Lone Worker Safety System

The Forestry Commission (FC) intend to award a contract for supply and operation of a lone worker safety system to FC staff working across all of Great Britain; including sites across the National Forest Estate in Scotland, sites across the Public Forest Estate in England and Forest Research locations in Wales.

The FC requires a Lone Worker Safety System (LWSS) that is fully compliant with the requirements of BS 8484:2011. With over 1,200 field based staff currently utilising the system, the FC has a requirement to provide a simple, easy to use LWSS that encourages staff participation in the welfare of both the individual and their colleagues.

The supplier will provide a LWSS that makes use of a mobile phone in conjunction with a common bureau management support system (BMSS) at an Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) and SEND tracking and messaging.

The FC already has an investment in mobile-based technologies including standard handsets and Blackberry devices and it is anticipated that the Lone Worker Safety System will embrace the existing mobile phone architecture. The proposed system shall be scalable, flexible and adaptable to the ever-changing operational requirements of the FC, including changes in potential new technologies.