Lone worker protection travels abroad

Emergency response specialist Skyguard has launched what is claimed to be the first-ever personal emergency service for British travellers and lone workers abroad. Skyguard International gives travellers the power to summon help at the press of a button if they find themselves in trouble overseas.

Initially the service is live across 34 European countries, the Russian Federation and South Africa.

Travellers can activate the emergency Skyguard International service using a key-fob sized device called MySOS. The MySOS is the smallest GPS alarm of its kind in the UK, and can be discreetly attached to keys, a belt or worn on a lanyard.

Skyguard's service also runs as an app on a BlackBerry, with the handset's convenience side key acting as the alarm button.

Alarms containing the user's location and identity go directly to Skyguard's Incident Management Centre in the UK, where trained controllers can listen in, talk if it's safe to do so and co-ordinate a timely response by summoning the national emergency services of the country in question, and contacting the victim's relatives or employers.