Lone worker specialists Peoplesafe have teamed up with national charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to offer training in personal safety at a series of workshops around the UK.
The Personal Safety at Work training sessions are suitable for charities, but any organisation that employs people who may have to work alone is invited to attend.
The first workshops will be held in Scotland in May and June, but the plan is to run sessions around Britain over the next year.
Rachel Griffin, director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which campaigns to raise awareness of personal safety issues, said: “All employees who come into contact with the general public can potentially be at risk of violence and aggression. However, anyone on their own, without the support and back up of colleagues, is more vulnerable than most.
“We believe training is vital for people who may be in vulnerable situations, but even more important for managers of those people – and that is why we get involved in training employees and employers.”
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust was set up by Paul and Diana Lamplugh in memory of their daughter Suzy, a 25 year old estate agent, who disappeared in 1986 after she went to meet an unknown client in London.
Suzy has been presumed murdered and was legally declared dead in 1993. To date her body has not been found. Paul and Diana founded the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to highlight the risks people on their own face and to offer advice, action and support to minimise those risks.
Ian Johannessen, managing director of Peoplesafe, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which is a well-respected expert resource when it comes to personal safety.
“We know how important it is that employers get it right when managing lone workers and how important it is that staff have the right training and resources when working alone.”
It’s estimated that there are 6.8 million lone workers, from lorry drivers, shop workers and farmers to social workers, health visitors and security staff.
Statistics from the British Crime Survey show that as many as 150 lone workers are attacked every day.
Peoplesafe, which has its headquarters is in South Yorkshire, is one of the UK’s leading providers of simple and lightweight equipment, monitoring services and safety training aimed at keeping employees as safe as possible. Its clients include a range of major retailers, house builders and facilities management companies.
The workshops will cover making plans, making safe decisions and having a walk away strategy, and there will be an extra session for managers responsible for the safety of staff whether in the public, private or third sector.
The first sessions will be held in Edinburgh at the Tynecastle Stadium on May 20. There will be one running from 10.30am to 12.30 and another from 1.30 to 3.30pm. The full cost is £35, to include refreshments and training materials. There will be a discounted rate for charities. On June 4 there will be two sessions in Glasgow at the Albany Centre.
Peoplesafe and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust will also be presenting seminars at the Safety and Health Expo on the 16th and 17th June in the BSIA Lone Worker Arena.
