As the rioting and violence over the past weeks continues to send shockwaves through our workplaces and communities, personal safety technology provider, Peoplesafe, has seen a 10% upsurge in demand for personal safety alarms in the past two weeks alone.
As is evident from this upsurge, press coverage and news reports, many workers across all sectors are gravely concerned for their personal safety. Lone working staff, particularly those employed in retail, hospitality and healthcare are feeling vulnerable.
“Terrible events like this bring to the fore concerns for personal safety. We have seen in research that this is not just down to isolated events – it is always there,” said Peoplesafe CEO Naz Dossa, who is also BSIA Chair of the Lone Working Group.
“We know from our research that 7 million workers in the UK already worry about their safety each week. Pre-riots, 57% were already concerned about facing aggression from the public, and one in four were already saying they would prefer not to take a role that involved face-to-face contact with the public. 62% cited personal safety concerns among the reasons for this.
“This is not acceptable. Everyone, regardless of their diversity has an unequivocal right to feel safe and secure when doing their job. There can be no more excuses. Ensuring the personal safety of the UK’s workforce can no longer be ring fenced by 9-5 office working hours either. Recent events demonstrate that our workforce also needs this support out in the field and on the commute.
“Whilst no employer can prevent every threat, they can very easily provide comprehensive support and a toolbox of vital resources, including personal safety technology to mitigate risk and provide people with the peace of mind that an emergency response is on hand, if needed.”
Case Study: Ingenica Solutions
Ingenica Solutions, a provider of tailored software solutions for the healthcare industry, contacted Peoplesafe after staff visiting NHS Trusts and community hubs expressed concerns about safety.
Ingenica Solutions Executive Chairman, Stephen O’Callaghan said: “We are proud to employ a culturally diverse team and following the recent unrest, we were deeply concerned about their personal safety.
“Introducing personal safety technology into our business was already on the radar, however, recent events has pushed it to the very top of our HR agenda. Our response was immediate, with all Ingenica field staff being issued with the Peoplesafe app as an extra layer of protection alongside our standard company safety HR support and guidelines. As employers, we may not be able to remove all personal safety threats however, we can certainly take action to mitigate them.
“The Peoplesafe App provides our staff peace of mind knowing they can activate an immediate emergency response, which is priceless. We also know that this support is in place for them beyond standard working hours as the app protects 24/7.”
Naz Dossa, CEO at Peoplesafe, commented: “The recent rioting and violence has only amplified the obligation businesses have to make employee safety top priority. We have seen a 10% increase uplift in requests for our service in the last two weeks alone.
“No sector should be exempt from responsibility, and more employers need to take action that goes beyond basic health and safety tick box compliance. Technology is already playing a key role, but more decisive action must be implemented to overcome the challenges we face. Protecting and improving the lives of our collective workforce will only create a more safe, sustainable, and successful future for every sector.”
