I4S video: Lone Worker Protection at IFSEC 2012 - Mario Zuccaro (Oysta Technology)

'Oysta Technology is one of the company's exhibiting in the inaugural Lone Worker Protection area at IFSEC International 2012. In this video interview, md Mario Zuccaro explains why.

Oysta Technology provides GPS and telemetry-based solutions to a wide range of industries, Governments and law enforcement agencies.

The company specialises in designing and installing lone worker, telecare and vehicle safety and monitoring systems for a variety of customers.

Safety is its business and the company takes that responsibility very seriously indeed. Sectors covered by its solutions include security, transport, the utilities, telecoms, FM, Government and the public sector, telecare and the charities sphere.

Oysta Technology's dedicated team boasts over 50 years' experience in the market and operates in 15 countries across four continents. That team works with over 3,000 customers worldwide, its clients including the Ministry of Justice, Compass Group, Age Telefonica Spain, MTN, Anglo Gold Mining, the Australian Federal Police and O2 Telefonica.

The overriding aim is to deliver 'out of the box' and bespoke solutions, all of them BS 8484, RoHs, CE and SAR compliant.

Engagement at IFSEC International 2012
At IFSEC International 2012, Oysta Technology is also delivering a presentation on how to design profitable lone worker security solutions. This will be given by Miguel Angel Orellana, chief marketing officer at the company. It runs in Hall 3a in the Lone Worker Protection zone on 17 May from 11.30 am-12.30 pm.

In advance of the exhibition opening its doors on Monday 14 May, Mario Zuccaro - managing director at Oysta Technology - stopped by organiser UBM's London offices for a video interview with Brian Sims, media solutions manager across UBM Live's Security and Fire Portfolio.

What does Mario believe to be the central issues facing the lone worker sector at present in relation to both suppliers and end users?
Why has the company decided to play a fulsome part in the first-ever dedicated Lone Worker Protection zone organised for IFSEC International?
How is the company faring in the current economic landscape, and what are its aspirations for the next six-to-12 months?

Watch the video below and find out the answers to all of these questions.'

original article: Brian Sims http://www.info4security.com/story.asp?sectioncode=49&storycode=4129013&c=1

O2 launches mobile helpline service

O2 Health has launched a new mobile telecare service using devices that can detect falls and alert a 24/7 call centre.

Help at Hand involves a mobile-enabled pendant or wristwatch connected to a secure website and alarm receiving centre.

It has been trialled by Devon Partnership NHS Trust with people with mental health issues and Leeds City Council with older people and young people with learning difficulties.

O2 Health managing director Keith Nurcombe launched Help at Hand at the King’s Fund International Congress on Telehealth and Telecare 2012 yesterday.

He said it used the O2 mobile network to give patients the confidence and security of knowing they will be looked after if something happens affecting their health both inside and outside of the home.

Nurcombe said 99% of telecare systems available in the UK were land-line based, meaning patients only had this reassurance while at home, which restricted them in going about their daily lives.

If the alarm is activated on the device, receivers in a call centre can see the patient’s website profile with details about who to call and how to deal with different situations.

The pendant or wristwatch has a fall-down detector and GPS to locate the user. This means safe zones can be defined and, if a patient moves out of the zone, the call centre is alerted.

This feature was used in the Devon trial, which used GPS tracking to monitor those at risk of suicide and those using the low secure forensic service.

Devon Partnership NHS Trust managing partner research and development, Tobit Emmens, said the devices allowed healthcare professionals to interact with patients at risk from suicide when they entered into high risk areas, before the situation could escalate.

“In Devon we have places where people go to take their lives. Through conversations with patients we found that when entering into an area that holds difficult memories, it sometimes presents opportunities to make unhealthy decisions,” he explained.

Having the devices with them gave patients greater confidence that they could go about their lives and if a crisis emerged, it was dealt with at the time, Emmens added.

Help at Hand was also used to track low secure forensic service patients when they left the facility on leave.

Emmens said the trust was looking at longer term use of the system. Leeds City Council trialed the devices as part of its Leeds Telecare Service which currently has 70 users.

Spokeswoman Marianne Howard said use of Help at Hand reduced the likelihood of users needing to move into sheltered housing or residential care. Carers were not required to be with patients for such long periods which could reduce costs.

The system also gave peace of mind to carers who knew they would be alerted if there was a problem.

Nurcombe said the company was working on getting some hard data together on how the system reduces use of secondary care, but said telecare was proven to help avoid unnecessary admission to care homes, reduce emergency call outs and days in hospital.

Help at Hand will be available to health and social care organisations from April. Nurcombe said it would ultimately also be released to the public so consumers can buy it for themselves.

(original article: http://www.ehi.co.uk/news/primary-care/7598/o2-launches-mobile-helpline-service)

Lone Worker Safety Training

Lone worker safety training and the need for clear policies has become more and more paramount and relevant, with recent headlines proving this point in an ever so apparent way. Over the past two months alone, headlines included: ‘Traffic Warden attacked’, ‘Warden punched by ticketed driver’, ‘Dundee Nurse’s After Dark Fear’ and ‘Violence Life of Hospital Staff’ to name just a few.

Nigel Dean, Head of Health Sector Development, Telefonica O2 UK Limited, stated in October 2008: “81% of Lone Workers are concerned about violence or aggression”. While lone worker safety training alone will not reduce the incidence of violence but it must be an essential part of an organisation’s approach to managing violence and aggression in the workplace. Front-line staff who have gained a better understanding of the risks involved when working alone, will by far be more likely to make the right decisions in situations of conflict, aggression and hostility.

Good lone worker safety training will focus on the prevention of incidents, rather than on how to deal with conflict itself. Conflict management training and conflict resolution training is of great importance, but the great British saying ‘prevention is better than cure’, ~Could not make more sense, than within the world of lone worker safety training.

Improving the communication and reporting procedures, within teams of lone workers has to be top priority. It is a matter of fact that family relationships, business partnerships and friendships have broken apart, and even wars have broken and innocent people lost their lives, simply due to a breakdown of communication and inadequate flow of information. Effective lone worker safety training must include clear guidelines and often a ‘wake up call’ on what accurate information needs to be passed on to co-workers in order for them to get a clear understanding of what exact risk factors are associated to what client.

Every human being and subsequently every lone worker has got his or her own perception of the terminology ‘risk’ and every lone worker has got an own opinion what can be classed as ‘I think I have handled this situation quite well!’ or ‘Was this really important enough to report and inform my co-workers?’ One might be brave, one might be more confident, one might be more experienced and another one might be inexperienced or not aware of certain risk factors associated to a client. Good quality lone worker safety training is about creating a platform or standard, every team member will work to. It is about making absolutely clear that gathering accurate and up-to-date information and making them easily accessible to co-workers, is crucial for them to make effective plans on how to successfully reduce the risk of workplace violence and improve their personal safety.

Lone worker safety training can in my professional opinion not be a ‘lecture’ or ’speech’ based around a PowerPoint Presentation only. It really should be about sitting down with you, listening to what you have got to say and then come up with the best possible plan everyone understands and will work to.

Some of the most important subjects that deserve to be covered and discussed when aiming to improving the personal safety of frontline staff are as follows:

- How to reduce violence at work?

- Improving Communication between Team Members

- Improving Reporting Procedures

- Correct Preparation, Completion and Understanding of Risk Assessments

- Effective Control of Lone Worker Visits

- Your Heightened State of Awareness

- Clear Understanding of Your Job Role

- The Importance of Body Language & Confidence

- Responding to Physical & Verbal Aggression

If I can give one good advise to trainers and instructors who take on the great task of delivering training programs, engage with the audience, ask them questions, and allow them to explain to you what they personally have experienced and what situations they might fear. Don’t get into the habit of just doing your job. The words you chose and the advise you give can potentially save human lives. Be aware of that and don’t forget it!

O2 Health deploys telehealth and telecare services; signs three deals

Having only launched its health division in July, O2 has announced the first rollout of its telehealth and telecare services across three UK National Health Service (NHS) organisations.

The company said that the three NHS authorities would become part of O2's Centre of Excellence programme focused on developing new and innovative healthcare systems. The agreement will see the three authorities providing clinical resources and health expertise to help develop new care packages, and then pilot these to create regional centres.

According to O2 Health head, Keith Nurcombe, the company plans, over the coming years, to invest significantly in UK health innovation, including the use of technology other than just being focused on mobile.

"The Centre of Excellence programme is an industry first--it gives us a great opportunity to learn directly from clinical teams." said Nurcombe. "We also plan to expand the programme over the next few years to other like-minded health organisations."

When O2 launched its m-health concept, the company said that it would look for partnerships with healthcare providers to gain a better understanding of the challenges involved before deploying solutions that created benefits for patients and health workers.

The three UK NHS organisations involved are NHS Western Isles, Berkshire East Community Health Services and NHS Rotherham.