled Identicom devices could automatically send out a red alert. This ensures that the lone worker in trouble will be able to summon help when seconds count.

According to United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, between the years of 2010 and 2013, there were a total of 459 work-related fatalities in the Food Services and Drinking Places sector, an alarming rate for a seemingly safe industry. There are proactive measures that can and should be implemented to encourage increased employee alertness and risk assessment and also aid them with an immediate means to discreetly summon help when they feel at risk.