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A guide to lone worker services for the retail sector

www.bsia.co.uk

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What is a lone worker?More than six million people in the UK work either in isolation or without the safety net provided by direct supervision, often in places or circumstances that put them at potential risk. A wide variety of organisations and industry sectors employ people whose jobs require them to work or operate alone, either regularly or occasionally.

Almost by definition, lone working can be both intimidating and at times dangerous, so the protection of lone workers involves a twofold approach; not only to provide safeguards but also to offer reassurance to the people involved.

In the retail sector, lone workers often include shop workers, warehouse personnel, mobile (door-to-door) retailers and petrol station forecourt personnel. However, the retail sector is wide-ranging and employees in many other job roles can also benefit from lone worker protection.

Lone workers in the retail sectorJob roles within the retail sector are extremely varied and wide-ranging, meaning that the nature of risk faced by employees can differ greatly.

According to 100% of members of the Lone Worker section of the British Security Industry Association, the group facing the highest levels of risk within this sector are those working for high street retailers.

According to a survey of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section, the biggest risk facing lone workers in the retail sector is physical violence or assault, which was deemed the greatest risk by two thirds of lone worker solution providers. Following closely behind are the risks of accident or injury, and verbal threats.

Of course, in today’s 24/7 culture, there are many more risks faced by individuals working in retail, particularly those working late at night or receiving deliveries early in the morning.

With an ever increasing number of lone workers operating in the retail sector, it is important for employers to be aware of their responsibilities. Craig Swallow, Chairman of the BSIA’s Lone Worker section, explains: “Employers in the retail sector have a legal obligation to ensure the safety of their lone workers. This includes ensuring a risk assessment is carried out and that strategies are implemented to provide a safe working environment. Furthermore, employers must ensure that lone workers have the relevant resources, training and information to work on their own safely and that there are procedures to deal with a lone worker having an accident or being on the receiving end of verbal or physical abuse.”

Why is a lone worker policy necessary? As in any other UK industry that employs lone workers, retail companies have a legal duty of care to their employees, which can result in heavy fines and even imprisonment for directors and managers found negligent. However, can employers really argue in court that they have taken adequate protection measures for their staff, when the security technologies they use often only safeguard the company’s buildings, stock or property?

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Taking care of employees is a key driver of purchasing decisions in the retail sector, according to members of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section, with the risk of reputational or brand damage also causing retail companies to sit up and take notice of the issue of lone worker protection. Changes to the way in which Police respond to emergency calls has also generated increased interest in lone worker protection from retail companies.

Craig Swallow, Chairman of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section, comments: “When sourcing lone worker services, companies should look for suppliers that offer devices or smartphone applications that are certified to BS 8484, which are monitored by an Alarm Receiving Centre certificated to BS 8484 (part 6) and BS 5979 (CAT II) or BS 8591 or EN 50518.

“This is vital as it is the basis on which the Police respond to lone worker systems. A priority Police response cannot be guaranteed by a supplier who isn’t audited and compliant with BS 8484. Having such a system in place also negates the need for the retailer to operate fixed panic alarms and pay the Police for the URNs associated with those alarms.”

It is for this reason that 100% of BSIA Lone Worker Section members are expecting demand from the retail sector to either remain steady or increase in the next twelve months.

How do lone worker protection solutions work?To address the important issues raised by the risk to employee safety, the security industry has worked with the police and end-users to develop a combination of practice, technology and standards capable of providing an effective – and cost-effective – solution to the risks.

The development of technology and practice in the field has focused on encouraging and enabling lone workers to assess the risks they might be facing and provide them with the means both to summon aid in an emergency and collect information that can be used in evidence, if necessary.

This has led to the creation of lone worker devices equipped with mobile phone technology that connect employees quickly and discreetly with an emergency response system that has direct links to the police. A number of products are commercially available from BSIA member companies, ranging from applications on Smartphones to dedicated GPS/GSM Lone Worker devices.

Lone worker products are connected to an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), which receives and manages the alarm call and can quickly request emergency services or other response if required.

Sending a pre-activation message allows users to inform the ARC when they are entering an area with a potential risk – e.g. before walking across a dark car park. If the user then experiences a problem or encounters a situation that seems likely to escalate into something more serious then the lone worker device can be activated to summon help.

Activating the lone worker device automatically triggers a voice call to the ARC where operators monitor the audio channel in real time, enabling them to assess the situation and alert the police if the user needs help or protection. No further action is required by the user as the device effectively functions as an open microphone, This procedure allows the police to optimise their response to genuine emergencies by providing a ‘moving picture’ of the incident, including an increase or decrease in risk as it happens. The very knowledge that this is taking place is, of course, a major boost to the user’s confidence. The ARC captures an audio recording of the incident for future action such as police investigation of legal proceedings.

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Many companies associate lone workers as employees who work away from their base, but leading tool manufacturer, Hilti, realised that lone workers can be equally vulnerable when working alone in a retail environment although the company has ‘under the counter’ panic buttons.

As a responsible employer, Hilti acknowledged that it had a duty of care to its staff and wanted to ensure their safety so Hilti decided to provide them with lone worker devices. The company’s initial choice of device proved unsatisfactory as the batteries needed frequent recharging, the units were unreliable and often self-activated. When searching for a device-based solution provided by a company approved through audit against BS 8484, and with the additional benefit of being the only lone worker device to be awarded ACPO’s Secured by Design (SBD) status, Stuart Lamb, National Hilti Centre Manager, chose Identicom as part of a SoloProtect lone worker protection solution from Connexion2.

“We looked at other devices on the market but chose Identicom as it is simple to use and is backed by SoloProtect’s excellent pricing structure and service”, said Stuart Lamb. “In addition, the fact that the company and its solutions featuring Identicom, have been audited and approved against BS 8484, the new British Standard for Lone Worker Device Services, provides us and our employees with additional reassurance”.

Hilti now has 39 Identicom units, with 25 being used by personnel working in its 21 stores and 14 equipped with GPS for mobile workers who travel from store to store. In March 2010, USDAW (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers – including the shop workers union,

key representatives from local and national government, police and retail employers) reported that there were over 13,000 physical attacks in 2009, as well as hundreds of thousands of retail staff facing verbal abuse routinely.

Unlike ‘under the counter’ panic buttons which are more costly to install and often cannot be reached if the shop worker is away from the counter stacking shelves or checking on product, the Identicom is always to hand and operable, whether the worker is opening or closing premises, inside the store, outside on a banking run or in transit to or from the store. It provides an innovative solution to the problems of verbal abuse and physical assault by enabling the shop worker to discreetly summon help at the touch of a button, without breaking eye contact with an aggressor, regardless of where they are and without the expense of installing a wired infrastructure. The product also facilitates the recording of credible audio evidence, which is admissible in court proceedings helping facilitate a criminal conviction at a later date.

For more information about this solution visit SoloProtect’s website:

www.soloprotect.com

Lone worker services for retail in practice – case studies

Hilti targets the changing risk to retail staff with SoloProtect’s Identicom Lone Worker Device

Case study

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Leading pet retailer Pets At Home has implemented Skyguard’s BS 8484 approved MySOS devices to mitigate potential risk to store based colleagues.

With over 400 stores, Pets At Home is the largest pet retailer in the UK, employing over 7000 colleagues under 5 subdivisions: Pets At Home Retail, Vets 24/7, Grooming Parlour, Supply Chain Operatives and Delivery Drivers. As is the case with any retailer, contact with the public is at the heart of these roles, and on very rare occasions, employees can be faced with potentially threatening situations such as robberies, shop-lifting or anti-social behaviour.

Often, Pets at Home retail colleagues are responsible for managing the vicinity, key handling and carrying cash; with plenty at stake should these matters fall into the wrong hands. The company decided that in order to protect employees and pets alike, it was necessary to adopt a reliable and trusted personal safety solution, turning to Skyguard.

The keyfob-sized MySOS personal safety alarm was the chosen solution for Pets At Home. Accredited to BS 8484 standards, the device is equipped with the latest mobile phone and GPS tracking technology.

When the user raises the alarm, an alert is instantly sent to Skyguard’s dedicated Incident Management Centre (IMC) along with the GPS location of the device. Specifically trained controllers at the IMC will first listen in and assess the situation before talking to the user and taking the appropriate action. Using escalation instructions provided, the Controller will, if necessary, directly contact the local police control room, bypassing the 999 service for a faster response. The information

relayed is sufficiently detailed to allow the emergency services responding to the incident to call upon the information supplied and start making appropriate preparations before they arrive at the scene. All audio and actions from the incident are digitally recorded and can be used as legal evidence if required.

It was essential for Pets At Home that the alarms were easy to use and that training could be given at convenient times. After rolling out the Skyguard devices, this is exactly what Pets At Home experienced, as explained by Duncan Kitching, Head of Loss Prevention, “When deploying to colleagues we found it very user friendly. To operate the alarm and train colleagues remotely is extremely easy.”

In implementing the devices, Pets At Home is safeguarding all employee groups whilst helping to fulfil their duty of care. When asked if employees have felt more confident since the roll out, Duncan commented: “It’s all about peace of mind and that sense of security that we have gained from implementing the service. Skyguard provides great security at minimal cost.”

Explaining whether Pets At Home would recommend the Skyguard service to other organisations, Duncan concluded: “Of course, it’s a no brainer where employees are exposed to dangers in the workplace; to deploy such a versatile device is supporting our store teams.”

For more information about this solution, please visit the Skyguard website:

www.skyguard.co.uk

Pets At Home chooses Skyguard to protect retail staff

Case study

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BS8484: why is it important?BS8484 is the basis on which Police respond to lone worker systems, so it’s important for employers within the retail sector to choose a supplier who works to these standards. A Police response cannot be guaranteed by a supplier who isn’t audited and compliant with BS8484.

The development of British Standard BS8484, a Code of Practice for the provision of Lone Worker Device Services, has been a key element of the security industry’s work to create such solutions. BS8484 is employed and adhered to by all credible suppliers in the industry and forms the basis for police response to lone worker systems.

Responsible employers will consider the health and safety of their lone workers as a top priority, and the use of BS8484 compliant lone worker devices/applications can help by connecting such employees with an emergency response system that has direct links to the Police.

Choosing a system – what to look forWhen sourcing lone worker solutions, the BSIA Lone Worker Section suggests that you look for systems that offer:

• Device or smartphone applications certified to BS8484• A supplier who can prove that they are audited and certified to BS8484 through audit• Monitored by an Alarm Receiving Centre certificated to BS8484 (Part 6) and BS5979 (Cat II)• Solutions that fit the lone working application and risk profile of your workforce

Smartphone software applications are also available as an alternative to using a dedicated device. While these are not always ideal for high risk lone workers, they are a viable option for some clients who do not want to carry additional hardware. Solutions offered by members of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section are certified to BS8484 through audit - or are working towards certification in the next 12 months*.

Choosing your supplier from the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section ensures you peace of mind and quality of service.

Where can I go for further information? For more information on the work of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Section, visit its online homepage at www.bsia.co.uk/lone-worker

To find a lone worker solution provider in your area, visit www.bsia.co.uk/find-a-security-company

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© This document is the copyright of the BSIA and is not to be reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner.Form No. 304

About the BSIAThe BSIA is the trade association for the professional security industry in the UK. Its members provide over 70% of UK security products and services and adhere to strict quality standards.

BSIA members are at the cutting edge of standards development in the UK and Europe. Each year the BSIA develops a number of its own codes of practice, which often go forward to be developed into British Standards. Customers can be confident that the products and services of BSIA members reflect the latest industry standards.

The BSIA would like to thank its members for their contribution to the content of this guide.