Employers are turning in record numbers to tech-driven ways to ensure their staff are protected from risk at work, according to one of the country’s leading security services provider.
Organisations from sectors including manufacturing, professional services, banking and finance are looking at how they can deploy technology to ensure their employees have the protection and support they need when working alone.
More than 33,000 of Orbis Protect’s specialist RedAlert devices and applications have been sold to employers up to June this year – an increase of more than 8% when compared with the same period the previous year. In addition, a rise in interest is being partly driven by organisations whose staff work in low risk professions and have not previously sought protection from traditional lone worker technology. Almost 30% more enquiries have been made to Orbis Protect’s RedAlert Welfare team this year than in 2018.
Experts believe that this reflects the changes in the modern workplace, with an increase in flexible and remote working meaning that employers must think differently about how they look out for their staff. Orbis Protect is responding to this by providing new services to organisations who have a duty of care to its employees, wherever and whenever they are working.
Orbis Protect’s chief technology officer Shaun Wilcock said: “As an organisation that has provided protection services to workers over the last two decades, we are seeing a change in the types of organisations who need to provide this level of support for their staff.
“This reflects the changing way of how people work. Housing providers, local authorities and utility companies have long understood the importance of providing a real time support to their lone worker staff 24/7.
“With technology and social changes impacting on the way we work, and more people working flexibly and alone, our services and those of other providers need to adapt to reflect this.”
Orbis Protect has developed its smart solution to enable users to provide a reassuring touchpoint to colleagues and teams who are away from the office. Available on a smartphone app, RedAlert Welfare connects users with personal support from Orbis’ dedicated alarm receiving centre if they feel unsafe while working.
Orbis Protect already provides lone worker protection services for organisations including the NHS, Ocado, Transport for London and HS2.