More than 550 employees at Sovereign Housing Association are now using Connexion2’s Identicom Series 8 devices and SoloProtect service for lone working.
Discreetly packaged in the form of an identity badge, the Identicom devices allow workers to activate a ‘red alert’ (with 24/7 audio link to an alarm receiving centre) if they are at risk of verbal abuse, physical attack or a slip, trip or fall. Through GSM technology, ARC staff can monitor and listen into a situation, escalating direct to the emergency services if necessary. GPS technology fitted into the device can also help locate lone workers.
Dave Brown, anti-social behaviour officer, Sovereign Housing Association, said, “I spend a lot of time out of the office working on my own, visiting residents and sometimes dealing with difficult issues. Although I don’t always feel at risk, I appreciate that there are dangers that are part of dealing with the diverse range of situations and people that I come across.”
Commenting on a recent occasion where he did have to raise a genuine ‘red alert’, Brown said, “I felt totally at ease and have total trust in the system. I particularly like the fact that, if you feel that a situation may be at all uncomfortable or confrontational, you can raise a ‘red alert’, give the advisor a brief description of the issues, and then have the reassurance of that advisor listening in on the subsequent conversation and situation that you are facing.”
