Peoplesafe on working together to stay safer

Peoplesafe CEO Naz Dossa, also BSIA Chair of the Lone Worker Group, gives us some handy tips on staying safe at work and on the streets.

New Crimestoppers partner Peoplesafe recently commissioned a landmark study into the perceptions of safety at work, which revealed that while 6.8 million workers worry about their personal safety every week, the majority of employers underestimate the level of their concern. 

Over half of the working population that we surveyed (58%) had experienced a negative event at work, or on their commute, that made them concerned for their safety, and 60% said they had felt threatened out and about on our streets, particularly commuting on public transport, and especially during unsociable hours.

This rose to 63% for employees in potentially more vulnerable lines of work, such as front line and lone workers.

For as long as crime exists, there will always be some degree of threat to personal safety, of course. But this threat shouldn’t stop us from doing things we enjoy, going to work, or living a normal life.

Peoplesafe protect more than 200,000 people through our technology and handle over 285,000 alarm calls every year, and are proud to be partnering with the charity Crimestoppers to support its mission to tackle crime at source.  

We’re not just about providing a tech solution. We want to help tackle the problem, and it has long been our aim to amplify the issue of personal safety further and wider.

Here is our top line advice for staying safe:
 

Communication, precaution, prevention

Protecting your personal safety revolves around preventative thinking, taking sensible precautions and being aware of your surroundings. Communication is one of the most essential ways to avoid being a victim of crime.

Someone should always know where you’re supposed to be and your planned movements. Setting up a ‘buddy’ system with a friend, family member or colleague will ensure that someone is aware that something could be wrong should you fail to check in with them and confirm your safety.

In addition, having a reliable method of communication at the ready means you can get in touch with someone in the event of an emergency. Experts suggest keeping your phone, or an alternative method of calling for help, hidden but easily accessible when walking alone. While it’s important to not seem distracted by this, having the ability to raise an alarm in seconds can be critical in dangerous situations. Some personal safety apps even allow users to raise an alarm discreetly, meaning the emergency services can be contacted without unlocking the phone or having it on display.
 

Safety on the streets

When walking anywhere, always be alert to your surroundings. Concentrate on where you’re going and what’s happening around you. Don’t be distracted by your phone or have headphones in both ears, as this can prevent you from hearing potential signs of danger.

Walk with confidence and purpose. Keep your head up, walk with a steady pace and stick to well-lit public areas where possible. Shaving off time from your journey simply isn’t worth the risk.

If you’re using public transport, plan your route. Know where you’re going, how to get there and back and which stop(s) you need. Have your ticket, pass or payment method ready and sit with other people – particularly if it’s dark. Try to avoid empty train carriages or the top level of double decker buses. Sitting near the bus driver or train guard should make you feel safer if it is quiet.

If you are taxiing to your destination, always use a valid taxi service and pre-book if you can. Check that the cab is licenced before getting in it, and if you have pre-booked, ask who they are picking up rather than giving over your name first. This will ensure you are getting into the correct taxi. You can also ask the driver to show you their badge before starting the journey and text a friend or family member the registration plate of the vehicle.
 

There are other basic steps we can take to stay safer. Some seem so obvious; many of us may forget to do them.

• Trust your instincts – If something doesn’t feel right to you, trust your gut, and act by removing yourself from the situation. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
• Keep valuables hidden – Proactively keep smartphones and expensive-looking jewellery hidden, and if you’re carrying a bag, keep it closed.
• Spread out your valuables – Don’t keep your valuables all in one place. Use different spaces for your phone, keys, and money.
• Carry cash – although most transactions are made via card or phone, a small amount of cash will cover you getting home or to safety if your bag, wallet or phone is stolen.
• Never fight for your valuables – If you’re unfortunate enough to be targeted by thieves, let your valuables go. They can be replaced, you can’t. If you can, toss your valuables away from you as thieves will go after the items, leaving you valuable time to get away.

At Peoplesafe, we protect any organisation’s most important asset – its people. Our market-leading technology has been helping to keep employees safe for over 20 years, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Worldwide, we are the largest provider of personal safety and professional safety apps and devices, offering the highest level of protection and peace of mind to over 200,000 people.

Anyone with a Peoplesafe app or device, wherever they are, has instant access to a state-of-the-art Alarm Receiving Centre both in and out of working hours. Trained to handle distressing situations, our expert Alarm Controllers receive, on average, over 285,000 incoming alarm calls every year.