Opinions Please - Lone Worker Devices

ElizaD · Post by **ElizaD** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:19 pm

After carrying out extensive risk assessments, our company invested in Lone Worker Devices (kind of like mobile phones) for the staff who work out in the community - with members of the public, but often 1-2-1.

The majority of the staff have taken to them, but there is a small bunch who refuse to use them, refuse to charge them at home etc. Could I try to say they are issued as PPE and threaten to discipline those who continue to ignore them?

These devices are not cheap, and we are providing them for staff safety.

Any thoughts??????

Bennie1975 · Post by **Bennie1975** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 7:27 pm

Hi ElizaD,

Whats their reason for not wanting to use them? I have seen some units we looked at for my work and when i spoke to the guys they were very offish about them. After i dug deeper i found it was the fact they had GPS in them. We had sourced them with GPS as the guys are security officers and if the worst happened we would be able to track them down. What i got from them was that we wanted to watch them. We ended up not going for them in the end anyway but if we had enforcing it i think would have been a nightmare.

Just a though and i may be way off.

Hope ytou get it sorted

ddlh · Post by **ddlh** » Thu Sep 08, 2011 9:18 pm

Have you re written the procedure that states they must be carried and used?

Write it, issue it and train the staff in how to use them - that is your opportunity to bottom out any issues they may have. Use the risk assessment to show them that they should use them.

As for charging the units at home, you are on a sticky wicket IMO - the cost may be a factor, and the reliance on the unit may be compromised if they dont do it correctly - and the accountability is yours - the company.

And it is not PPE as it does not provide direct protection to the person.

Dave

BGW · Post by **BGW** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 5:15 am

You maybe able to use a tenuous link between lone-working an The Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974

Section 7 states that it is the duty of every employee while at work to take reasonable care of him or herself and of any other person who may be affected by his or her actions. This section also requires employees to cooperate with their employer in relation to health and safety issues.

Just a thought...

Post by **Keith1983** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 7:59 am

I agree with BGW about using HASAWA if necessary. As for the charging at home, I think they have every right to refuse. Just make sure they know that you are using them for safety reasons and not HR reasons and that you will not be tracing their movements etc (Presuming that you're not?)

ElizaD · Post by **ElizaD** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:31 pm

Thanks for your replies - the charging at home thing puzzles me though - they take the same amount of power to charge as a mobile, and last for about 2 weeks on a full charge. I personally don't think that's excessive when the employer is prividing something for safety (We don't have to issue them). Staff can leave them charging at their base overnight, but then complain that they have to go back to collect them in the morning before going out on visits.

The reluctant few have issues around the time it takes to enter the information about their location into the device (press a button, talk into the device). The GPS thing was put to bed very early on in the issue of the devices - we don't ask for the data from the operating company.

I have decided to go down the route of getting a signed 'contract' from each staff member about their responsibility for usage and charging. I will include references to HSWA. Also reference to it being unlawful to interfere with anything provided for H&S.

Post by **Keith1983** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:17 am

ElizaD wrote:Thanks for your replies - the charging at home thing puzzles me though - they take the same amount of power to charge as a mobile, and last for about 2 weeks on a full charge. I personally don't think that's excessive when the employer is prividing something for safety (We don't have to issue them). Staff can leave them charging at their base overnight, but then complain that they have to go back to collect them in the morning before going out on visits.

.

When you say "We don't have to issue them", you are doing so to fulfill your duty of care not as a favour to the work force. Admittedly it would be nice if they appreciated it was in their own interests, but it's not as if you're doing it as a favour to them above and beyond your duty. If they have to go back to their base to collect them in the morning then so be it, but the company will have to give them time to do that. You could try introducing a small payment to the users to cover the cost of the charging and see if they are more open to charging them at home, although if they refuse I can't see that there is much you can do.

Mrs Marple · Post by **Mrs Marple** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:23 am

Hiya,

Has the issue of them been done in conjunction with Lone Worker training? I had similar issues in an old life. Whilst the training on keeping yourself safe won't impact on all it can break another few of your die hards down. We used the Suzie Lamplugh trust to do the training and all feedback was positive .