Richard Gibson, Technical director at Pinpoint, takes a look at some of the broad range of personal staff attack alarm systems now on the market, and considers the ‘pros and cons’ of some of the main technologies.
A personal protection alarm is an essential body-worn item these days for most nurses and care-workers - because of the seemingly unstoppable risk of violence and assault to working professionals and patients. The ability for an endangered staff member to summon help is critical in two scenarios:
A vivid memory
Early in my career with Pinpoint, a colleague and I were on site at a secure mental health facility installing and commissioning a new piece of alarm equipment. We were instructed to notify the response team before activating any tests. On a couple of occasions, we accidentally set off an ‘emergency’ alarm call, without this prior warning. I still vividly remember how, on each occasion, within seconds of triggering the alarm, the thunder of feet heralded the arrival of the responding staff, running for all they were worth to the location of the supposed attack. When they heard that emergency alarm, these people knew they potentially had just seconds to save one of their colleagues from very serious harm.
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