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

Comprehensive guidance for lone workers now available online

A new web page has been launched today to provide lone workers and their employers with a central point of information on health and safety, legal obligations, quality standards and advice on choosing a reputable supplier of lone worker devices.

Launched by the Lone Worker Forum of the British Security Industry Association (BSIA), the page offers comprehensive, easy-to-understand advice and links to guidance documents, which set out the individual rights and responsibilities of both employers and their lone working employees.

Patrick Dealtry, Chairman of the BSIA’s Lone Worker Forum, comments: “More than six million people in the UK work either in isolation or without direct supervision, often in places or circumstances that put them at potential risk. A wide variety of organisations and industry sectors employ people whose jobs require them to work or operate alone, either regularly or occasionally.

“Almost by definition, lone working can be both intimidating and at times dangerous, so the protection of lone workers involves a twofold approach; not only to provide safeguards but also to offer reassurance to the people involved.”

There are also important considerations to be made when choosing a supplier of lone worker devices, which, Patrick adds, can be difficult, given the wide range of solutions currently available. He adds: “The BSIA’s Lone Worker Forum recommends that companies choose lone worker systems that are compliant to British Standard 8484, which is the Code of Practice for the provision of Lone Worker Services. BS8484 is the basis on which Police respond to lone worker systems, so it's important for employers to choose a supplier who works to these standards.”

“The launch of this dedicated web page means that employers can now find out more about the implications of BS8484, download useful guidance and locate reputable suppliers all in one place, coordinated by the leading trade association for the private security industry.”

Visit the BSIA Lone Worker Forum’s webpage today at http://www.bsia.co.uk/lone-workers

GPS tracking systems save company fuel costs

The use of GPS-operated machine control and mining machinery tracking systems has been proven to cut both fuel consumption and operational costs of fleet machinery and vehicles.

A study carried by the Aberdeen Group, a US-based industry research firm that examines the effects and implications of industrial technology, has shown that vehicles and fleets with GPS tracking installed experience a 13 per cent reduction in fuel costs on average.

One of the most obvious and money-saving ways in which a GPS tracking device can cut these costs is by monitoring the idling time of a vehicle or machine.

According to Ford Motor Company, every hour of idle time is equal to approximately 25 miles of driving, where as, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, restarting an engine uses no more fuel than 30 seconds of idling and has very little harmful impact on vehicle components.

A quality GPS tracking systems notifies when a vehicle idles for excessive periods of time, wasting fuel and being non-productive. A survey of trucking and haulage companies in the US by Aberdeen showed that many already take advantage of idling reports found on most GPS tracking systems, and are able to monitor the efficient usage of their vehicles and machines.

Norfolk Police recommend Vehicle Tracking Solutions

Thieves are targeting farmers and owners of large agricultural and plant machinery, such as tractors and quad bikes, Norfolk police said. Farmers in Norfolk report offences ranging from machinery theft to livestock rustling and arson at least once a day. Launching Operation Randall, the police are now asking farmers to install Vehicle Tracking, to deter this theft.

About 75 such crimes have been reported since the beginning of the year. The thieves have stolen tractors, generators, quad bikes and ride-on lawn mowers, mainly in Breckland and South Norfolk. Owners were being advised to tag or track their equipment and keep an up-to-date record of machinery. In Suffolk 505 offences were reported last year and in Cambridgeshire the figure stood at 421.

Police have begun an attempt to reduce these types of thefts called Operation Randall. Det Supt Nick Dean said: “The numbers of high value thefts may on the face of it appear low. However, the impact that these types of offences have is considerable, ranging from loss of earnings to losing the ability to actually farm the land properly”.

The Randall team has already carried out a number of high profile operations. These including working with agencies like Revenue and Customs, the Environment Agency and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency to check more than 2,400 vehicles for suspicious activity near Downham Market and Terrington using number plate recognition.

Owner uses GPS to locate Christchurch earthquake damaged vans

A Christchurch businessman is annoyed he had to use gps satellite tracking to trace his work vans after the quake.

Leighton Johnston, national sales manager for bathroom fitter Edward Gibbon, had left the quake-damaged vans on Tuam St.

He later tried to find the two vans, but could not locate anyone who knew their whereabouts.

Eventually, he tracked the vans using their GPS systems to a vacant lot on Halswell Junction Rd.

The lot is screened by black fences and contains about 60 damaged vehicles.

Johnston yesterday recovered tools from the vans, which had more damage.

"No-one seemed to know anything about where they were, so it was lucky that I could use the GPS. I would never have found them," he said.

"I would have thought that the people removing them would see the signs and my phone number on the side and ring me to say where they are.

"I feel a bit annoyed and I am a bit upset about the damage as well."

Police, Civil Defence and Turners Auctions are co-ordinating a process where owners can retrieve undamaged vehicles or salvage possessions from wrecks.

Turners general manager Shane Prince said people with damaged vehicles should call 033439850 to make an appointment to claim possessions.

He asked that people who had vehicles inside the cordon be patient.

"We are asking people to hold off," Prince said.

"We are trying to buy some time to get the majority of vehicles out of the CBD and then we can say we have them and here is where you go."

Follow the Money with GPS Tracking

GPS tracking has been used to assist lone workers in every industry, including construction, law enforcement, education, and countless more. The devices have tracked everything from gas mileage to paroled criminals to cameras on balloons taking pictures of the curvature of the earth. Now, the technology may protect your savings from walking out the door of your local bank with a bank robber.

GPS: Better Than a Vault

Criminals have long held the edge over law enforcement when it comes to getaways, simply because it is impossible to predict when and where a crime might occur. Once the thief has gotten away with the loot, the task of tracking him down becomes a difficult game of deduction and observation. In many cases, criminals get away with the crime altogether when there simply isn’t enough evidence to lead law enforcement officers to the perpetrators. With the advent of tracking technology, however, all that is changing.

A GPS tracking device will monitor the movements of whoever or whatever it has been attached to by sending a signal to a computer or receiving device. It can also keep track of stops made, speed traveled, and vehicle efficiency. Popular uses include personal safety devices for runners and hikers, tracking for children, asset protection for valuables, and vehicle monitoring. What some would-be bank robbers don’t realize, however, is that the banking industry has begun to utilize the capabilities of the devices to stop thieves in their tracks.

LA Banks Turn to GPS

One such robber was apprehended in Los Angeles by the LAPD shortly after he demanded a bag of cash from a local bank. Unknown to the thief, the bank had included a tracking unit in his bag. Within moments, police were able to pinpoint his location on a southbound bus where they took him into custody and relieved him of his newly acquired capital. Without the device, the officers might have spent weeks or months searching for the man without any guarantee of recovering the money if and when he was apprehended. With the technology, however, the problem became a simple case of stopping the bus and checking each passenger as they exited.

Let bank robbers beware. Banks are no longer sitting ducks waiting to fill your hands with easy money. Now, they have GPS tracking devices on their side. Law abiding citizens can rest easier knowing that their money is protected and that police have the latest technology working to keep it that way.