The lone employee protection system, called Romad, consists of a hand-held, mobile phone-style device offering total peace of mind for a moderate monthly fee per unit.
It will help businesses comply with their legal obligations to ensure that they take appropriate measures to ensure lone workers – such as bus drivers, sales and service engineers, and community healthcare professionals – are safe.
Under several different pieces of legislation employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees. Most recently the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act means that senior management, whose failures in health and safety lead to the death of employees, can face imprisonment or unlimited fines.
By using the Romad device, businesses will be able to demonstrate their commitment to ensuring the safety of their lone workers.
The device can be tracked on the internet, with a worker’s location updated as often as every minute. It has four speed dial buttons and a phone book which can store up to 20 numbers, which are set by the system administrator – i.e. the company management offering total security. This includes an SOS number, accessible using an SOS button on the device, which automatically opens a connection to a response centre. Response centre staff can hear what is happening and decide on the appropriate action.
Each unit costs circa £25 per month depending on the configuration and set-up. BD-1 is currently in discussions (running pilots) with a range of organisations interested in the device, including Glamorgan University, Craigmore Health, Wesurail, Reliance Security and Laura Ashley. The company is also working with a private schools parents association who are evaluating the device to ensure the safety of pupils on school trips .
Harvey Alexander, Chairman of SIXIS, which operates BD-1, said: “This new product offers a fantastic, innovative solution to businesses in a cost-effective way.
“The Romad device provides employers with peace of mind, as they can be sure that if they are using it, they are going a long way to meeting their legal obligations to protect lone workers.
“Not only that, but it also does mean that lone staff are safer, as they have access to help at the touch of a button.”