Remote solution gets 1,500 lone workers home safe

About South West Water

South West Water provides water and waste water services to around 1.8 million customers across Cornwall, Devon, the Isles of Scilly and parts of Dorset and Somerset.

Following Pennon Group plc's acquisition of Bristol Water and Sutton and East Surrey Water, the combined lone worker safety and gas detection solution was extended to these additional regions. This has helped improve safety across the wider group, supporting employees working in remote and high-risk environments and helping ensure they get home safely.

Its team delivers safe drinking water, manages waste water and helps protect the natural environment. Operations range from treatment and maintenance to infrastructure projects and innovation, often in remote or hazardous locations.

The challenge

South West Water wanted a more joined-up approach to lone worker safety and gas detection. Rather than managing several suppliers and systems, they were looking for a single partner to deliver a comprehensive, scalable safety service.

Previously, separate vendors provided lone worker protection and gas detection. This created a fragmented set-up, with different processes and limited visibility across risks. At the same time, the volume and complexity of alerts were increasing, making it harder to manage everything effectively with in-house resources alone.

A major contract re-tender in 2021 created an opportunity to rethink the approach.

Building on a 20-year relationship delivering mobile guarding and hazard reporting, we proposed a unified managed service that would bring lone worker protection and gas detection together, supported by our 24/7 Securitas Operations Centre (SOC).

Thanks to our long-standing relationship and detailed knowledge of South West Water's operations, we were able to design and implement the new solution at pace, without compromising on safety or service quality.

We designed and implemented a scalable service that integrates both safety needs.

We deployed a combined gas detector and lone worker device to 1,500 lone workers across more than 400 sites. This single device replaces multiple units and ensures that all emergency signals are routed through one reliable source: the Securitas Operations Centre, our 24/7 monitoring and response hub.

The technology and how it works

The device monitors key risk indicators. It can detect falls, periods of immobility and when a user has been lying down for a set time. It tracks missed check calls and extended inactivity, and it supports SOS distress calls and listen-in services so our officers can understand what is happening and respond appropriately.

It also detects dangerous gas levels, including H₂S (hydrogen sulphide), helping to protect workers from invisible hazards.

When an alert is triggered, our trained officers at the SOC review the information in real time. They can contact the worker, escalate to South West Water's management or dispatch emergency services as needed.

To complement the device, we rolled out a lone worker mobile app. This includes a silent SOS function, which is valuable in hostile or unpredictable environments where a worker may not be able to make a visible call for help.

Since implementation, the system has been activated in a range of real situations, from medical issues to hazardous gas detections. Alerts have been managed quickly and effectively through the SOC, helping to protect colleagues and prevent incidents from escalating.

The device is connected to a central reporting system with live data and analytics, enabling Health and Safety to manage lone worker safety remotely. The system includes time weighted average reporting for gas exposure over time. As the device uses GPS, daily activity can be monitored and reviewed following an incident.

The device has a function called Alert Link. When a device goes into alert, it will alert nearby device users that their colleague may need help, another feature that enables time critical response.

Driving cultural change

Introducing new technology was only part of the story. A key focus was encouraging colleagues to use the devices consistently and to see them as support, not surveillance.

We worked with South West Water to deliver training at every hub. Sessions focused on practical use of the devices and app, and on embedding the company's Home Safe programme, the principle that every employee should return home safely at the end of every shift.

By involving employees early and listening to their feedback, we helped build trust in the system and reinforced a culture where safety is everyone's responsibility.