The annual conference will be held at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Galway and the theme of this year’s conference is “Health, Safety and Your Wellbeing”. This is the 3^rd year Guardian24 will be exhibiting at the NISO and we are excited to showcase our range of lone worker solutions from stand 15.

Along with BS 8484:2016 accredited MicroGuard lone worker device, our team will also provide live demonstrations on some of our industry leading solutions, including the Smartphone application and Bluetooth button.

The event attracts a wide range of business leaders and internationally renowned occupational health and safety speakers, who will present on this year’s theme.

Visit Guardian24 at stand 15, to find out how we could help protect the safety of lone workers within your organisation.

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Send For Help, independently verified as the largest lone worker protection provider in the world show turnover this year hit £8m, up from £6.1m last year with profits of £2.4m — an increase of 121% on the previous year.

The business was founded in 2010 by brothers James and Will Murray. Their father, Jan Murray — the technology entrepreneur who founded PC World is the company’s President. Send For Help operates three subsidiary brands —Guardian24, Skyguard and newly acquired Peoplesafe, which was added to the Group’s portfolio in May.

The Group protects more than 100,000 lone workers through the use of personal safety devices and mobile phone applications, all linked to a dedicated Alarm Receiving Centre manned 24 hours a day.

“We have seen demand for our services rise for a variety of reasons,” said James Murray, CEO of Send For Help.

“Organisations want to protect their staff. They have turned on the news over the last few months and seen events both at home and abroad which inevitably heightens awareness of safety and security. We live in uncertain times, and this has seen a number of prospective clients cement their decision to use us.”

“But we also live in an increasingly litigious world, and the public and private sectors are becoming more savvy in protection of lone workers.”

“Our technology is affordable and easy to use. Companies recognise the advantages of personnel protection when they look at the implications of legal costs and compensation as well as bad publicity if someone gets injured or assaulted.”

The rapid rise and growth of Send For Help was confirmed in December 2016 when it was announced as one of Britain’s fastest growing companies. The Fast Track 100 list, published in The Sunday Times, ranks Britain’s top 100 private companies with the fastest growing sales over the last three years. The company ranked at no. 47 in the 2016 league table.

The lone worker protection market in Europe and America is forecast to double from £105 million per annum to £226 million by 2021, according to recent research by analysts Berg Insight.

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A recently released annual report by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) states a 33% rise in workplace fatalities. “Workplace deaths are heart-breaking and unacceptable. These events impact so many people and cause such devastation to families, communities, work colleagues, employers and the emergency services who attend these incidents” Keith Morrison, HSENI’s Chief Executive

The report also states that of all fatalities that occurred in Northern Ireland between 2016-17, the majority took place in the farming industry. We recently published a blog post that looked into the shocking truth about deaths within the farming industry and ways to help prevent deaths while working in a farm. The construction industry was the next in line, closely followed by other industries such as manufacturing and waste management/extraction.

Falls from a height was the greatest cause of fatal accidents this year and accumulated to around 26 fatal injuries in the last 5 years (HSENI, 2017).

What can be done to prevent workplace fatalities?

Although fatal accidents at work are unpredictable, steps can be taken by organisations to prevent them from occurring and help protect the safety & wellbeing of each employee. We highlight some of these below:

Risk Assessment

It’s important for organisations to conduct risk assessments to understand the risk and hazards associated with each job role. Organisations can follow the simple 5-step risk assessment introduced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), to set up an action plan and communicate the findings with their employees. Conducting risk assessments also help to arrange precautions for each role. For instance, if an employee is required to work alone for long periods of time, they can look into implementing a lone worker solution. This would help the employee raise an alarm if they suffer an accident or injury whilst working alone.

Training

Employers should take necessary steps to implement a robust training procedure for all their employees, to help them understand the risks associated with their job roles. The findings from the risk assessment would also help with the training.

Statistics show that new employees, who’ve been working in an organisation for less than 6 months are more likely to suffer from an injury whilst carrying out their duties. By developing a robust new employee training process and focusing on understanding the life-threatening risks of their job role, this would help towards fatality prevention.

Engagement and Reporting

Accidents are unpredictable and it’s easy to miss hazards that could have serious implications to someone. Involving employees in the health and safety process could help save lives as it offers a chance to provide more insight about the dangers they’ve faced. Employees should also be encouraged to report any incidents or near misses’ encountered, so that necessary steps can be taken early to avoid potential injury or even death.

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A fork lift truck is a very effective piece of equipment that can be used to lift and move heavy materials over short distances. There are also key reasons why fork lifts are considered to be a serious workplace hazard because they can weigh around 9 tons, travel up to 18mph and capable of lifting heavy loads to considerable heights. There are a wide range of fork lifts available in the market including; counterbalance trucks, sideloader, reach trucks, telescopic handler to name a few. Each type of fork lift is designed to carry out specific tasks and using the wrong fork lift could have serious consequences on the safety of the operator or other employees.

According to the FLTA, over 1,300 fork lift accidents takes place in a year. Recently a firm was fined £450,000 after the death of a young employee, who was not correctly trained by the company, was crushed by the fork lift he was driving. Another company was fined around £10,000 after their 58 year old employee suffered serious injuries when the truck and it’s man-riding cage overturned. Fatal accidents or serious injuries mentioned above were caused by the vehicle overturning, which could have been easily avoided.

A fork lift overturning is the most common incident, accounting for 24% of all fork lift accidents. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also states that “vehicle overturns cause nearly a fifth of all deaths in vehicles at work accidents”. Organisations should conduct workplace risk assessments to identify risks and provide adequate training where necessary. There are many reasons why a fork lift could overturn and we highlight some of the common causes below:

• Travelling on steep slopes.

• Slippery surfaces such as oil or grease patches, ice or even just water

• Soft or uneven ground

• Going over kerbs, steps or other edges at high speeds

• Overloaded or unevenly loaded

As mentioned earlier, fork lift overturns can be avoided if the right precautions are followed. We look at the 5 ways a fork lift overturning can be prevented:

1. Speed guidelines – always follow the speed guidelines provided by the employer or the vehicle manufacturer
2. Under trained staff – Restrict the use of fork lifts to staff members who have been adequately trained and drivers that are authorised.
3. Appropriate load – Take multiple trips if you have to instead of overloading the vehicle as it can become very unstable and difficult to steer. Before moving, keep the load low to the ground and only raise the load enough to clear the floor surface. Never raise or lower the load while you’re moving.
4. Suitable surface – make sure to only drive the vehicle over surfaces they are designed for. Only use pre planned suitable routes that avoids steep slopes, uneven or slippery surfaces.
5. Seatbelts or restraints – Always wear seatbelt or restraints fitted within the fork lift so that they are not taking risks that could cause vehicles to overturn.

A recent survey conducted by the FLTA suggests that as many as 90% of operators did not wear seatbelts/restraints when operating a fork lift. Seatbelts or restraints serves as an important purpose of preventing the driver from trying to jump off an overturning vehicle (HSE). In the event of an overturn, the driver should always brace themselves and hold firmly on a secure part inside the cab while leaning the opposite direction of the overturn. Carrying a personal protection alarm with a built in man down feature is advised, if you are operating a fork lift alone for long periods. The device will automatically raise an alarm as it will detect the sudden tilt or impact from the fork lift overturning, especially useful if the driver falls unconscious and is unable to raise an alarm by themselves.

If you would like to read more on the safe use of fork lifts visit the FLTA website and find out more information on their Safetember campaign. Please contact our sales team at sales@guardian24.co.uk or call 0207 118 8247 to request a demonstration of the MicroGuard device and see how it could help protect the safety of your lone working employees.

The post 5 Ways to Prevent Fork Lift Overturns appeared first on Guardian24.

Conducting risk assessments can help organisations to identify every single hazard associated with each job role. This would also help the employee to be alert and avoid possible hazards that could endanger their safety.

When conducting risk assessments, some organisations resort to providing lone workers with just a telephone number to call if they need help or suffer an accident when working alone. In all fairness, this is a reasonable solution for someone that’s working alone for a short period of time. However this is not the approach that should be taken for a high risk lone worker who may be working alone for long periods of time in an environment with varying risk factors affecting their safety.

Here at Guardian24, we provide a robust lone worker protection service that connects a lone worker directly to our Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), that’s fully monitored by trained Controllers 24/7. We highlight 3 key examples of lone working scenarios where calling a telephone number is not an appropriate solution for a high risk lone worker:

• Scenario 1: Slips, trips and falls are one of the major causes of accidents when working alone, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). So let’s say if a lone worker slips and falls unconscious, they wouldn’t be able to call for help using the telephone number provided. It’s also important to provide immediate medical assistance to these lone workers, because such incidents could have a serious impact to their health and well-being.
• Scenario 2: Employees who deals directly with the public may suffer verbal or physical abuse, depending on the situation that arises. This could be a very traumatic experience, especially if they are working alone. In such situations, it would be difficult for them to call a particular number without making it obvious and this at times could even aggravate the situation.
• Scenario 3: Now let’s look at a simple scenario where a lone worker suffers a minor accident or injury and they are able to call the number provided to them. Usually this is directly to their line manager or co-worker, but at that particular occasion they failed to answer the phone – maybe their phone was on silent or they were in a meeting.

All the scenarios highlighted above clearly shows why physically calling a particular telephone number is not an ideal solution for a high risk lone worker. Investing in a personal safety alarm like the MicroGuard that connects directly to a fully monitored ARC, would be an efficient solution for the above mentioned scenarios. For instance:

• MicroGuard comes with an optional ‘Fall Alarm’ feature that automatically raises an alarm to our ARC when the user slips, trips or falls unconscious – an ideal solution for scenario 1. The Controllers in our ARC will be able to see the user’s exact location thanks to GPS capabilities within the device and summon the emergency services to the user immediately.

• An alarm can be raised discreetly with a simple press on the dedicated SOS button on the MicroGuard, which connects directly to the Controllers in our ARC. The Controllers would be able to listen in to the conversation and contact the police if they believe the situation is escalating, thus providing immediate assistance to the lone worker in scenario 2.
• In scenario 3, the employee is relying on the quick response of their line manager or co-worker and this may be difficult if they have other day to day responsibilities. Our Controllers only responsibility is to provide assistance to lone workers… any day or any time! so when an alarm is raised, the Controller could speak directly to the user via the 2-way communication in the device and reassure them until help arrives.

Lone working can be a very effective and safe practice, once the organisation conducts a risk assessment and takes a solid approach towards the protection of their lone working employees. If you would like more information on how to implement a robust lone worker protection, please contact us on 0207 118 8247 or email sales@guardian24.co.uk

The post Why use a monitored personal alarm protection service while working alone? appeared first on Guardian24.

The appointment means that the Group now occupies an unprecedented three spaces on the Section Committee, with each subsidiary brand receiving representation.

Operations Director, Ricardo Pombo and IMC Operations Manager, Nick Shea will be attending future BSIA meetings on behalf of Peoplesafe and Skyguard respectively. Will Murray will continue to represent Guardian24.

As the largest supplier of lone worker protection globally, the new roles further enhance Send For Help’s position at the forefront of the lone working industry. The objectives of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section are to raise awareness and educate the market, and assist in development of industry standards by working with key stakeholders.

The BSIA (British Security Industry Association) is the trade association for the UK’s professional security industry, with its members comprising representatives from a number of organisations within the sector.

On being elected to head up the Committee, Will Murray commented, “I’m absolutely thrilled to take on the role of Chairman. Having been involved with the BSIA for nearly 10 years, I’m looking forward to playing a greater part in helping to shape the industry and working closely with the Section to raise standards and promote safer lone working.”

James Kelly, Chief Executive of the BSIA, commented, “As a membership organisation, the BSIA’s members are the lifeblood of the Association and play a vital role in helping to drive the Association forwards. Our section chairmen dually serve their member company as well as the BSIA, dedicating time and effort to the development of the private security industry.”

The post Introducing the new Chairman of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section appeared first on Guardian24.

Thanks to this latest release our Smartphone app will now work with iPhone, along with Android and Windows operating systems. This new update also ensures that our Smartphone app is fully certified to BS 8484:2016, the industry leading lone working standard.

BS 8484:2016 accreditation also means that our Smartphone App adhere to some of the following key requirements:

– Alarm overrides handset’s keypad lock

– Redial function if call was unsuccessful

– GPS location available via Smartphone

– One or Two-way audio

– Low battery warning

– Low signal strength indication

With a simple press on the app, lone workers can raise an alarm directly towards our purpose built Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Our highly trained Controllers will immediately follow the escalation procedure when an alarm is raised and summon the emergency services to your exact location with the help of the GPS enabled Smartphone.

Furthermore, our Bluetooth Button accessory is now fully compatible with Android, iPhone and Windows Smartphones. When pressed, the button will automatically unlock the keypad lock and raise an alarm via the handset, thus providing lone workers with quick and discreet alarm activation in an emergency.

If you would like a working demonstration of the app or the Bluetooth button, please contact us at 0207 118 8247 or email sales@guardian24.co.uk

The post Smartphone App Update appeared first on Guardian24.

From the latest Health and Safety Executive statistics (HSE) worrying figures can be drawn from the farming safety record. Last year, 27 people lost their lives following a work place accident on a farm.

One story that has raised awareness of the dangers of farming occurred two days before Christmas 2016.  Two men aged 19 and 35 died in a slurry tank on a farm in Leicestershire. Despite the best efforts of fire crews to cut the men free, the two farm workers sadly lost their lives. Other unfortunate deaths caused by an agricultural occupation included Somerset farmer, Derek Mead, who was crushed by his own vehicle after it was reportedly switched on in motion by his dog. These deaths were just a few out of more than 300 on British farms over the past decade.

Statistically, farms are the most dangerous places to work in the UK. Construction work is five times safer than farm work (per year there are on average two deaths per 100,000 in construction, compared to 10 per 100,000 in farming). “All of the deaths we see are needless,” said Rick Brunt, head of vulnerable workers, agriculture, waste and recycling at the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).

Out of the 27 deaths that occurred in 2016, the causes that were more prominent in numbers were as followed:

• Seven of the deaths were caused by vehicle accidents

Two of these involved tractors, a 42-year-old employee died when the tractor rolled over trapping him inside; a 68-year-old self-employed farmer was found trapped underneath a tractor and trailed fertiliser spreader.

• Six of the deaths were caused by fall from height

A 61-year-old self-employed farmer was removing roof sheets when he fell through a fragile barn roof, and a 51-year-old self-employed farmer was walking on the roof when he fell through a plastic roof light onto the concrete floor below.

• Four of the deaths were caused by drowning

Two workers were found dead in an underground slurry pit while attempting to clear a blockage pipe.
A 73-year-old self-employed man in a family farming business was found drowned in a pond on the farm.

The remaining deaths were caused by one off accidents caused by fires, falls, contact with electricity, and lastly death caused by animal.

Can these horrific incidents be prevented?

Although in some cases accidents cannot be helped, when extra care and precaution is put in place they can be preventable.

As previously mentioned, vehicle accidents always top other types of accidents when it comes to the number of agricultural related deaths. The National Farmers Union’s chief farm safety adviser, Tom Price stated that “in the last 10 years, 36 of the 98 vehicle fatalities were caused by the operator being run over by his own vehicle,” Mr Price added, These 36 lives could very likely have been saved”. The NFU clearly state the ‘stop safe’ procedure is not always carried out appropriately which has been the cause of most of these deaths. This procedure involves insuring the handbrake of the vehicle is on all the way, the controls must be in neutral, the engine must be completely off and the key must also be removed.
Training is also an important measure to educate farmers on potential risks and hazards that they may face. Some businesses have started to incorporate training into their safety culture due to the worrying death figures of this industry. Wayland Farm in Norfolk, has made this a priority. Two years ago, Peter Buckle, an HGV driver employed by the business, died in an accident after a tailgate fell on him while he was loading rubbish into the back of the vehicle. Robin Simon- health & safety, environmental and welfare manager at Wayland, said that following this incident the farmers are much more careful when completing tasks. Wayland Farm, alongside many other farms in the UK are starting to make improvements to their training programmes and are starting to incorporate yearly training on how to work at height, how to handle machinery and vehicle control.

Lone worker safety solutions

It is also important to emphasise that most farmers work alone. Being a lone worker does not increase the risk of injury or death however it does mean that if an incident was to take place, getting help may be significantly harder.

If you are a farmer who works alone, it may be a good idea to inform someone on your location and times of absence before you set off for your day. It is also advisable that you carry a personal safety device with you at all times to give you a much more reliable form of security. Guardian24’s Microguard device provides lone workers with discreet and convenient protection at the touch of the button. Alternatively, if you are an individual who works in this farming industry in remote areas with no mobile signal, Guardian24 offers the award winning SPOT Gen3 device that uses satellite technology to transmit SOS alarms to the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). Our Controllers can pinpoint the users GPS location and follow their personalised escalation procedures. As the device is not relying on mobile phone technology, it is able to transmit its location from almost anywhere; even in areas of poor or no mobile network coverage. This capability makes SPOT the ideal solution for lone workers who frequently visit areas with mobile network ‘black spots’.

If you would like to find out more about Guardian24’s lone worker solutions click here.

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Hoax or non-emergency calls towards the 999 service has always been a major issue since its launch, and in its history, there have been many public information campaigns in the UK to educate people on the right use of it. According to a recent article by the BBC, “emergency services often release details of time-wasting calls they receive in a bid to urge people to think twice before calling 999”.

Over the past 80 years, they have received some remarkable non-emergency calls through the 999 service and we have highlighted some of the worst offenders below:

– A man rang 999 because his wife wouldn’t give him the remote

– One woman called 999 to complain that the sprinkles on her ice cream were unevenly spread

– When asked ‘Do you need fire, ambulance or police’, a young caller replied ‘Mountain rescue’, because they couldn’t get down from the top bunk.

Here at Guardian24, our lone worker protection service is accredited to BS 8484:2016, the code of practice for the provision of lone worker devices services. This accreditation allows our Controllers in the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) direct access to police control rooms, thus bypassing the 999 service. We’re entrusted with Police URN’s because we filter out non-emergency calls and false alarms. The lone worker industry as a whole only raises around 0.2% of incoming alarms towards the police, thus helping relieve the pressure on the 999 service by saving them time, money and resources in order to deal with all the false or non-emergency alarms.

Controllers at our ARC are fully trained to deal with a wide range of situations and they always take the necessary steps to ensure that the right response is provided to a lone worker at the right time. Please feel free to contact us to find out more information on how our ARC works and how effective we are at providing a fast response to your lone workers in an emergency via the help of our wide range of lone worker solutions.

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This event is co-located with Housing 2017, which is Europe’s largest housing event and part of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). Along with procurement focused content, seminars and masterclasses, this event will also bring in over 200 speakers, 300 exhibitors and 8,000 visitors attending the 3 day exhibition.

Guardian24 is a leading provider of Lone Worker solutions in the UK and Ireland, that covers over 150 Housing Associations and hundreds of public & private sector organisations. Guardian24 is also the only organisation within the PfH Framework to be fully accredited to the latest BS 8484:2016 standard for protecting Lone Workers. Selecting a certified supplier that provides a robust Lone Worker solution is ever so vital, when it comes to ensuring that they can provide a high level of service/protection towards your at risk employees.

Our Area Sales Managers will be at stand P42, to showcase some of Guardian24’s industry leading lone worker solutions like the Smartphone app, Standard mobile service and our very own MicroGuard personal safety device. This event is free to attend for all members within the PfH and you can register to attend this event by clicking here.

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