Moulton College becomes first land management & agricultural college to provide SafeZone protection to students & staff

CriticalArc’s SafeZone will transform first aid and emergency response, and provide mental health & wellbeing support for students as young as 16

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, May 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Moulton College, Northamptonshire has become the first land management and agricultural vocational college in the UK to adopt CriticalArc’s SafeZone safety solution, following the example of more than 50% of universities across the country that now use the technology.

In this first-of-its-kind application, at Moulton College SafeZone will enable rapid first aid and emergency assistance to be provided for students and staff working and studying remotely or in isolation, in agricultural, land management, and forestry roles.

“Moulton College is already a safe and welcoming environment for our learners, staff and stakeholders. However, with the implementation of SafeZone we are leading the sector, making it easy for anyone in our community to call for help at the touch of a button if they need support of any kind,” says Tanya Cocks, Health & Safety Manager at Moulton College. “If somebody calls for help, their precise location is flagged in our security office which means that we can ensure the most rapid and appropriate response. This not only reduces risks, it makes sure our people no longer feel alone, knowing that contact and support is only the touch of a button away.”

Moulton College operates a 1,000-acre campus, with 71 buildings including 380 residences, and a subsidiary campus 20 miles away – all now covered by SafeZone. It is home to 2,500 students, aged 16-plus, and 400 staff.

Compared to most universities, which are typically located in urban settings, Moulton College has to plan for unique and seasonal risks associated with farming and forestry work – from intensive all-night working in lambing season to the dangers posed by falling trees, flooding, and disruption during extreme weather events.

SafeZone allows individual users to ask for emergency help, using a phone app or a wearable alarm, and instantly shows the 24/7 monitoring team the location and identity of that individual, along with any pre-identified vulnerabilities, allowing immediate response.

In addition, SafeZone combines multiple functions within its unified emergency management platform, including emergency responder coordination, mass communications, and targeted communications, allowing messages to be directed at specific groups, for example, by location, or by role.

As well as streamlining response to emergency situations, the technology allows improved services for users day-to-day. For example, SafeZone makes it easier for users to access mental wellbeing support, without requiring them to navigate web portals and to report concerns about the welfare of friends and colleagues. Its ‘tip reporting’ function makes it easy for maintenance and site safety concerns, with photos, to be passed directly to the facilities team.

Other further education (FE) colleges, including institutions in the agricultural sector, are also in the process of introducing SafeZone as they focus more on the physical and mental wellbeing of students, confirms Darren Chalmers-Stevens, CriticalArc’s Chief Operating Officer.

“The adoption of SafeZone has been growing steadily for over a decade to the point where it is now helping to keep millions of university students and staff safe, wherever they are globally, 24/7. It’s good that we are now seeing the same protection being offered by further education colleges as well, where the student intake is typically younger. With young people facing more wellbeing challenges than ever before, SafeZone is helping to improve the support they get and helping FE institutions to meet their duty of care responsibilities.”

Sienna Kozin
CriticalArc
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