Many NHS Trusts and housing associations provide their lone workers with systems which require a lanyard worn around the neck attached to an ID Badge.
From our experience of talking with NHS Health & Safety staff, it is clear that most lone workers avoid wearing ID Badges with lanyards because they are often pulled by young children or can be used by violent patients attempting to strangle the lone worker.
However, a study published in The Medical Journal of Australia also found that 10% of name badges/lanyards contained the MRSA superbug and dirty lanyards contained 10 times more bacteria.
A lone worker died in Texas when her lanyard got caught in machinery and suffocated her.
Dorset Police released a warning on social media following a couple of serious traffic incidents which were worsened by the use of lanyards and left the drivers badly injured.
In one car accident an NHS lone worker was wearing a lanyard + keys and the airbags caused the keys to perforate the drivers bowel. In another car incident a worker suffered a collapsed lung due to the force of airbag/badge on lanyard.
It is unsurprising that lone workers are reluctant to use ID Badges and that leaves them being unprotected as they work alone.
Using a mobile phone-based system offers a far safer solution and a mobile is one of the few things that everyone ensures they carry with them at all times.
‘Lookout Call’ ticks all of the boxes and offers an affordable option which can be introduced easily with minimal upheaval.