Archived Blogs

Aviation communications require precision, both on the ground and in the air. It’s the single feature that coordinates each operation, orchestrating efficiency and safety for all concerned. Beyond pilot-to-tower communications, ground crews and emergency responders will know just how important clear communication is in their daily work. With so many moving parts to coordinate, communication is key to safety and ultimately shapes passenger experiences.

Members of the public often undervalue the importance of parking enforcement work, but as insiders know, it is crucial on several levels. After all, there are excellent reasons why parking rules exist and violations can affect others’ convenience, traffic circulation, disabled people’s rights, and public safety. It’s a task that is not without challenges. Parking enforcement workers (Civil Enforcement Officers or CEOs) encounter confrontational members of the public.

When considering what is the best body-worn camera, the context in which it will be used is a key consideration. What you are looking for are features that support your employees in the type of work they do. This may mean that certain features simply are not necessary, while others are extremely important. In this guide to the best body cameras on the market, I will examine some of the top body-worn cameras suitable for parking enforcement, security guards, retail staff, healthcare professionals, and firefighters.

Some workplaces are more hazardous than others, but few could be more challenging than the environments firefighters regularly encounter. The brave men and women of the UK Fire and Rescue Services not only face flames, smoke, toxic fumes, collapsing structures, and extreme temperatures, but must also respond rapidly to incidents, often in difficult locations, while ensuring public safety.

The oil and gas industry remains a key component of the UK economy and continues to play a major role in energy security. It is also an industry that directly supports tens of thousands of jobs. While the construction industry is regarded as the most dangerous from a health and safety perspective in terms of the number of reported injuries, many workers in the oil and gas industry face potential workplace hazards as a matter of routine.

The Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH) require companies that work with or store hazardous substances to implement stringent risk reduction strategies and formulate plans that will limit damage and avert major accidents if a dangerous situation arises. The legislation was enacted following serious accidents involving hazardous chemicals, such as the Flixborough disaster in 1974, when an explosion killed 28 people and injured 36 others.

Meet Louise, our Swansea-based Technical Support Engineer. When she’s not rescuing systems and solving technical puzzles, you’ll find her at gigs or mastering the fine art of quality time with her kids.

Just how loud is construction site noise? To put this in perspective, normal conversation registers around 60 decibels, while a lawnmower reaches about 90 decibels. But construction sites regularly exceed even these levels. For construction workers, prolonged exposure to noise levels of 85 dBA over eight hours can cause permanent hearing damage. Yet monitoring shows that common construction activities routinely surpass this threshold.

Every day, construction companies across the UK lose thousands of pounds to theft, vandalism, and liability claims losses that are entirely preventable with proper security measures. The Health and Safety Executive continues to report incidents involving unauthorised access to construction zones, highlighting the ongoing challenges the industry faces. So, what are the most effective ways to protect your site? Radiocoms Judith Eastham discusses what works in practice.

Occupational noise exposure remains a persistent risk factor that could lead to early hearing loss or permanent tinnitus, particularly where exposure is cumulative or peak-impact based. As a health and safety issue, the Control of Noise at Work Regulations (2005) seek to outline employers’ responsibilities when noise is a workplace hazard.

In this article, we talk to former Armed forces personnel who have made the transition to civilian employment with Radiocoms. It can be a difficult transition for those leaving the military to begin their first civilian career. Hear what they have to say about their journey.

Meet Dhisha Radiocoms Operations Administrator. Discover what a typical day looks like for her, from quality checks to ordering 17 meter masts, and see how’s she’s got weekending down to a fine art.

There are many misconceptions about the early days of two-way radio history. Over the decades, this technology has played a pivotal role in everything from coordinating military efforts to protecting lives in emergency situations. While the devices themselves have evolved significantly, the core need they fulfil – instant, reliable communication- remains unchanged. Here’s a closer look at the story behind one of the most impactful communication tools ever developed.

Every employer is responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. To this end, you must consider all possible dangers they may encounter. Then, you must identify and implement safety measures that should help protect your workers. This process of identifying and reducing or eliminating risk is known as health and safety risk assessment.

Working in the aviation industry means that employees are protected by the same regulations as other employees, with some additional industry-specific rules that require special attention. Our guide to aviation health and safety provides a broad outline of the regulations that apply, with a particular focus on ground-based staff and their health and safety needs. These are the people most airline passengers only see in passing, if at all, but they are the backbone of any aviation concern.

The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act of 1974 sets out the principles employers must follow to keep their workers safe. Fleshing out its framework, various sets of regulations specify how certain risks should be managed. This article summarises the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 key points and provides examples of some of the regulations that flow from it.

Richard Hattam, Body Worn Camera Specialist at Radiocoms Systems Ltd, explains how incident recordings can play a crucial role in raising workplace safety standards, supporting compliance, and helping organisations reduce accidents through evidence-based training and review.

Selecting the right two-way radio is all about understanding the specific environment in which it will be used. If you’re operating in areas that demand safety in explosive atmospheres or require the equipment to withstand harsh weather, water immersion, or dust, then these features are essential. However, in workplaces without these challenges, investing in such robust features may not be necessary. Rather than suggesting a one-size-fits-all solution, our goal is to assist you in navigating the various scenarios to find the ideal two-way radios in the UK that meet your unique needs.

It’s temporary or permanent damage to the tiny hairs in our inner ears that are meant to pick up sound vibrations and relay them to the brain for interpretation. The louder the sound, the more the damage – but prolonged exposure to noise levels most of us are familiar with can also cause permanent hearing loss.

Meet Gurdip, Radiocoms Logistics Manager. Discover what a typical day looks like for him, from team and stock coordination to how he spends his time when he isn’t analysing stock numbers

Retail crime is a growing concern in the UK. From shoplifting and robbery to verbal or physical attacks on personnel, retailers are prioritising crime prevention. Apart from curbing financial losses, protecting staff and customers from harm presents a challenge. This article examines the extent of the problem and outlines the role of body-worn cameras in retail security.

Unfortunately, not all your customers, and possibly not all your employees, are one hundred percent honest. According to the Centre for Retail Research shoplifting accounts for over 34 percent of shrinkage in retail, while staff theft contributes around 20 percent. In the challenging landscape of UK retail, where profit margins are often tight, one of your top priorities is to prevent losses to safeguard the business’s success.

Retail environments are open to the public, and while most visitors are welcome, not every customer is desirable. Vigilance is key. While retail CCTV systems provide a foundational level of security, body-worn cameras offer the added benefits of close-up impressions and clear audio recording. These features can be instrumental in addressing common retail challenges, such as shoplifting and dealing with abusive customers.

Communicating effectively in an emergency is vital. The person raising the alarm, the person coordinating the response, and the teams that are dispatched to the scene must achieve a clear understanding of the situation. Next, they must coordinate their actions to achieve the most effective emergency response possible. For people working under extreme stress, this can be difficult, especially if dealing with emergencies isn’t part of their daily routine.

Every field has its own terminology and acronyms that professionals use with casual ease, often forgetting that lay people might not know what they’re talking about. It’s a matter of convenience rather than an attempt to exclude anyone. After all, a single term can sum up concepts that would otherwise take many more words to explain. Use our glossary of radio terms to get acquainted with the world of two-way radios. You’ll uncover a few interesting technical details along the way.

Firefighters’ communication skills and equipment are extremely important elements of their work. Their task is to keep everyone as safe as possible in potentially life-threatening situations. Fires can be unpredictable, with situations that change by the second. In a Fire and Rescue survey by Motorola Solutions, 43% of the survey respondents felt that they don’t consistently receive operational information in a clear, concise, and timely manner from their fire control centre.

Two-way radios have been around since the 1940s, when they were primarily used by the military and police. But that doesn’t mean two-way radios haven’t kept pace with the latest technology. The term “digital age” may have become something of a cliche, but it’s a genuine reflection of a technological development that has had a profound effect on the way things work. Two-way radios are no exception to the rule.

Although every responsible business works to eliminate risk, there are some industries where dangers are ever-present. Workplaces in which explosive atmospheres occur are among the most challenging of these. They include the oil and gas industry, certain chemical industries, and even the food and beverage industry. Hazardous area classification indicates workplace areas where there’s a risk of explosion from flammable gases, vapours, or dust.

As an employer, you’re committed to keeping your people as safe as possible during their working hours. Nothing is 100 percent foolproof and unexpected accidents can still happen. But, you can go the extra mile to keep the odds low, and you can prepare for emergencies so that, if the worst were to happen, responses are as quick and effective as possible. Of course, maintaining a safe working environment is a legal obligation, so we’ll look at what the law says since it offers a great framework for addressing workplace risks.

Push to talk over cellular (PoC) allows you to use your mobile phone or tablet as if it were a two-way radio. Alternatively, a PoC radio, tablet, or body camera uses cellular networks to transmit messages. You don’t need to dial a number to get in touch. Just push the button and talk to your colleagues instantly. Wondering whether a PoC-enabled device is right for your teams? In this article, we’ll unpack how they work, what they do, and the workplace scenarios in which they’ll prove most useful.

DSEAR regulations require employers and self-employed contractors to identify risks presented by explosive or flammable substances in the workplace. They must take steps to safeguard workers against the hazards they present. Compliance with Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations is a legal requirement. This article summarises the regulations but if they apply to you, it would be advisable to review them in detail.

A person who works in a location where colleagues aren’t on hand to assist them or raise the alarm when they are injured, ill or in immediate danger faces elevated risk. As a responsible employer you know that it’s your moral and legal duty to take every possible precaution to protect the health and safety of your employees. Technology can help. Lone worker safety devices can mitigate workplace risks, whether it’s by improving communication, keeping tabs on employee locations, or sounding alarms.

The Health and Safety at Work Act of 1974 requires employers to provide a safe workplace. Employers’ responsibilities under health and safety law include providing training and equipment to ensure that employees can work safely. In addition, employers must provide adequate facilities for employees, and must ensure that the working environment is as safe as possible. And, because the unexpected can occur, supervision of workers is important too.

Lone working indicates an elevated risk to your employees. When you’re at work, it’s great knowing that someone has your back. But not all workers are accompanied by colleagues during their workday. The lone worker definition is broad, spanning every type of worker who might find themselves in a situation where no colleagues are nearby.

While it’s logical that the future will involve an increased amount of body worn cameras being deployed as incidents increase in number and severity, the core issue they address are supporting both safety protocols and the mental and physical well-being of your firefighters.

Two-way radios are ideal when you need to coordinate activities across teams in environments where rapid-fire communication and responses are essential. They’re tough, durable and can handle the demands of just about any workplace. With everyone on a channel being able to hear messages, there will be little or no need for repetition when requiring people or teams to perform tasks or assist each other.

Your retail store is open, and members of the public come streaming through your doors every day. Most of them are as honest, kind and as courteous as you are. But there are people who will steal, and there are individuals who will abuse your employees verbally or even physically. It’s a growing problem. The facts and figures are in, and they show that retail employees are experiencing a rise in abuse and violence in the workplace.

With disruption lurking around every corner, every business must prioritise resilience and risk management. Consider the costly risks that escalate when technical failures, human errors, or security breaches happen. Find out how a trunked radio system can make good business sense.

Intrinsically safe two-way radios aren’t needed in all environments. But in certain environments, intrinsically safe equipment is essential. Apart from two-way radios, intrinsically safe equipment includes specialised mobile phones, flashlights and headlamps, cameras, tablets and computers, handheld gas detectors and more. In this article, we’ll focus on intrinsically safe two-way radios, but the general characteristics that contribute to intrinsic safety apply across all types of equipment.

When choosing body cameras or two way radios, the environment in which they will work is an important factor. Some devices must be able to handle all the rough and tumble of outdoor environments, while others won’t ever have to be deployed in challenging conditions. This brings us to IP ratings and what they mean in this context.

For the average worker, the right to be protected against verbal or physical violence at work is a basic expectation. For nurses, doctors, and even receptionists working in healthcare, however, facing abuse and danger at work is increasingly the rule rather than the exception. The conclusion that healthcare staff have become increasingly unsafe in the workplace is an unavoidable one, and many healthcare providers, both in the UK and around the world, are hoping that body worn cameras can help.

There are several contexts in which the term “duty of care” may be used. For example, road users must exercise their duty of care to ensure that their actions don’t harm others. However, in this article, we’ll consider employers’ duty of care. What it means in practice depends on the nature of the work your business and its employees do, but no business is exempt from taking it into account.

In this article, we’ll look at the circumstances in which security guards may record footage using body worn cameras and how their employers can ensure compliance with regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK.

As an employer, it’s your duty to keep all your employees as safe as possible at work even when they are working alone or off-site. To do this, you need to do some very serious thinking which is captured in the form of a lone worker risk assessment. In this article, we’ll discuss how employers should go about risk assessments for lone workers as the first step towards keeping them as safe as possible during their workdays.

You want to create a healthy, safe workplace for all your employees, and to do so, you’re required to develop a set of policies and procedures. But what is a lone worker policy, what should it cover, and how often should you revise it? Our introduction to lone worker policies answers these questions and more.

Lone workers are people who work on their own without “close or direct supervision.” This means that they are exposed to a higher level of risk, and the UK’s lone working legislation provides guidelines on employers’ responsibilities towards lone workers.

A body-worn camera is a compact wearable device that captures and transmits both sound and video information. This means that when the footage it captures is viewed, whether in real time or after the situation, there is strong evidence showing what occurred. In some environments, body-worn cameras can be integrated with CCTV and two way radios to trigger an emergency recording. The purpose of body-worn cameras varies slightly from sector to sector, so we’ll examine some examples to demonstrate its uses.

Lone workers are people who cannot be seen or heard by colleagues or supervisors. While they work, there is no direct supervision. In addition to injuries or illness, lone workers can also fall victim to violence. It is estimated that there are between 123 and 205 assaults every day on lone workers. Lone worker safety is of concern, because nobody else is present to help them and other people are not aware of any crises they may encounter.

In this brief guide to construction site safety, we provide a broad outline of the basic principles of construction site safety and the important role that communication plays in it.

Body-worn cameras are gaining popularity across sectors like healthcare and security, offering audio and video recording to enhance safety. Yet, they pose privacy issues, prompting the UK to implement data protection rules. We’ll examine these restrictions and their impact on users in this blog.

Before purchasing body worn cameras, you should recognise who this technology is going to impact your employees and your organisations. Here are some pros and cons of body worn cameras.

An OFCOM two way radio licence is required to operate two-way radios in the UK. We discuss in this blog post all the frequently asked questions surrounding applications and management of your Ofcom two way radio licence.

What is the purpose of two way radio? Do all two way radios work together? Delve into our most frequently asked questions to find out if two-way radios are the device for your team to communicate.

Body worn cameras can provide valuable intelligence to assess risk before an incident occurs and are particularly useful in high-risk situations where there is a strong likelihood of attack or altercation. Here are five reasons to consider deploying them.

Wearing a body worn camera can provide protection from false accusations, help to improve public safety, and can be used to build community trust and confidence. Here are our most frequently asked questions.