Travel Midland Metro equips its tram conductors with Identicom lone worker protection system

(10/03/2008)

Opened in 1999, the Travel Midland Metro is the first street tramway to run in the West Midlands for over 40 years. There are 23 tram stops along the route, which stretches 20.13 kilometres from Birmingham Snow Hill to Wolverhampton St George's. Midland Metro runs a fleet of 16 trams, on a frequent timetable, 7 days a week from early in the morning to late in the evening.

Travel Midland Metro has equipped its tram conductors with the Identicom lone worker protection system. The tram conductors are now using a total of 25 Identicom units on a shift basis.

Manufactured by Connexion2, Identicom is equipped with a dual or tri-band GSM module, GSM SIM card, lithium battery and control electronics. Measuring 102x72x14mm and weighing just 68 grams, the device includes a lanyard attachment that enables it to be worn around the neck as a standard ID and hides a ‘rip alarm’ function, which is triggered if the unit is forcibly removed from the wearer. Identicom is flexible enough to be configured in a number of ways, thereby allowing an employer to adopt the device without the need to significantly change or alter current working practices.

The Identicom units being used by Travel Midland Metro have been supplied by Bold Communications. Resembling a normal ID holder, but packed with the latest mobile phone technology, Identicom not only enables the lone worker to discreetly raise an alarm if threatened, but also allows a third party to listen to what is happening and record events whatever the distance.

“When a conductor books-on he is issued with an Identicom unit and when another conductor takes over from him he takes over the Identicom”, said Mark Ashmore, Health and Safety Manager at Travel Midland Metro. “Our biggest problem is verbal abuse from fare dodgers. With Identicom we are able to capture the evidence, which can be used in conjunction with our CCTV cameras to get abusive passengers banned from the tramway system”.

Although Identicom looks like a standard ID holder its technology is all contained unobtrusively within the unit. The device includes a lanyard attachment that enables it to be worn around the neck as a standard ID and hides a ‘rip alarm’ function, which is triggered if the unit is forcibly removed from the wearer.

At Travel Midland Metro’s headquarters in the Metro Centre, Wednesbury, the company has its own police station manned by British Transport Police who provide 24-hour cover for the metro system. Also located at the Metro Centre is a call centre, which monitors the Identicom units from its own control room using Bold’s Identicom monitoring software.

If a worker feels threatened they discreetly push an alarm button, which sends a call for help to a monitoring centre. Any exchange between the worker and an assailant is also recorded, providing valuable, admissible evidence if a case is brought to court.

“Technology can never entirely eradicate risk, but Identicom provides peace of mind for our staff who use it to supplement good lone work practices”, concluded Mark Ashmore.

Related topics:  Lone worker protection   Monitoring systems   Physical protection   Safety and protection systems 

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