Members of the British Security Industry Association’s Lone Worker Section have shown support for this year’s National Personal Safety Day, an annual awareness day organised by the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, one of the UK’s largest personal safety charities.
National Personal Safety day is aimed at highlighting some of the simple, practical solutions that everyone can use to help avoid violence and aggression in today’s society, so that they may live safer, more confident lives.
This year, the Trust is urging young men throughout the UK to ‘Keep it REAL’ by being READY in case an incident occurs, EDUCATED about the dangers they could come into contact with, ALERT to danger and above all, to stay LEGAL – carrying a knife for self- defence not only increases risk but also carries with it a sentence of up to four years in prison.
Rachel Griffin, Director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, comments: “Personal safety is an important issue for everyone, regardless of age, gender, where they live or what they do for a living. It is an issue that affects people with and without disabilities and from all walks of life, including children and young people. As much as young men may sometimes feel like they are invincible, they are not and so it is important for them to embrace the ideas behind keeping it REAL.”
In light of National Personal Safety day, the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section is reiterating to those who work in isolation or without supervision, the importance of staying safe.
Craig Swallow, Chairman of the BSIA’s Lone Worker section, explains: “Millions of lone workers face personal safety issues daily. Members of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section will be doing their bit to help raise awareness of National Personal Safety Day on the 7th October 2015.”
There are more than six million lone workers in the UK across a wide variety of organisations and industry sectors, including transport, healthcare and retail. Often, these workers carry out their roles in places or circumstances that put them at potential risk.
For businesses that employ lone workers, awareness of their legal obligations to keep these workers safe is essential. Failure to do so could, in the worst case, result in accident or even death, along with hefty consequences under new Corporate Manslaughter laws.
As such, it is essential for companies employing lone workers to ensure that a risk assessment is carried out, with strategies implemented to provide a safe working environment for the lone worker. It is also extremely important that the lone worker has the relevant resources, training and information to work on their own safely. Procedures should also be in place in case a lone worker has an accident or signals an emergency.
Craig adds: “Encouraging lone workers and anyone else to consider risk, particularly when they are alone is extremely important. Simple dynamic risk assessments have been proven to save lives.”
To help both lone workers and employers to ensure a safe working environment, the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section has worked hard to develop devices and mobile apps which connect employees quickly and discreetly with an emergency response system that has direct links to the police should an incident occur. They have also published a range of guidance available to download from the BSIA’s website.
