A lone worker is someone who works by themselves, without direct supervision or close contact. This makes them more vulnerable to certain risks, risks that wouldn't exist for office employees, for example, who work day in day out as part of a team during 'normal' working hours, Monday to Friday.  Lone workers, therefore, might include professionals such as maintenance staff, healthcare professionals, hospitality and, of course, security officers. It would also, surprisingly, include those who work from home -- and with mobile technology improving more and more year on year, lone workers are a group of professionals expected to grow.

Why are security staff particularly at risk?

The nature of our work means that our security guards are placed in locations that are known to need a security presence. This can mean being in areas known to be a high crime risk, and often entails working alone throughout the night and patrolling areas during unsociable hours. Whilst their uniform and presence can and does, deter crime from occurring, it is still hugely important to ensure that the safety of our staff, making sure they are well equipped - physically, mentally and remotely - to be able to professionally handle a dangerous situation, should it arise.

Out of sight, but certainly not out of mind!

Security training

The first step in ensuring our lone workers remain safe is with training. We take training very seriously, and as such have a purpose-built training facilities on site at our offices. We ensure that our security guards understand their legal rights if under threat, as well as how to effectively diffuse a potentially volatile situation. We make sure they know who they can contact should they need external support, and how to use the equipment they're provided with that can help with their safety. They are also trained in how to remain safe when working remotely -- prevention is always better than a cure!

Security equipment

As previously mentioned, all security staff are given technical equipment that is specifically designed to keep them safe, particularly if they are a lone worker. This includes a body camera, which allows both us and them to keep a close eye on their safety, as well as recording anything suspicious or violent that would need to be reported to the police.

Constant communication

As well as having a specific out of office number that is readily available to all of our security guards, we also have a 'Security Attendance and Welfare' platform -- Deputy. This can be accessed at all of our sites across the UK and enables us to communicate effectively throughout any shift with the guard on site. As well as maintaining quality and consistency for our clients, it ensures our security guards are supported whenever they are at work.

For more information on how we support our lone workers, please don't hesitate to get in touch with a member of the team. We'd be more than happy to discuss the safety of our security guards. We look forward to hearing from you.

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