Study reveals "true benefits" of lone worker solutions for healthcare employees | Jan 2012
Category: Latest Industrial News Published on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:43
The Royal College of Nursing's (RCN) latest survey has uncovered the true benefits of lone worker devices to healthcare employees, many of whom are often required to work alone or in remote areas.
According to the RCN’s survey, more than 60% of community nurses spend more than half of their time as a lone worker without immediate access to a colleague for support.
Over 70% reported having been subjected to either physical or verbal abuse during the course of their jobs in the past two years, with many agreeing that the risk they face has increased (largely due to the increased expectations of patients, their relatives and carers).
Thankfully, the use of lone worker devices by many NHS Trusts and private healthcare firms is helping to alleviate this situation.
Working alongside their clients in the healthcare sector, several members of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA) have developed highly effective lone worker devices equipped with GSM (mobile phone) technology to connect employees quickly and discreetly with an emergency response system that has direct links to the police.
In fact, a number of products are now commercially available from BSIA member companies (including the device used largely across the NHS and which is styled like an ID card holder).
Summoning help when required
Monitored by an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), lone worker devices allow users to send a pre-activation message when they are entering an area of potential risk (for example, a dark car park).
If the end user experiences a problem or encounters a situation that seems likely to escalate into something more serious then the lone worker device can be activated to summon help.
Activating the lone worker device automatically triggers a voice call to the ARC. No further action is required by the user, as the device effectively functions as an open microphone, enabling the ARC to capture an audio recording of the incident for future action such as police investigation of legal proceedings.
Operators at the ARC also monitor the audio channel in real-time, enabling them to assess the situation and alert the police if the user needs help or protection. This procedure allows the police to optimise their response to genuine emergencies by providing a ‘moving picture’ of the incident, including an increase or decrease in risk as it happens.
The very knowledge that this is taking place is, of course, a major boost to the user’s confidence. Over 40% of respondents to the RCN’s survey agreed that the use of a lone worker device would increase their confidence to work alone.
BSIA Lone Worker Steering Group
The BSIA operates a dedicated Lone Worker Steering Group which was instrumental in the creation of British Standard BS 8484 – a crucial consideration for anyone purchasing lone worker devices – and has also published two downloadable guides providing both employers and lone workers themselves with easy-to-follow advice.
‘Lone Workers – An Employer’s Guide’ informs employers about and what to look for when sourcing a supplier. The guide covers the employers’ responsibilities to its lone workers, as well as specific criteria for selecting technology, monitoring services and providers (including the possession of quality management systems such as ISO 9001 and the delivery of appropriate training).
For employees whose role requires them to work alone, the BSIA has produced a separate guide entitled: ‘Lone Workers – An Employee’s Guide’.
James Kelly, chief executive of the BSIA, explained: "These guides recognise the importance of keeping lone workers safe and secure. Responsible employers will consider the Health and Safety of their lone workers as a top priority."
Kelly added: "The use of lone worker devices can help by connecting such employees with an emergency response system that has direct links to the police. British Standard BS 8484 is the basis on which the police respond to lone worker systems, so it's important for employers to choose a supplier who works to these standards."
Contact us to find out about lone worker systems we offer.
Last Updated on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:43
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Essex Fire Service takes over emergency planning in bid to cut costs | Jan 2012
Category: Latest Industrial News Published on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:34
Essex Fire Service is poised to take over emergency planning in a bid to cut costs, it has been revealed.
Current emergency planning staff employed by Essex County Council will now come under the jurisdiction of Essex Fire and Rescue Service as the civil protection and emergency management department, reports BBC News.
Chief fire officer David Johnson told the news provider that the move would result in cost savings of around £180,000.
Speaking after the service took over interim responsibility for emergency planning, Essex Fire Authority chairman Anthony Hedley said: "This is a forward-thinking move that will deliver a more efficient, joined up and pro-active service to our communities while reducing cost to our tax payers at a time when there is serious focus on doing all we can to provide value for money."
Mr Hedley added that the fire service is increasingly playing a more active role in community leadership and the move will help further this goal.
The new department will be officially launched at an event later this month.
Last Updated on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:34
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SmartWater links cash raid gang to multiple crimes | Dec 2011
Category: Latest Industrial News Published on Monday, 05 December 2011 12:23
A gang of cash-in-transit van robbers have been jailed for more than 30 years between them after SmartWater evidence was found on their clothes and stolen bank notes.
Three of the thieves were stopped by police in a stolen BMW after their last raid, in which £25,000 was taken from a G4S van, outside a branch of Barclays in Baker Street, London.
The officers found those in the car to have dye staining on their clothes and hands which contained a unique SmartWater signature.
A fourth gang member was picked up by police when he used dye-stained bank notes at a bookmakers which were forensically linked to a robbery that had taken place days before.
The fifth member of the gang was arrested shortly afterwards.
When samples of their clothing were sent to SmartWater’s forensic labs its investigators were able to identify dye signatures from not only the latest raid, but three different stolen cash boxes, providing irrefutable evidence of their involvement in earlier crimes.
The gang was subsequently linked to five cash-in-transit robberies, between December 2010 and January this year.
The robbers were sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on November 14, following a trial at the same venue on September 9 this year. The individuals and their sentences were:
• Conor Ryan, 19, from Brent, five years and nine months in a young offender institution
• Jerome Bishop-Taylor, 19, from Maida Vale, six years and eight months in a young offender institution
• David Carey, 25, from Westminster, six years and eight months imprisonment
• Arran Pope, 21, from Hammersmith, eight years in a young offender institution
• Unnamed 17-year-old, from Brent, four years and eight months in a young offender institution
SmartWater chief executive, Phil Cleary, said: “This sends one of the strongest possible messages to the criminal community that their chances of success in cash-related crimes are increasingly narrow.
“There is no escaping the forensic evidence SmartWater provides. In this case both the robbers’ own clothing and the bank notes tied them to multiple crimes which had a massive impact upon their sentencing.”
SmartWater is widely deployed across the cash handling industry, as well as being used to safeguard valuable metals throughout critical transport, telecoms and supply grid infrastructure in the UK and many other parts of the world.
Alert Fire and Security Ltd are SmartWater accredited partners – click here to enquire about how we can help.
Last Updated on Monday, 05 December 2011 12:26
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Electrical fire hits Oxfordshire shopping centre | Jan 2012
Category: Latest Industrial News Published on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:34
Hundreds of shoppers were evacuated from a shopping centre in Oxfordshire yesterday after an electrical fire broke out on the premises.
Fire crews were called to the Castle Quay Shopping Centre in Banbury shortly after 1pm on Sunday (8thJanuary) to tackle the blaze, which started in an electrical room.
Firefighters used breathing apparatus and thermal imaging cameras to help combat the flames, which were close to high-voltage cables in the power distribution system. Shoppers and staff were allowed back into the centre at around 3pm.
Banbury's station manager Chris Wilson told the Banbury Guardian: "The efficient and effective method of calling the fire service in this instance, joined with the speed and weight of the fire service attendance, meant that damage was limited and nobody was hurt."
Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales.
If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.
Last Updated on Monday, 09 January 2012 11:34
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Criminal sanctions rise for assaults on NHS staff | Nov 11
Category: Latest Industrial News Published on Monday, 14 November 2011 13:40
11 Nov 11
According to figures just released by NHS Protect, sanctions taken against those who assault NHS staff have increased by almost a quarter on last year. Brian Sims examines the published statistics.
1,397 criminal sanctions were applied following cases of assault in 2010-2011 compared to 1,128 applied in 2009-2010, representing an increase of almost 24%.
In 2010-2011 there were 18,060 reported physical assaults against NHS staff in England that didn't involve medical factors. This is a 19% decrease on the figure for 2009-2010, which stood at 22,381.
In total, for 2010-2011 there were 57,830 reported physical assaults against NHS staff in England compared with 56,718 in 2009-2010.
Richard Hampton, the local support and development services manager at NHS Protect, said: “Staff committed to providing our National Health Service should never be expected to suffer violence at work, and it will not be tolerated. NHS Protect urges employers to take firm action in all cases of assault against NHS staff."
Commenting on the small increase in total assaults, Hampton said: “We believe it reflects both an improved culture of reporting assaults and better mechanisms that are now in place to record them. Rightly, staff demand that their reports of violence are followed-up. Tough action is being taken to ensure that all NHS organisations work better with local police and other agencies to clamp down on anyone who is aggressive and abusive to NHS staff."
A raft of extra measures have recently been put in place to better protect NHS staff. These include:
- a new joint working agreement with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure criminal assaults are identified and do not go unpunished
- greater use of, and training in, powers to crack down on low-level nuisance behaviour and stop it from escalating into violence against staff (powers under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act)
Since April 2011, NHS Protect has put in place an enhanced network of Area Security Management Specialists (ASMS) across England. Giving guidance to Local Security Management Specialists (LSMS), they assist the NHS in assessing risks of violence, addressing these through prevention work and pursuing legal action when assaults do occur.
Last Updated on Monday, 14 November 2011 13:40
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