The New 999 System a Blessing for Workers
The new Enhanced 999 calling system launched by a Scottish company is a blessing for the employees of any corporation, as it will help emergency services to trace the exact location of a caller and thus reach him on time. This is not possible in the system which is currently in use across companies, where in case of an emergency call only a non-specific number is provided, which by no means helps paramedics to assess the location of the caller. This is even more important in cases where the company is large and has multiple sites or when the person works single-handedly.
Such systems are already being used by American companies, as failure to provide employees with adequate communication systems for emergencies in some states may even cause companies to be closed down. Additionally, in situations where emergency services fail to reach a person in need because of their inability to trace his exact location due to inadequate information, the employers could be sued. These systems are thus used to prevent legal action in the context of workplace accidents.
A well-known specialist health and safety lawyer, Claire Anderson, has said that it is the responsibility of the employer to provide its staff with adequate access to emergency services for their safety. She even told The Scotsman that as soon as this new product is widely available, if companies still fail to use the same, they would be held liable. The Health and Safety Executive might even serve companies with notices and prosecute them if they fail to provide their employees with such facilities.
Make sure that your company is not in the dark when it comes to new health and safety regulations. The other way to keep up-to-date is to make sure that you take advantage of accredited training programmes such as the iosh safely courses offered by reputable companies such as Workplace Law.
