Standards Development

Scope

This British Standard gives recommendations for providing for the safety and security of lone working employees where the customer’s risk profile identifies the need for an LWS.

This British Standard gives recommendations on the provision of LWSs to help control and manage identified LW risks. Such services consist of an LWD and/or an LWA, training, management information and response options.

This British Standard also gives recommendations for the response service including:

a) minimizing their receipt of false alarms; and

b) ensuring that low level genuine incidents that do not require an immediate response are treated accordingly.

This British Standard provides a customer with recommendations and a benchmark when seeking a solution to reduce and/or eliminate the risk to staff operating away from the ability of colleagues to provide direct assistance. In such circumstances, an LWS solution provides a proportional response from the emergency services.

The monitoring of LWS is excluded from the scope as this is already covered within BS 9518.

This British Standard is applicable to both suppliers and customers procuring LWSs.

See Figure 1 (IN ANNEX A OF THIS DOCUMENT) for an example of how an LWS fits into an LW policy

Purpose

What is the standard intended to achieve?

Considering employee safety and security at a strategic level leads to a culture of safety at work at the operational level. LW protection might be a consideration for both safety and security strategies. It contributes to the organization’s governance, management of risk and compliance with both company policies and legal obligations.

Matters for consideration in LW employee protection strategies can include:

a) how to establish a culture of safety so that employee protection becomes an integral part of daily operational activities;

b) assessing risk, both anticipated risk and dynamic risk; and

c) creating and reviewing LW protection policy, including management responsibilities.

A policy can include:

1) establishing which employees are LWs, either occasionally or for the majority of their employment;

2) conferring with LWs; and

3) devising appropriate procedures to protect employees when they are away from direct supervision.

These procedures are directed towards:

i) avoiding incidents (dynamic risk assessments);

ii) managing incidents;

iii) calling for help when necessary;

iv) training; and

v) management of LWs.

Implementing such procedures results in embedding LW safety in an organization’s operations.

The supplier provides management information to the customer to aid compliance with the customer’s LW policy.

A lone work device (LWD)/lone worker application (LWA) encourages and forms part of an LW dynamic risk assessment. In the event of an incident, it enables the LW to transmit their identity and location easily and discreetly in order to request assistance when they feel threatened or at risk.

Recommendations for training for the customer, LW and supplier’s employees, are vital to ensure efficient and safe use of LWDs

ARCs establish and verify the severity and nature of the incident and pass on all relevant information to the appropriate response services. Recommendations are given in BS 9518 “Processing of alarm signals by an alarm receiving centre - Code of practice”.

The types of response available should be documented to ensure a correct response is provided. Specific response requirements are contained within BS 7984-2 “Keyholding and response services. Lone worker response services”.

If a customer decides that a police response is required to form part of the LWS, customers can consult the requirements from police forces in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which can be found in Appendix V of the Police Response to Security Systems Policy [2].

Who are the intended users? (Please give job roles and industry sectors)

The standard is applicable to suppliers of LWD services for their own operations or to customers. Organisations may include: NHS, Utilities, MoD, F&RS, Business, Retail, Oil and Gas Industry, Commercial. This standard is heavily supported by the police and is listed in their Response to Security Systems Policy, as a way of verifying personal safety alarms resulting in fewer false alarms and to ensure that vital police resources are not wasted on false alarms. Furthermore, UK companies are acknowledged to lead the world in the use of these technologies and this reputation is leading to increased export opportunities.

Why will users adopt the standard?

As of August 2020, it is estimated that more than eight million people in the UK work either in isolation or without direct supervision, 22% of the UK working population, often in places or circumstances that put them at potential risk. It is anticipated that this trend will continue post COVID19.

A wide variety of organisations and industry sectors employ people whose jobs require them to work or operate alone, either regularly or occasionally. Any business employing lone workers should take heed of research and ensure that they have robust solutions in place, both to protect lone workers, and to reduce the risk of prosecution should an incident occur. BS 8484 is the first and only standard for lone worker services and it is seen as the quality standard for these services.Furthermore, BS 8484 is the only standard that sets down the requirements necessary to provide a complete lone worker service.

There are currently estimated to be around 250,000 lone worker devices deployed to lone workers that claim compliance to this standard, with approximately 365,000 activations per annum. This shows a commitment to the highest standards of service delivery in potentially life-threatening situations. Increasingly customers are demanding accreditation to the standard and it is already a requirement in public sector tender documents.

Please see PPT in ANNEX A of this document outlining the benefits of a Lone Worker standard. It is intended that this revised BS will be used as a base document for a NWIP within IEC.

Why might they not use it?

Organisations may not use the standard if the safety and welfare of their lone workers is not embedded as part of their organisation culture and code of ethics.