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LookOut call news February 2010


Welcome to the FEBRUARY 2010 edition of LookOut call News, a regular bulletin produced for lone workers everywhere. Each month LookOut call News aims to provide updates and news items featuring the LookOut call system and other areas concerning the health and safety of lone workers in both public and private sectors

In this months LookOut call News –


  • Lone Working in Winter
  • New TUC Lone Working Guide Released
  • Charity admits failing to protect lone worker
  • BSI sets out latest lone worker benchmarks
  • Meet Sue Hunt !

Lone Working in Winter Conditions

The January ‘big freeze’ that gripped the whole of the UK has graphically highlighted the dangers faced by lone workers, particularly those who rely solely on their cars to perform their lone working commitments. Heavy snow, treacherous black ice and sustained periods of sub-zero temperatures have all ensured that what should have been simple journeys normally in some cases become highly dangerous ordeals. For those lone workers such as district nurses, midwives, social workers and other individuals who need to use private cars as transport to visit clients or outlying workplaces, it is worthwhile to take the time to follow a few simple rules to ensure they remain safe, particularly if they become lost or stranded should the severe winter weather return.

Before Leaving Home/Base

Ask yourself the question ‘is this journey really necessary or essential or can it wait? If it can’t be postponed, check the weather forecasts and keep updated on local travel information. Plan routes to favour major roads which are more likely to have been gritted and also ensure you have sufficient fuel for the journey.

General winter driving advice

  • Batteries/Electrics - According to motoring organisations, winter driving requires special care and a little extra preparation to avoid a breakdown or accident. Excessive use of  lights, heaters and windscreen wipers places high demands on car batteries, particularly if the car is driven mainly in dark rush-hour trips. Motorists should therefore avoid running car electrics any longer than necessary – turn the heater fan down and switch the heated rear window off once windows are clear.
  • Antifreeze - A 50-50 mix of antifreeze and water in the cooling system is needed in winter. This gives maximum protection down to  -34° centigrade, without it, severe engine damage can occur.
  • Vision -  Improve vision by making sure that the windscreen is clean inside and out. Use air conditioning for faster demisting and to reduce condensation on cold windows. Clear snow from the roof as well as from windows. Snow piled up on the roof can fall onto the windscreen obscuring your view and can also be a hazard to other road users.
  • Lights - Check that all bulbs are working and that headlights are clean. You must use headlights when visibility is seriously reduced. You may also use front or rear fog lights but these must be switched off when visibility improves as they can dazzle other road users and obscure your brake lights.
  • Tyres - Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. At least 3mm of tread is recommended for winter motoring. Don't reduce tyre pressures to get more grip as this reduces stability. Check you have a working jack and wheel brace, and that you know how to change a wheel if necessary. Consider changing to winter or all season tyres which give better grip in cold wet conditions.
  • Driving in snow and ice - Stopping distances are 10 times longer in ice and snow and so gentle manoeuvres are the key to safe driving. Select second gear when pulling away, easing the foot off the clutch gently to avoid wheel-spin. Try to maintain a constant speed, choosing the most suitable gear well in advance remembering to  always apply brakes gently.
  • Be Prepared !  – Go to your vehicle at least 10 minutes early to give enough time to prepare the car. Carry a fully charged mobile phone or other lone worker safety alert system, along with a torch, blanket, warm coat, boots and shovel. A flask of hot drink, cold water and supply of emergency food is advisable should you become stranded for long or even overnight periods.
  • In the event of a breakdown/becoming stranded - Consider your surroundings. If you are located in a remote area it may be advisable to remain in your vehicle until help arrives. If you decide to leave your vehicle, leave a note in a prominent location inside stating where you are going and be physically prepared for the elements outside, however remaining with your vehicle is often the safest option.

 
TUC Releases Lone Worker Safety Guide

In November 2009 the TUC released an up-to-date, fully comprehensive guide to lone working aimed at helping workplace safety representatives give out advice to colleagues. According to a recent TUC safety survey, working alone was the sixth main hazard in the workplace, which is why the organisation considers lone working now merits special attention. The guide gives a general overview of lone working in various sectors such as retail, health, transport and local government. In retail for instance where lone working is common, especially in small 'corner shops', TUC figures show that 20,000 shopworkers are physically attacked each year and an even greater number are exposed to threats of violence and verbal abuse.

According to the TUC, some employers often forget their responsibilities to lone workers, particularly in respect of issues such as welfare provision, recording of injuries, first aid provision and consultation. The TUC also believes that the protection of lone workers must start with a full risk assessment of the work that lone workers do. According to the guide, too many employers either think that lone workers are covered by the same policies that apply to other employees or they believe that the only problem facing lone workers who work in the community is violence. The guide outlines how although the threat of violence is very important, this is unlikely to be the only risk, or even necessarily the main one.

Other lone working issues covered in the new guide include –

The legal position

  • Dynamic risk assessments
  • Violence in the workplace
  • Working in remote areas
  • Home working
  • Incident reporting
  • Surveys and inspections
  • Policies and procedures

Also included in the guide are examples of scenarios depicting common issues faced by various categories of lone workers such as paramedics, estate agents, shop and home workers.

For more information on the TUC lone working guide visit: http://www.tuc.org.uk/loneworking
To see the full TUC Checklist on Lone Working visit : http://www.tuc.org.uk/h_and_s/loneworkingchecklist.pdf

Charity Admits Failing to Protect Lone Worker


Sunderland-based mental health charity ‘Mental Health Matters’ pleaded guilty earlier this month to failing to protect an employee who was later stabbed to death by a paranoid schizophrenic man. Ashleigh Ewing, 22, a support worker who helped clients with mental health problems to live in the community was found dead in Ronald Dixon's house at Heaton, Newcastle, in May 2006. Dixon later denied murder, but admitted manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility and is now being detained indefinitely. Dixon, who believed he was Henry VIII's son, had also been previously arrested outside Buckingham Palace for threatening to kill the Queen.
Ms Ewing's employer Mental Health Matters who managed the flat Dixon lived in has since admitted a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act. Newcastle Crown Court was told that although the charity was well aware that Dixon had a history of violence and often refused to take his medication, they still requested that the Northumbria University psychology graduate visit him alone, resulting in her being stabbed 39 times with four different kitchen knives.

During the hearing the prosecution said that the charity had placed too much responsibility on front line staff to carry out risk assessments, and that people like Ashleigh Ewing did not have enough experience and skill to carry them out. The court was also told that there was no guarantee that she would not have been killed if one had been done, but it would have reduced the likelihood of that happening.

At the time of writing the sentencing of Mental Health Matters for the offence is still awaited, however LookOut call’s Brian Caddy considers that it is important that the correct message is sent out to other employers who do not take their safety responsibilities to their lone worker staff seriously enough. “The final result of this tragic case is eagerly awaited - if the punishment is lenient however it will suggest that employers can have a 'fingers crossed' philosophy and get away quite lightly with serious cases of neglect regarding lone workers”.

(Source – BBC News)

BSI sets out latest lone worker benchmarks

As announced last year in LookOut call News, BSI British Standards, the UK's national standards organization has been inviting public comments on the draft of ‘BS 8484’, a standard for the management of lone worker protection services. The draft standard aimed to cover the provision of services using electronic monitoring and alarm techniques and forms part of the BSI ‘Occupational Health and Safety Management System’ (OHSMS). According to BSI, managing the spectrum of staff related risks in the workplace will enable an organisation to control insurance costs and increase performance from its existing operations. An OHSMS also promotes a safe and healthy working environment by providing a framework that allows an organisation to consistently identify and control its health and safety risks, reduce the potential for accidents, aid legislative compliance and improve overall performance.


BS 8484 has now been published and lays out the minimum functionality for all lone working devices. BSI also prescribes the quality of the audio transmission - which it said is essential when assessing a situation, requesting the right response and to prevent false alarms. It also recommends the devices can be discreetly activated so there are no obvious signs of activation to an aggressor.
Other requirements are designed for alarm receiving centres which should operate 24/7 and have a continuity plan to operate from alternative premises within two hours. The centres should meet police criteria for the highest level response.

For further information, visit www.bsigroup.co.uk

Meet Sue Hunt

Sue Hunt is Head of Marketing at C3 Ltd and as such is also responsible for producing LookOut call News. Prior to joining the company Sue worked in the security packaging industry and also spent some time working in the motor racing industry including a spell with Formula 1, but it wasn’t always as glamorous as it sounds, as she explains.  “My company produced the data monitoring and telemetry equipment used to monitor engine efficiency with the ultimate aim of making the cars faster, as a result I spent many hours at the side of race tracks in freezing cold surroundings! Although I was never totally alone I did sometimes feel a little bit intimidated - motor racing is very much a male-dominated sport, well it was back then! I used to travel to race tracks and events on my own often with no official security systems in place, thankfully things have improved somewhat now”.

Sue has always been very much aware of the importance of personal security, this stems back to an incident that occurred in her student days in France and although she doesn’t want to divulge it here as it still brings back unpleasant memories it undoubtedly was a major factor in her future career with C3, as was her time in the security packaging industry as she outlines. “I acted as a European sales representative spending a great deal of time at airports and in hotels in Paris, Brussels or Madrid, usually alone. As a result of my previous experience I quickly developed the art of self-preservation in terms of personal safety by making sure I did not arrive at a destination late at night, or by booking taxis well in advance for instance, simple things but very important for the safety of a lone female traveller.”


Safety First

Sue has now worked with C3 for 12 years where her current role consists of managing all marketing and PR activities relating to C3’s mainstream products including LookOut call. Sue is also responsible for the websites, marketing collateral and event management, all of which keeps her very busy but also at the forefront of developments in personal safety issues in general and lone working in particular, as she explains. “Lookout call is a very enjoyable product to work with because it is a perfect example of how technology can benefit other people and make them feel safer. Lone working itself has become more prominent in society today mainly because of advances in communications technology and improved broadband connectivity in residential areas for example. People can now work from virtually anywhere – all they need is a laptop and a mobile phone.

Sometimes the safety element of lone working can be overlooked because employers try to cut corners, particularly during times of economic down turn, but we should never place a price tag on safety. Unfortunately some believe that automated safety systems are costly and a bit ‘big brother’ like, but LookOut call is neither, the base price starts from just 7 pence per user per day and it operates using normal mobile phones. Also LookOut call doesn’t keep a log of every move, the only information stored on its database is information relating to the user’s last appointment, you will not be caught out if you go to the supermarket between appointments! Of course we can integrate satellite tracking into LookOut call if customers want it, this level of accuracy is needed in some industries as a specialist feature”.


Fancy a Twitter?

During her time at C3, Sue and her colleagues have been responsible for many achievements such as the company’s recent ‘Diamond Customer Satisfaction Rating’, however one particular experience ranks amongst the highest as Sue recalls. “We were all extremely proud to have collaborated recently with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in running a major lone worker safety survey. This did a great deal to raise the profile of lone working and the subsequent response we received was phenomenal”. Sue has also been very pleased with the feedback the LookOut call newsletter itself has been generating since she launched it just over two years ago. “In a relatively short time we have grown a database of over 8,000 contacts and a large number of regular readers. Some of our customers send text alerts out to their staff as soon as it is posted on our website, thereby spreading the word to an even wider audience.

In the future I hope to make LookOut call News even more interactive and incorporate more of a ‘blog style’ element so readers can share their thoughts with us. You can now follow LookOut call on Twitter and I’m hoping that readership will increase significantly as a result of this. And the new technology and developments won’t end there, as smart phones seem to be ‘the thing of the moment’ we are looking at developing lone worker safety ‘apps’ for the iPhone and other Smartphones, watch this space!” So away from the C3 offices, what does Sue get up to unwind in her free time? “Nothing too exciting I’m afraid, I spend most of my spare time driving my sons to different sports activities. I’m quite a sporty person myself and I like to go running and swimming. I also enjoy cooking, for me spending hours in my kitchen being creative is a good way to avoid housework”!