SubscribeIncreasingly, thousands of employees encounter low to high risk situations during their working day which could threaten their personal safety.
Ranging from the security guard manning an empty building, to the emergency doctor travelling alone late at night, employers are concerned about how best to exercise their Duty of Care obligations to their employees.
As the spotlight is directed on the importance of employee safety, British company Skyguard Technologies Ltd has developed a service to aid such corporate obligations. This Skyguard Service, including the unique Skyguard 500 personal safety alarm, will be showcased at the 'Building a Secure World' exhibition at Olympia this December.
The Skyguard 500 uses GPS and mobile phone technology to link the user to a sophisticated 24 hour emergency response centre. Its simple but comprehensive features and service have been designed to reassure employees and employers that there will be a response when they need help and can't help themselves, at any time. Customers currently using the service include the BBC, regional police forces, a major hotel chain and housing associations.
Patrick Dealtry, Sales Director of Skyguard, comments: "Work related violence, abuse, accidents and injury are a very real and growing problem for anyone who spends time working alone, and we ignore the implications at our peril."
The issue of personal safety has never been more important. Health and Safety legislation puts a legal duty of care on employers to take reasonable steps to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all their employees whilst undertaking their everyday work responsibilities. In an increasingly unsafe world, exercising this duty of care towards employees is not just advisable but essential.
Facing vulnerable situations can cause worker anxiety, which in turn creates stress related health problems and eventually low staff morale - this ultimately affects business productivity and the ability to meet deadlines and targets. Skyguard's personal safety service provides significant benefits by offering an affordable solution to the need for employee safety.
How the Skyguard 500 works
The Skyguard 500 enables employees to connect to specially trained Controllers at Skyguard's own Emergency Response Centre (ERC) - these professional Controllers are then able to deal with any situation in the most effective way. As soon as the alarm is activated, a Controller will not only be able to listen to the employee through the Skyguard 500, but will also be able to access vital information about the user to determine the best form of assistance.
In the event of an emergency, the alarm is raised by holding down simultaneously two buttons, one located on each side of the palm sized device. GSM mobile phone technology then transmits an alert via SMS to a Controller at the ERC, and voice communication is opened with the user to establish the nature of the problem. For the safety of the user, the Controller's microphone will initially be muted, and two-way voice communication will only be established if appropriate.
In addition, GPS technology means that the exact location of the user is available to the Controller, whilst the personal details provided on registration - including important medical or lifestyle information - will also become available for them to view on their computer screen. These may be crucial in order to assess the emergency situation effectively. With all this information to hand, the Controller is able to make an informed decision on how to assist users, and who to call to their aid.
'The ERC Controllers take all the available information and use it to assess and tackle the emergency in the most suitable way - it's the unique service behind the Skyguard that makes the Skyguard Service so special,' says Lord Dear, Chairman of Skyguard and former Chief Constable of the West Midlands Police.
Providing peace of mind when at work
The Skyguard Service can even assist employees when the problem is outside the remit of the emergency services. In this instance Controllers are able to call on the Skyguard National Response Service (NRS), who will be able to respond throughout the UK for an additional charge.
The NRS can respond to situations that may not be as appropriate for the police or ambulance services to attend to - for instance, if employees are travelling alone or returning from work late at night and feel threatened, a National Response Service team can be sent to their aid. This service offers reassurance on a day to day basis for both employees and employers.
The Skyguard Service provides significant financial and human resources benefits to employers and employees:
- Enhance the personal safety of employees who work alone
- Lower staff turnover and employee stress
- Defence against litigation
- Audited compliance with legislation
- Protection and enhancement of corporate image
Together, these bring peace of mind for employers and employees alike.
Skyguard will be exhibiting the Skyguard 500 at the "Building a Secure World" Exhibition from 5 - 6 December 2006. For further information, and for a live demonstration of the Skyguard 500, please attend the Skyguard exhibition stand located on the ground floor, exhibition booth C33, in the Event and Venue Security exhibition area.
London, December 2006
