Sutton and East Surrey Water lone workers – such as meter readers, inspectors and water samplers – are using a lone worker protection device.
With water samplers and inspectors often working alone, they can be vulnerable to trips, slips and falls. After an accident, having no immediate help at hand can leave the worker vulnerable. Sutton and East Surrey Water decided that a lone worker product was needed.
Also the lone working customer liaison officers, who regularly enter customers’ homes alone, would also be afforded the same level of backup and response, thus providing them with an essential means of communication, in case of a physical assault. The Redhill-based water company saw the risk of a failure to meet duty of care to employees. Before committing to equipment, the water firm took advantage of Skyguard’s free trial. A sample of end users tested whether Skyguard’s MySOS solution was suitable for their use. As Karl Reid, Health, Safety and Security Manager for Sutton and East Surrey Water says: “The staff that carried out the trial have said Skyguard’s MySOS personal safety device was easy to use and very effective.”
The MySOS, is a keyfob-sized personal safety device that enables the user to call for help at the touch of a button. As soon as the alarm is raised, controllers at Skyguard’s Incident Management Centre know who is calling, their GPS location and can listen in via the two-way audio of the device. All alarm data and calls are recorded for evidential purposes. Should it be required, controllers will summon the relevant emergency response, bypassing the 999 system if deemed necessary.
Should a user slip, trip or fall and are unable to manually raise the alarm, a ‘Mandown’ sensor within the device will activate the alarm and Skyguard will be alerted to a potential hazard. All reports and incidents can be viewed via Skyguard’s secure online Customer Service Centre Portal, letting client administrators see over the service’s users, devices, reports and activity. All changes via the web-based platform are made in real-time and include the option to switch or even pool devices between users.
Karl Reid said of Skyguard’s MySOS: “It’s simple and easy to use, plus it gives staff the feeling of security. If a system is difficult then staff just won’t use it. Just by having it on their person makes them feel more confident.” Karl also spoke of Skyguard’s support after setting up their contract: “The response from the After Sales Team, whether it be Customer Support or the Technical Team has always been very polite, efficient and timely. As an administrator for the service, the Customer Support team have been invaluable.”
Skyguard’s Marketing Director, Will Murray added: “With legislation continuing to evolve, organisations – no matter what industry, can no longer afford to ignore the safety and wellbeing of their lone workers. As a result, we now work with over a wide range of well-known utilities providers in safeguarding their lone workers, including many long-term customers and it’s a number that continues to grow.”
Visit www.skyguard.co.uk.
