The Dangers of Being a Lone Working Security Guard in the U.K

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics show that there were an estimated 739,000 incidents of violence at work, 356,000 of which were physical assaults.¹

New Security Roles

Violent crime continues to increase across the U.K as police numbers diminish. As a result of this, private guards have been hired to fill the security vacuum, along with CCTV operators, cash transit specialists and close protection officers.

The change in roles has resulted in substantial growth in the security sector. During 2017-2018 there were 143,894 applications for individual licences to operate in the security industry compared to 110,437 the previous year. The rise is in line with the obvious increase of an already substantial industry. There are currently 386,657 licence holders, with 68,715 in the role of security guard. ²

Increased Risk of Violence

Taking on the role of a security guard does come with its own set of risks. Protective service is the occupational group with the highest risk of experiencing workplace violence, which can be seen in the graph above. ³

The Labour Force Survey shows that around 9 out of every 10 workers who sustain an injury resulting from violence at work (regardless of whether the injury resulted in time off work) are employed in public services.

Overall, respondents in protective service occupations (such as police officers) faced the highest risk of assaults and threats while working, at 11.4% – 8 times the average risk of 1.4%. ⁴

In March 2017 a security guard was viciously beaten after he challenged an intruder inside the factory he was patrolling.

Det Insp Colin Mattinson, of West Midlands Police Force CID, said,

“This was a sustained and violent attack on an elderly man. We believe he challenged a man found inside the premises which led to the unprovoked attack taking place.” ⁵

Unfortunately, as he was the sole worker on shift, the injured guard was left alone with serious head injuries for six hours until a colleague found him and raised the alarm.

Protecting Lone Working Security Personnel

The best way to keep security guards (lone workers) protected is to equip them with the necessary tools. Lone worker’s need a security solution that allows peace of mind and the knowledge that if anything goes wrong, someone will know and can send help.

The aim of a lone worker solution is to guarantee the safe return of all workers at the end of each shift. These solutions are typically straightforward systems that establish a connection between workers and a supervisor responsible for monitoring their well-being. The supervisor may be a fellow employee within the same organization or a member of staff at a call centre.

There are many different solutions available to lone workers that allow them to keep in touch by checking in. However, not all solutions are as simple and convenient as a Smartphone app.

The Ok Alone security system has a wide range of features designed to make people working remotely feel safer. The system has an automated countdown timer, as required by work alone legislation, which reminds lone workers to make contact by checking in using either a smartphone app, SMS or phone call. Workers are able to change the frequency of their check ins with the ‘high-risk’ feature. If a worker enters an area where they feel vulnerable, they can reduce the check in time to as little as 10 minutes. After the time has passed with no alerts, the check in frequency will revert to the original count down duration.

Specialised Features of a Lone Worker App

One of the features, the Man Down (Worker Down) function, alerts monitors if there has been no movement from a worker within a set amount of time. This could help indicate if the worker has been involved in an accident or assault. This feature would have alerted the factory’s management that there had been an incident and the lone security guard in the Midlands would not have had to wait six hours for the next shift to start before he was found.

Ok Alone’s lone worker security app works in conjunction with a website and cloud-based dashboard that can be used on pc, laptop, tablet or another smartphone. The online dashboard will display a map supplying the monitor with the workers last known location if an alert is triggered.

To find out more and about how you can keep lone security workers safe visit www.okaloneworker.com

5. https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/security-guard-left-dead-brutal-12767153

Stacey Manclark

As an expert in lone worker content management, I possess an extensive knowledge base and experience in the area of lone working and safety monitoring. My expertise in this field encompasses a wide range of areas, including risk assessment, training, communication, and technology. I have a deep understanding of the unique risks associated with lone workers and have researched and written many projects and articles to educate people in how to mitigate these risks.

Throughout my time with Ok Alone, I have kept up to date with technological developments, legislative changes and regulations that have been introduced to help organizations ensure the safety of their lone workers.