"The SoloProtect ID has undoubtedly helped our staff feel safer, they know they can quickly raise an alarm if their safety was ever compromised. This has given our staff the confidence and peace of mind to carry out their tasks when working alone."

McColl’s use SoloProtect ID lone worker devices in many of their stores to protect their colleagues from risk.

McColl's encompasses over 1700 stores, including over 1000 convenience stores, and they are the second-largest multiple convenience operator in the UK.

With many McColl’s stores having lone workers, it was clear to the Corporate Health and Safety Manager that the duty of care to their employees was of the utmost importance. Therefore, McColl’s now have a SoloProtect ID Touch lone worker device in many of their stores.

The market-leading SoloProtect ID lone worker device is the most widely-used dedicated device of its kind in the UK and is the only lone worker device specifically designed as an identity cardholder in order to be easy to wear and discreet to use.

Enabled with mobile phone (GSM) and geolocation technology, in the event a worker requires assistance, the device opens a call with SoloProtect's Monitoring Centre where trained operators will listen in to the incident, identify the location of the user, and quickly send an emergency response.

McColl’s chose the SoloProtect ID device due to its discreet appearance and focus on staff protection. Following a successful trial, the McColl’s store employees were so impressed with the solution that they were reluctant to return their original ID devices; many citing peace of mind and improved security as the main reasons.

McColl's Corporate Health and Safety Manager said:

"McColl’s is a company that takes the health and safety of its employees extremely seriously. The SoloProtect ID has undoubtedly helped our staff feel safer, they know they can quickly raise an alarm if their safety was ever compromised. This has given our staff the confidence and peace of mind to carry out their tasks when working alone."

The SoloProtect solution is accredited to BS 8484 (the British Standard for Lone Worker Device Services) which means we can dial straight into the regional police force, saving valuable time in an emergency. The solution includes the chosen SoloProtect device(s), 24/7 monitoring, and device training, plus access to SoloProtect Insights – our online platform for the end-to-end management of the solution and wider visibility of mobile teams.

Risks to retail staff

There are many risks associated with lone working in the retail sector and it’s imperative that a company takes its duty of care extremely seriously. This is especially prevalent in small format retail stores, such as McColl's, with low staff numbers and late opening hours. Lone working takes place by key holders, staff in-store, during banking runs, by warehouse staff, delivery drivers and distribution operations; both locally and nationally.

Moreover, according to a recent report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC), there were an average of 455 incidents of violence and/or abuse against retail staff each day in 2019 which is 7% more than the previous year. That’s 166,075 incidents across the whole year.

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