BS 8484 2022 – what is it and how does it affect lone working solutions?
What is BS 8484:2022?
BS 8484:2022 is the British industry standard for providers of lone working safety services. While it is not a legal requirement for lone worker safety organisations, BS 8484 accreditation shows consumers that an organisation has met the government’s strict standards.
The British Standards Institution (BSI) introduced BS 8484 In 2009 to create a new standard for those that provide lone working solutions. The standard has since been updated in 2011, 2016 and 2022 to keep up with changing technologies, particularly around the use of smartphones. BS 8484 affects lone working service providers, as well as lone worker solutions and Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs).
Why does BS 8484 matter?
The UK government takes the safety of lone workers very seriously and requires employers to provide their lone workers with ‘adequate and reliable means of communication and a way to call for help’ (in the words of the Health and Safety Executive).
These provisions, as well as a growth in people working as lone workers, has led to an increase in lone worker protection solutions appearing on the market. BS 8484 matters because it sets a high standard of quality for lone worker solution providers to meet, and also gives customers better transparency about what they’re buying into.
Do lone working solutions and devices need BS 8484?
It is not a legal requirement for solution providers to meet the standards of BS 8484. Instead, BS8484 should be seen as a mark of quality that customers may want to look out for when on the market for a lone worker solution.
It should also be noted that BS 8484 can be self-certified. However, to make sure that we meet and surpass these standards, and thus bring the best protection, authority and transparency to our clients, our BS 8484 status is assessed, audited and registered by British Standard Institute Associate Consultants.
What does BS 8484 require from lone working solution providers?
Full BS 8484 accreditation is not a quick or simple process but, in our experience, it is worth the work to give customers a quality experience that has transparency, efficiency and safety at its core.
Some of the standards of service needed for BS8484 accreditation include:
Supplier capability and stability
Section four of BS8484 requires that providers have the capability to run a safe and dependable end-to-end service. Suppliers must prove that:
They are financially secure and properly insured
They have a robust data and security system
They have control and accountability at every level of their organization
They have a comprehensive complaints system
They provide clarity and transparency over their end-to-end service
Lone worker safety apps and devices
BS 8484 section five lays out what functions lone worker apps and devices must have, as well as suggesting what functions are appropriate for different scenarios and different types of lone workers. This encourages a more fit-for-purpose range of solutions.
Some of the requirements this section lays out include:
Ability to track and to see the last known location
Low battery warnings
Features that help prevent false-alarms
Automatic injury detection (such as our smart fall-detection or ‘man-down’ feature)
An ability to discreetly call for help
Lone worker training and Support
Section six covers the training and support of both customers and staff. In short, providers must:
Provide customers with training on how to use their lone worker apps, solutions and devices –including how to raise an alarm discreetly and how to minimise false-alarms
Provide customer support, including by phone, email and refresher training
Provide customers with regular reports on usage
Provide customers with an understanding of why the lone worker solution is beneficial, how it helps lone workers, and what its limitations are
Provide customers with reports on verified alarms
Provide their own staff with BS 8484-approved training
Alarm Receiving Centres (ARCs)
In 2016, BS 8484 Section 7 gave details on how lone worker safety providers should manage their Alarm Receiving Centres.
Since the 2022 update, however, the section on ARCs simply suggests that Alarm Receiving Centres should meet standards set out in BS 8591, BS EN 50518 or BS 5979:2007.
If you’re interested in what the standard used to say about ARCs, we have a run-down below (otherwise you can skip to the next section!):
Service – meeting standards of alert escalation, recording false alarms, directing appropriate responses, etc.
Operational functions – ensuring 24/7/365 operation, meeting high standards of accuracy when locating lone workers, only using trained operators, etc.
Working environment – ensuring the ARC is suitably distraction-free so that the staff can suitably and safely handle vital calls.
Operator training – ensuring ARC operators are signed off on BS 8484-approved training.
Lone worker information – in order to do their job, ARCs need to have access to relevant contact details, medical details and personal information.
Handling an emergency – ARCs should have BS 8484-mandated processes in establishing the nature of the incident, verifying the emergency, and handling false alerts. All ARC operators should also have access to escalation instructions if an emergency is verified.
Procedures and documentation – ARCs should keep accurate audits and trails and clearly document operating procedures.
Access to information – ARCs should make appropriate measures to protect their client’s confidentiality around personal data and remote access.
Performance criteria – the ARC must meet set targets regarding response times, etc.
Management of activation messages/calls and alarm calls – a set of criteria on staff capacity, documentation of calls, etc.
The difference between BS 8484:2016 and BS 8484:2022
In 2022, the The British Standards Institution updated BS8484 to reflect changing technologies and norms, and to improve safety. The sum-up of changes brought in BS 8484:2022 are:
An acknowledgement that those working in pairs or small groups may be seen as “at risk” and so may benefit from the use of a lone worker system.
An acknowledgement that those working from home (home workers) should be seen as “lone workers” and could benefit from using a lone working system
New wording that accepts that calls with lone workers may be made via data, rather than the “traditional” call network.
A new ruling that states, to be BS 8484 compliant, staff involved in delivering lone working services (typically ARC workers) are to be screened in accordance with BS 7858 (which is the UK standard for vetting of people employed in the security sector)
The removal of most of the recommendations in Clause 7 (the section on Alarm Receiving Centres), as this is covered in other places (such as BS 5979).
Safepoint lone worker protection and BS 8484
Safepoint’s BS 8484 status is assessed, audited and registered by British Standard Institute Associate Consultants.
As well as meeting our BS 8484 accreditation, we also aim to surpass these standards, wherever possible. Through our focus on innovation, we are always bringing in new features and standards that provide a safer, more transparent and more helpful suite of services for our clients.
Safepoint’s Alarm Receiving Centre
Safepoint’s Alarm Receiving Centre is not only certified to BS 8484 but also to BS 5979 and its security staff are vetted to BS 7858 standards.
If you’d like to learn more about Safepoint, you can book a demo with our friendly team, who will be happy to answer any questions you may have. You can also try Safepoint for free for 14 days!