There has been a sharp rise in the number of firms in the transport and logistics sector using GPS personal alarms to protect their employees, according to new industry figures.
Send For Help — a lone worker protection firm that makes key-fob sized GPS safety devices and mobile phone apps for more than 150,000 people across the UK — has released data revealing that the number of devices being used by UK firms in the transport and logistics sector rose by 280% in the year to December 2018.
“We’re seeing that an increasing number of companies in the logistics sector are realising the importance of protecting drivers against attack or injury, not just the vehicle and its cargo,” said Paul Watson, Sales Director for Send for Help.
“They have a responsibility for their Duty of Care to staff, and are increasingly looking for solutions to achieve this,” he added.
Because Send for Help’s devices are in a portable USB stick-sized format, the driver can always carry it with them and is protected through a variety of functions.
The company has direct links to police control rooms, so it can bypass the 999 system and receive a faster emergency response if clients are threatened, attacked or are in danger.
Once the ‘SOS alarm’ button on the device is pressed, a user can speak via a two-way audio in the device to a controller at Send For Help’s fortified alarm receiving centre, who will act according to the user’s specified escalation plan – whether that’s calling an ambulance, alerting the police, asking the worker’s supervisor to check in on them, or simply to confirm it’s a false alarm.
The device sends its GPS location to the monitoring centre which utilises mapping software, so the operators can direct help to where it’s needed — even if they are on the move. End users or their managers can specify how they want their alarms managed and provide relevant personal information in real time via a 24/7 online portal.
“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,” said Watson.
Send For Help was founded in 2010 and is headed-up by CEO James Murray (pictured). It protects more than 150,000 end users through its key-fob sized GPS safety devices and apps, which are linked to the alarm-receiving centre staffed at the company’s headquarters in Epsom, Surrey.
Its staff are trained and must sit exams before they can answer calls. Clients typically pay a £10 monthly fee for each device.
Visit skyguard.co.uk for more information.
