LONEALERT

What is an Alarm Receiving Centre? An Alarm Receiving Centre (often referred to as an ARC) is a facility where alarms are received and then processed. They are staffed 24/7 so that businesses and homeowners have peace of mind that if an alarm is raised it will be received and dealt with quickly. There are several different services that use ARCs including some intruder & fire alarms, personal safety devices and lone worker solutions. In the case of lone workers, if an Alarm Receiving Centre was to receive an alarm an operative will be notified by computer & phone. They will then: -look at the data they have and speak to the worker to assess the situation -If the alarm is genuine (and not a false alarm) they will reassure the lone worker and give support. -they will then notify the relevant responders - this is likely to be a designated manager or colleague. -If they cannot get in contact with these people they will either send their own responders or alert the emergency services. -In the case of a genuine emergency they will contact the emergency services first and then notify the other designated responders.

Is your lone worker policy up to date? To ensure your lone worker policy remains effective and relevant it's important to review and update it regularly. This should be reviewed alongside your other health & safety policies. Even if no changes are required it is still useful to remind yourself & your colleagues of what is included and ensure everyone understands the document. Your lone worker policy should also be updated: 🏢If there are any changes to your work environment or work practices 🔨Your lone workers need to use new equipment, undertake new tasks or adopt new processes 🤕If an incident, or near miss, occurs 📃if there are changes in regulatory requirements If you know you need to update your policy and things are going quieter for you in the run-up to Christmas, is this something you could do now? Or if the festive period is your busiest time, maybe it's something to add to your to-do list for January?

Know you need a lone worker solution but not sure which one? Help is at hand. Check out this blog, where we share 5 steps to choosing the best lone worker solution for your organisation: https://hubs.li/Q02-wkTP0

Will your lone workers be safe over the Christmas period? Are they opening up or locking up in the dark, or earlier or later than usual? Could they face a greater risk of aggression from unhappy customers or people consuming a lot of alcohol? Are they likely to be travelling to and from work in adverse weather conditions? Are some of your staff likely to be working alone when they usually work with others? Or will you have a smaller team at your workplace than usual? It's amazing how things may change over the festive period and so it's vital that you ensure your lone worker risk assessment and lone worker policy reflects this. If you haven't done this already, it's time to do it now!

Have you considered ALL of the risks your lone workers may face? Here’s a detailed look at ten types of lone worker risks and how to address them effectively: https://hubs.li/Q02YclFJ0

To decide which lone worker solution is best for your team you NEED to think about these 10 things: 1. What locations are your lone workers working from? Are they working indoors or outdoors? Do they have good signal or poor signal? 2. What hazards are your lone workers exposed to? And what are their levels of risk? 3. How will your lone workers wear a device? 4. Will your lone workers need a check-in/check-out or timer feature? 5. How will your response procedure be managed? Will you use an ARC or will you manage this internally? 6. Who will be contacted in the event of an emergency? 7. How long are your lone workers working for? Do they have different shift patterns? 8. What do you, as a manager, need to be able to see and report on?  9. Will you need to customise any features for your organisation? 10. What support do you require to effectively implement a lone worker solution? If you're unsure about any of these questions, we're here to help. DM us or call us on 0330 999 8484 for support from one of our team. 

Which of these lone working statistics are you most surprised by?

Lone workers driving for work purposes are especially vulnerable to risks on the road. So, if you deploy vehicle fleets or have multiple lone workers occupying the roads every day, it is vital that you: 🗺️Advise your lone workers to assess driving routes for risk factors like busy roads, poor lighting and weather conditions. Ask them to avoid higher-risk routes where possible. 🔧Ensure company vehicles receive regular maintenance checks and are fitted with safety features like airbags and ABS brakes. 📵Ban phone calls and all use of mobile phones whilst driving. 📑Train workers on defensive driving skills, accident procedures and driving safely in bad weather. 🚗Consider implementing vehicle tracking to monitor driver safety ⚠️Provide lone workers with a way to raise an alert in the event of an emergency.

Did you know that work-related road traffic collisions (RTCs) are estimated to contribute to a third of UK road deaths and a fifth of serious injuries? We're highlighting these shocking stats today, as this week is Road Safety Week here in the UK. We know that many lone workers drive for work, or as part of their work, and are therefore at greater risk of speeding or being involved in a road traffic collision. So here's a reminder to: -check your lone worker risk assessment is up to date and covers those that drive for work.  -Remind your workers the importance of driving safely and keeping to the speed limit.  -Ensure your lone workers have a way of communicating when and where they will be working with you.  -Make sure your lone workers have a way to raise an alert in the event of an emergency.    It's always better to be safe, than sorry. 

There is no doubt that inappropriate speed is one of the most serious road safety problems on our roads, causing death & injury to thousands of people each year. Whilst a cultural change towards safer driving is needed, there is no overnight fix. So what can you do to encourage your lone workers who drive for work not to speed? Here are our 5 top tips: 1. Foster a culture of open communication where lone workers feel able to speak up when under pressure – this ensures that work demands don’t make drivers feel that they have to break the law. 2. Likewise don't set unrealistic targets or unachievable demands - these can cause workers to rush, increasing the likelihood that they will speed. 3. Encourage the use of cruise control – many cars and vehicles now have cruise control features that allow drivers to set a maximum speed. 4. Ask your workers to stay focused by avoiding distractions while driving. For example, texting, talking on the phone, or eating. These can cause drivers to lose focus. 5. Advise your workers to leave plenty of time – remind them to plan routes beforehand, take into account how heavy traffic might be and leave plenty of time for travel. By doing this they are less likely to feel rushed and less tempted to speed to arrive at their destination on time.