BS 8484:2016 Provision of lone worker services
Like all British Standards BS8484 was introduced to set a strict code of practice. BS8484:2016 is for the provision of Lone Worker services.
BS8484 was developed mid 2000’s to improve the quality of companies providing lone worker services and therefore reduce the number of police responses to false alarms.
The standard has been through several revisions to attempt to keep up with technological developments.
As with all benchmarks, the criteria defined are only for the envisaged service. BS8484 was fundamentally developed to improve the quality and use of Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs) to reduce police response to unnecessary alarms.
BS848:2016 is excellent for setting the standards for the more excepted, higher risk, lone working where ARC’s, 24/7 monitoring, direct police response, two-way coms is essential.
Unluckily this, at times, seems at odds with most modern lone worker roles, that are lower risk. Where potentially simpler, lighter touch reassurance and duty of care is the core requirement.
In a recent Grant Thornton white paper, a Senior member of a more traditional system provider is quoted as saying
“The ‘official’ definition of lone worker numbers in the UK is 6-7m. This a bit ridiculous as it includes sole traders and low risk workers such as middle management. I believe the ‘real’ market to be between 1.5 and 2m workers”.
We at MyTeamSafe agree with this statement, up to a point.
They are correct there are probably 1.5 to 2m, higher risk lone workers, where standalone hardware, 24/7 ARC monitoring, police response and BS848:2016 is absolutely critical. BUT someone working on their own, is still a lone worker and they are still exposed to risks, even if greatly reduced. These 5 million ‘ignored’ workers must not be forgotten, just because they don’t fit into a pre-defined standard of traditional lone worker services.
MyTeamSafe was specifically developed for lower risk Lone Workers. A simple, self-managed, automated, cost effective solution that at its heart meets the real everyday needs of people that work on their own and the organisation as a whole.