GROWING DEMAND FOR LONE DRIVER PROTECTION SOLUTIONS FROM ROAD TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS BUSINESSES

Peoplesafe has seen a surge in demand for its personal safety solutions from the road transport and logistics sectors as businesses look to safeguard vulnerable delivery professionals. There are increasing dangers when making deliveries – such as the risk of being physically attacked or being struck at the roadside – so vehicle operators are exploring new ways to ensure driver welfare and meet duty of care commitments.

“We are increasingly hearing from vehicle operators that assaults, attempted thefts and roadside incidents are on the rise, so the threat to drivers working alone has rarely been greater,” explains Naz Dossa, CEO of Peoplesafe. “Our range of personal safety solutions are designed to offer added lone worker protection when a driver is away from the vehicle and at greatest risk, providing peace of mind and supporting duty of care.”

Peoplesafe provides a comprehensive range of handheld devices, fobs and apps for drivers operating in remote or unsafe locations, especially out of hours or after dark. The lone worker app turns any smartphone or tablet into an effective personal safety device, which can also be used in conjunction with a wearable Bluetooth button for even easier, more discreet personal protection.

Drivers can immediately raise an alarm in the event of an emergency in a number of ways, depending on their access to their device or phone. This alerts Peoplesafe’s 24/7 Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC), which quickly determines the level of threat and provides the fastest possible response to the incident. A driver can also log locations and activities, with monitored check-up messages if required. The additional fall detection functionality also recognises if a driver needs assistance having fallen over or been knocked down.

“There are over 300,000 HGV drivers working within the UK, of which the majority work alone, often at night. With employers having to meet more and more stringent legislation on protecting their staff, having an effective lone worker safety culture is now essential. We are already working closely with hundreds or organisations, across multiple sectors, to protect tens of thousands of vulnerable workers every day,” concludes Dossa.