---

CWU Announce Agreement With Royal Mail Group To Provide Personal Attack Alarms

The Union’s National Health, Safety & Environment Office last week announced that following several meetings with Royal Mail Group CEO Simon Thompson and subsequently with Directors and Heads of appropriate RMG Depts; agreement has been reached for the Company to issue all postal staff with personal alarms.

In his letter to Branches (LTB422/21) Dave updated branches on a number of security and safety initiatives he has been discussing with Royal Mail. Since then, a second LTB on the subject today, said the following:

“Discussions with Royal Mail Group and ‘Dimensions’ the company’s work-wear suppliers have continued today and it has been agreed that the new Personal Attack Alarms (PAAs) will be made available on the Royal Mail Group website this week, (date to be confirmed) where members can pre-order the item. There will be a clear message on the portal advising the workforce that this is a ‘pre-order’ item and it will be dispatched to them as soon as the stock is received into the warehouse.”

Below is an excerpt from the original LTB which announced the agreement:

CWU HQ has continued to receive a heavy number of enquiries regarding the provision of ‘Personal Attack Alarms’ by Royal Mail Group over recent months and this is a progress report and update on the wider issue of personal safety discussions being undertaken.

The CWU HQ Health, Safety & Environment Department has been actively pursuing this matter for some time in fact but more so over the last year and a half during which time we have examined the statistics and nature of incidents of attacks on our members both on foot and in vehicles whilst on delivery and collection work.

There have been around 450 reported attacks of various nature on CWU Postal members in the last three years and around 60 van thefts and robberies in the last two years. There have also been four recent, serious attacks on employees.

As a result, we have been looking at a number of options to improve safety and security and the provision of personal attack alarms has been one of them.

I’m extremely pleased to report that agreement has been reached with Royal Mail to provide personal attack alarms. The type, design and specification has been concluded and the first order placed. Royal Mail has awarded a contract for the supply of personal attack alarms to ‘Dimensions’ the existing work-wear, uniform and PPE clothing equipment suppliers.

We have looked at the various types of personal attack alarms and the model provided will be of the type approved by the Police and Suzy Lamplugh Trust personal safety charity.

Personal Attack Alarms Guidance

In the past when looking at this issue I discussed the matter with the ‘Suzy Lamplugh Trust’ and their guidance.

The ‘Suzy Lamplugh Trust’ is a charity created in December 1986 by the parents of the 25-year-old estate agent Suzy Lamplugh. Suzy disappeared in July 1986. The Charity Trust offers personal safety training and advice to others, to help people be and feel safe. They stress that a personal attack alarm is only part of the solution.

We have suggested that RMG consider working with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and adopting the Charity’s guidance.

The full LTB goes into further details regarding safety measures that can be utilised by postal workers on the delivery rounds, and also about the Hollie Guard App being discussed with Royal Mail.

You can download the complete LTB via the E-Library here using search word ‘LTB422’.

Source: CWU / Dave Joyce

Designed, Hosted and Maintained by Union Safety Services