National charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust has teamed up with lone worker specialists Peoplesafe to offer personal safety training at workshops around the UK.
The Personal Safety at Work events will be held in England and Scotland, with the first in Newcastle on September 3rd.
The sessions will cover making plans, travelling safely, and having a walk away strategy. The training is suitable for charities, but any organisation that employs people who may have to work alone can attend.
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.
Rachel Griffin, director of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which campaigns to raise awareness of personal safety issues, said: “Employees want to be safe in the course of their work and employers have a moral and legal duty of care to do as much as possible to keep their staff safe.
“Employees who are well trained in how to spot potential risks and how to manage threatening situations are better equipped to make safer choices in the face of aggression and violence at work. Similarly, organisations benefit from a safer and more productive workforce, and avoid damaging litigation claims.
“So that’s why 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’s body has never been found and she was declared legally dead in 1993. 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 really pleased 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 the lone worker policy is embedded into the way a company operates. Training is a way of making sure that the policy is part of the ethos of a company and is not just a box-ticking exercise.”
As well as training, Peoplesafe, which has its headquarters in Yorkshire, provides lone worker equipment and monitoring services. Its clients include a range of major retailers, house builders and facilities management companies.
Following the session in Newcastle on September 3rd, there will be sessions in Edinburgh on October 8th, Milton Keynes on November 11th and Glasgow on December 3rd. The cost is £35, to include refreshments and training materials.
To book go to www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/peoplesafe-4625464177
