NEWS CLOCKING OFF ON SAFETY?


Perceptions around personal safety are changing in the UK, and not necessarily for the better, according to figures from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN), at the Office for National Statistics.


The survey found that people now feel less safe than ever walking alone in all settings – after dark and during the day; with women feeling less safe than men in any setting after dark. As part of the survey, and for the first time, the OPN also asked respondents how safe they felt using public transport.


The data gathered showed that people feel less safe using public transport after dark than during the day – during the day, 9% of adults felt unsafe, compared with 34% of adults after dark. Women aged 16 to 34 years felt the most unsafe of any age and sex group using public transport alone after dark.


These figures will likely resonate with the UK’s commuting workforce, especially as we approach winter with darker evenings and mornings spent on buses and trains. While the use of public transport may have decreased since Covid - 14.95% of people work from home in 2022 according to research by Project Solar UK, compared to just 5.26% pre-pandemic – 5.2% of the working population surveyed still use a bus or train to get to their place of work.


Businesses have a legal obligation and duty of care to safeguard their staff during working hours but this legally ends at clock-off time. To date, there is no official legislation or guidance that places responsibility on the employer to protect their employees on the way into work and back home again. Yet the reality is that some employees may face a greater risk on a dark morning or evening commute than they ever will during the working day. However, employers extending their duty


FREE HELP FOR SMEs AND MICROS ON WORKPLACE WELLBEING


In the face of pressures following Covid and in light of a worsening economy, British Safety Council is offering any organisation employing up to 500 staff the chance to get free support to improve the wellbeing of their workplace.


Through its campaign on workplace wellbeing, Keep Thriving, the health, safety and wellbeing charity is inviting SMEs and micro-sized employers to apply to attend one of a series of free three-hour workshops to help them develop a wellbeing strategy. Applications are currently open until 30 November.


The sessions, delivered by experts from British Safety Council’s Being Well Together programme, will help employers explore why wellbeing matters to them, their people and their business, and ways they can improve their wellbeing. The session will help small, medium


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of care to protect employees out of hours is a growing expectation, according to a recent study by Peoplesafe.


One in five employees that Peoplesafe spoke to (22%) cited safety concerns as a reason they chose to leave their job. These safety concerns were felt by all types of workers, with 60% of everyone questioned admitting that they even felt unsafe travelling to and from work during unsociable hours. In fact, 51% believe that their employer has a duty of care to protect them outside of working hours.


So, just how difficult would it be to add commuter peace of mind and safety to a company’s list of employee benefits? The answer is, not very difficult at all. Or costly. Over a million free personal safety apps have already been downloaded by people proactively seeking additional reassurance as they go about their daily lives.


However, research published by BMC in June 2022 found that while people downloading these free apps found them useful, they also reported them as being unreliable, not working as described and/or having features that could be exploited.


Leading companies are going beyond compliance to ensure the safety of their staff by turning to technology and professional services to provide protection. One top law firm with a high number of female employees is already introducing mobile apps for those people who want them. This provides them with a feeling of security when commuting late at night and even reduces the need to hire costly taxis, as the app costs less than a coffee per month.


www.peoplesafe.co.uk


and micro-sized employers to develop a strategy which works and to track and evaluate their progress.


Peter McGettrick, Chairman of British Safety Council, said: “Employers will be able to meet other like- minded organisations to discuss the challenges, opportunities, and best ways of developing a wellbeing strategy and find out how improving wellbeing boosts their organisational performance and reduces the likelihood of accidents and ill-health among their staff. This is a great chance to take a fresh look at how you, your staff and your business can succeed and thrive together.”


Any employer with to up to 500 staff can apply here. https://britsafe.org/campaigns-policy/keep-thriving/keep-thriving-free-workshops/


As well as the free workshops, British Safety Council is offering all employers who attend the opportunity to apply for a cash award to fund activity they decide to do as a result. The charity wants to make up to £10,000 available to one or more organisations.


www.britsafe.org www.tomorrowshs.com


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