Traditionally, lone worker protection has been provided through standalone devices such as key fobs and identity badges. These are referred to as dumb terminals as there is little or no ability to upgrade them or enhance their capability.
The NHS wanted to consolidate to one device in order to save costs and increase usage. Using the smartphone meant that standalone Lone Working devices and cameras could be made redundant. One device to carry, one device to charge and one device to fund.
This was restricted by the need for most sectors to use a lock code because of personal information held on the device. If a user needed to summon assistance, they would have to unlock the phone before making the call.
To overcome the lock screen problem, we invented "Shake to Dial". A vigorous shake of the phone overrides the lock screen (whilst leaving all other data encrypted) and makes a call to our Emergency Response Centre.
Since launching Shake to Dial in 2016, we have developed a wide and growing range of innovative safety and efficiency features which is seeing Jobtrac+ win business against the industry incumbents.
Our "Ubitrac platform technology" is very robust yet incredibly flexible enabling us to provide solutions for multiple sectors. Most of these features are included as standard within Jobtrac+.
Critically, our efficiency tools create a compelling return on investment which removes the cost burden of looking after employees.
Shake to Dial: A vigorous shake of the device overrides the lock screen and makes an overt call to our emergency response centre. We refer to this as overt as your phone will announce "calling emergency response". This has proven to be an excellent de-escalation tool.
Covert Emergency Call: This also overrides the lock screen for those instances when the overt announcement that accompanies the shake to dial call may inflame an attacker further. The user will feel one vibration when the call is placed and another when it is answered. Clients set up a duress word to call for immediate assistance.
The Arm: Our most used feature is our "digital arm around the shoulder" this enables users to call the Emergency Response Centre on a non-emergency basis when they are in a situation which for want of a better phrase “spooks them”. In the NHS, Nurses are often left to lock up clinics and surgeries on their own, a similar situation to key holders called out during the night. A walk across a dark car park for instance can make people uncomfortable for hours before they are due to leave. A Controller will stay on the line until the caller is safely in their car or at their destination.
The Arm is not able to prevent an attack, but in the worst-case scenario we know who the user is, where they are and that they are in trouble. We can then direct the emergency services to the location.
Live Mapping: Authorised users can view the live location of employees or colleagues. Authorisation varies greatly but we recommend that teams can see each other as they will recognise any unusual behaviour.
Amber Alert: Amber Alert should be used on every appointment, in reality it is used only for visits where the user feels there is a risk. A message is recorded on the phone listing the address, their concerns etc. If the property is hard to determine, they can take a photo, they then set an amber delay.
If they are happy when they are in the property, they can simply cancel the alert, if a problem arises after this, the user can utilise shake to dial or amber alert.
If the user is not happy with their situation, they let the amber delay expire and their phone will make a covert call to the Emergency Response Centre. They will feel a vibration when the call is processed and another when it is answered, use of their pre-arranged duress word or an obvious problem will lead to our Controllers bringing the police into the call to arrange assistance.
Static: It is surprising how many people are Lone Working although they are within their organisations premises. The red button under the desk is the obvious solution but increasingly there is no one to respond to it.
"Static" provides the red button as well as providing a generic amber alert for each visitor. Emergency calls are directed out of the building to our Emergency Response Centre where pre-arranged escalation procedures are put in place including bringing the police into the call.
Rip to Dial: A ripcord is provided to enable emergency calls to be made from a locked phone, ideal if the user has dexterity issues or has their hands full with equipment.
Many of our efficiency features further enhance employee safety.