Satellite protection
October 1st 2004

Satellite technology is providing lone worker protection for sales consultants who work for house builder Redrow.

Many of the team are to be equipped with a Cybertrak GPS mobile phone and emergency resource link from Orbis Monitoring.

One push of the phones SOS button immediately opens up an extra sensitive microphone to the Orbis call centre. Operators are able to track the phones whereabouts using satellite tracking and listen in to the incident. They will implement pre-planned security measures and, if necessary, call the emergency services. DVD records made of all calls may be used in court as evidence.

Risk assessments by the house builder found that sales consultants were occasionally at risk on some of their sites where there were fewer staff and at weekends when construction staff had gone home. Marketing suites have already been adapted to provide an increased level of security with a back door exit and an inner office from which to see people entering.

As new sales sites come on stream, local sales teams complete risk assessments and opt for the most appropriate level of lone worker protection.

Robert Sayers, Redrows health and safety director says he was particularly impressed by Cybertraks tracking system. We like the quick response by the call centre alerting us to an incident and, importantly, where it is. It is actually better than we first thought.

The first eight phones are in use at developments in the South East. Other offices have placed orders and there are plans to extend use to more lone workers.

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