One-Stop Identicom Shop

Reported December 2006

Lone worker protection has become a very important issue for many health and safety managers. Concern about lone worker safety has risen relentlessly over the last few years and this rise is justified. The retail crime survey 04/05 recorded a 100% increase in violence against staff over the last 4 years. This growth in incidences of violence has resulted in greater need for devices designed to prevent them. 

With companies having responded to this increasing demand, there are a great many lone worker products on the market. Yet however capable the system is, and there are now many very sophisticated systems on the market, sufficient consideration must be given to the human factor. With increasing competition, simplicity and usability make the Identicom stand out.

Simple, yet effective, the Identicom is a personal attack alarm designed as a discreet ID card holder, worn around the neck on a lanyard or on a lapel using a clip. The design of the device reduces the risk to the employee of raising an alarm. An alarm can be raised by pressing a button hidden away on the reverse of the unit. When worn, Identicom is always within immediate reach to the wearer and, when needed, provides an essential link to help whilst at the same time being covert and discrete.
Bold Communications, who supply the Identicom product, offer their Identicom customers Identicom monitoring software so they can monitor their own alarms. Alarms are raised on the Identicom and ring a pre-programmed number in the control room. The operators can then listen-in to the attack and decide the best form of action to take. The software will provide the operator with the name of the Identicom user and any other relevant information like the name of their line manager, or their home address. A list of procedures for the operator to follow will also be seen on screen, along with the name and telephone number of anyone who should be contacted. The software will record all Identicom audio for later use in court proceedings, and provides full reports on response time to an alarm. Monitoring your own Identicom alarms is ideal for companies who need to protect a lot of lone workers, or already have an existing control room to monitor other alarms.
While many companies and their staff have seen the benefits of protecting lone workers with the Identicom device and its monitoring software, Bold Communications has noticed some confusion surrounding how the alarms will be responded to. Prospective Identicom users without an existing ARC, or small companies who only need a few devices, are now given a choice of Bold-approved Identicom monitoring centres. Working in partnership with several of their monitoring customers, Bold now offers lone worker protection from as little as £1 a day. This includes leasing the unit and having it monitored, spreading the cost and giving all the functionality of Bold’s Identicom monitoring software.

Brian Kelly, MD at Bold comments “We are all now aware of the threat facing lone workers, and the Identicom is proving valuable in a number of different applications. Yet we did recognise a gap in our service, and have moved to rectify this. We believe this new deal will make Identicom lone worker protection more attainable for a variety of organisations.”

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