Europe's Premier Personal Safety Service for Lone Workers 0845 0360 999
Any task undertaken whilst working alone can present particular risks. It’s indisputable that travelling abroad on your own is more risky. Yet it is still your employer’s responsibility that all precautions have been taken to ensure the employee has a safe trip.
So, why are employees more at risk when travelling abroad alone?
Tend to carry more cash and valuables (laptops, passport, etc)
Find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings
A potential language barrier can cause conflict where it could’ve normally been avoided
Not familiar with local customs and etiquette
Criminals target tourists / travellers
Some alarming statistics…
Whilst most visits abroad are trouble free, there are some alarming statistics about travelling abroad.
Over 19,000 reported incidents involving Britons in 2010/11
Year-on-year increase in British deaths abroad – just under 6,000 last year.
Number of those hospitalised has also shown a year on year increase – up to nearly 3,800.
Seven of the top ten countries where assistance
Skyguard – Europe’s premier personal safety service for lone workers and those at risk have launched an Android version of their popular Mobile phone software solution – an instant downloadable application which transforms smartphones into fully functioning personal safety alarms.
The Android app allows users to raise an alarm at the touch of a button, wherever… whenever, without the need to carry a dedicated personal safety device.
Simply by pressing a single button on the user’s mobile or activating the touch screen, the software will send their GPS location and identity, as well as making a voice call, to our UK based, 24/7 manned Incident Management Centre (IMC). Action will be taken within seconds by Controllers to assess the incident and follow the user’s bespoke emergency procedures.
Skyguard’s CEO, James Murray said, “With the success of our BlackBerry software solution coupled with the increase in popularity of Android phones, it’s made sense for us to develop bespoke
Student@Home has chosen Skyguard’s MySOS personal safety device to protect its lone workers and London office based staff, as part of an ongoing roll-out whilst the company expands nationwide.
As a social business, Student@Home employs IT students to provide technology support and training to home computer users and small businesses. Originating in Holland, where the company employs over 260 students, the innovative concept was brought to the UK earlier this year.
UK Managing Director, Kelly Klein, was acutely aware of the potential risks faced by her staff, having attended the same school as Suzy Lamplugh – an estate agent who disappeared after a visiting a client in 1986. This tragic event resonated with Kelly, who from the outset wanted the safety and well-being of her staff to be a top priority for the business.
After researching all of the personal safety alarms available on the market and meeting numerous suppliers, Kelly decided Skyguard’s MySOS provided the best solution for her staff and began a
Too often, technology can baffle brains. Mobile phones can prove to be complicated and fiddly and computers end up irritating their users. Many become confused and are bombarded with information which turns them away from experimenting with new devices.
However, not all new technology is complicated to use. Take Skyguard’s MySOS personal safety alarm – an innovative connection tool which gives users 24/7 backup and protection wherever they go. Although the device is packed with functions and features, its uncomplicated design and one-button alarm activation is so simple to use…
…So simple, even a two-year old can raise the alarm.
Julie Millard from Northamptonshire signed up to Skyguard’s personal safety service for medical reasons. Julie says, “I have a medical condition which means I can black out without warning anywhere and I’m unconscious… in the high street… the garden and I can’t talk.”
Looking for a personal alarm which gives ultimate peace of mind to Julie and her family, she came
A recent survey carried out by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) reference found that more than 60 percent of nurses working in the community have been subjected to verbal or physical abuse in the past couple of years.
In efforts to combat this worrying problem, many Trusts have a form of lone-worker alarm system in place to help protect their staff in the event of abuse or an assault. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust is a typical example.
In 2009, NHS Trusts across England and Wales purchased personal alarms (in most cases, the Identicom i750*) for their lone working employees through a national framework agreement, which was part-funded by the government. However, funding was only for the first two years of the contract – after the initial two year period was over, Trusts took responsibility for the remainder of the contract. With recent changes in public sector spending, many Trusts are now looking for more cost-effective, viable alternatives to offer 24/7 backup and assistance for their lone working staff.
Jill
