Norfolk council deems personal safety devices "a necessity, not a luxury"

Breckland Council in Norfolk has mandated personal safety devices as part of its 300 staff members’ standard PPE (personal protective equipment).

The council, whose employees spend time working away from the office, in the field and during unsociable hours, plans to incorporate the devices as an essential part of its safety management strategy.

Tracking employees’ location and recording incidents, the devices are linked to an Alarm Receiving Centre, which would alert emergency services if a difficult situation were to escalate.

Corporate Health and Safety Advisor for Breckland Council, Nick Kendrick, confirms there are no job roles considered ‘high risk’.

“Thankfully, we’ve not had to deal with many employees in dangerous situations, but it would only take one accident or incident to change that, and we’re just not prepared to take the risk”, explains Nick Kendrick.

“When we issue safety boots or similar safety equipment to staff, there is a regulatory expectation that this kit will be used at all times in the appropriate situations.

“I want the [personal safety device] to become standard PPE in the same way, so that we can be sure that the employees it is protecting keep it with them as standard and also, most importantly, receive the sufficient training, knowledge, and confidence to use it correctly.

“A pair of safety boots can only ever offer limited protection unless you always wear them. Personal safety technology is the same. You may have never had an incident before, but you could in the future and that’s the point.”

Mr Kendrick is strongly encouraging managers to make the devices mandatory PPE for field staff, where risk assessment has identified a significant risk and where the device can help improve safety.

The step would ensure Breckland Council not only continues to meet HSE legislative needs, but also “up the ante” to safeguard employees in the most robust way possible. Mr Kendrick said:

“We consider a personal safety service a necessity, not a luxury.”

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