In 2024/25, 124 workers were killed in work-related accidents, reported the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Some 680,000 sustained an injury at work, according to the Labour Force Survey.
Protecting its workforce is an employer’s most important duty. In fact, it is a legal duty of care. Here, we look at the role of lockdown alert systems in workplace safety and the key features such a system must have. Plus, how could an app help you boost security?
All workplaces need an emergency plan
Factories are not subject to Martyn’s Law (the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025) as they are not publicly accessible venues. However, they do still need an emergency plan to keep workers safe in the event of an incident or accident.
According to the HSE, the plan must cover areas including essential actions, nominating a competent person to take control, and specifying a safe place.
There are many reasons a factory may need to go into lockdown
Often, we associate lockdowns with terrorist incidents like bombings or stabbings. But they can also be needed in other circumstances, particularly in high-risk and dangerous working environments like manufacturing facilities.
A factory lockdown could, for example, be instigated because of a spillage of chemicals or other hazardous materials. There could be a structural problem with the building, meaning managers may need to close one section if it is unsafe to work in. Or there could have been an industrial accident, requiring emergency services’ attendance and subsequent investigations into its cause. You may need to react to and deal with a flood, fire or explosion.
How are you going to raise the alarm?
Deciding how to raise the alarm is also a vital part of the emergency plan. Factories are noisy, busy places where workers are focusing on their tasks and may not be looking around them. When looking for an alert system, make sure you choose one that can deal with and adapt to these conditions. That’s where a multi-functional alert system comes in. It must be able to cope with the demanding environment, raising the alarm both audibly and visually.
Specialised lockdown alert systems ensure safety and continuity...
Going into lockdown doesn’t always have to mean stopping all work, barricading the doors and waiting for help. In some cases, work may continue inside the factory while the doors are locked against an external threat. Or specific areas may be closed off internally to keep an incident contained and managed safely. Having a system with customisable alerts will ensure that your team know how to react in every circumstance, boosting safety.
... and contribute to maintaining workflow
From a business point of view, disruption to a factory’s workflow can be costly. If work can continue, should there be an accident or emergency in one area of the facility, then you may be able to maintain some level of output.
Find out how to keep your workers and factory safe every day.
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What do you need to include in a lockdown plan?
Firstly, carry out a risk assessment to identify every single threat which may have an impact on your facility. Include a consultation with legal and safety teams, to make sure that you maintain and manage compliance with safety legislation. There will be specific rules to follow depending on the materials and machinery your factory uses. Your plan must cover procedures on how to secure the building or zone against internal and external threats. You must identify safe areas for people to move to, and protocols such as locking doors or windows. Appoint named team members who are authorised to initiate (and cancel) the alert and implement the plan. There must always be someone who can do this, during both day and night shifts, all year round.
You must create a clear way of raising the alarm. This should not be the same as your shift start-and-end bells, or the fire alarm. It needs to be distinct and instantly recognisable so that staff know that they are going into lockdown, not to lunch.
And finally – you must make sure all staff are fully trained in the lockdown procedures and test them regularly. It may be a great plan on paper, but it is of no use if no-one understands it, remembers it or can carry it out.
Your lockdown plan could look like this: six areas to cover
Of course, a lockdown plan must be tailored to your factory’s needs. One size does not fit all; plans will differ depending on the factory’s size, number of staff, location and what it produces. For that reason, it’s difficult to provide a definitive template.
However, a plan would typically comprise the following areas:
- A risk assessment to identify and understand the types of threat and hazard present in your facility
- Definition of roles and responsibilities – who is responsible for each task in an emergency? Who is the back-up if this person is on holiday or ill? If possible, name individuals for maximum clarity
- Protocols and procedures to follow in an emergency, including securing the area, activating and cancelling the alert/s, calling for emergency services
- Confirmation of assembly areas – where will people gather or evacuate to, depending on the nature of the lockdown?
- Processes for communication, training and drills to ensure that all staff know what to do. Remember you may have visitors to the factory at the time who will not know the procedure; ensure they are considered in the plan
- Steps for refining and improving the plan after an incident or a drill, so that it continues to meet your needs
Lockdown alert bell systems must have these three key functions
Lockdown alert systems help keep your people safe in an emergency. These audio/audio-visual communication solutions warn of impending or ongoing threats in businesses, offices, schools, sporting or entertainment venues.
To be effective, a factory lockdown alert system must do three things:
- Transmit alerts instantly and simultaneously across your site or sites
- Instil confidence during an emergency by allowing you to pre-record customised messages that can be activated at the press of a button
- Generate inclusive and effective communication, by using text and light to reach anyone with hearing or visual impairments
Boost safety by keeping an alert system in the palm of your hand
Nowadays, apps are part of our lives whether we like it or not. There’s an app for everything from parking your car to buying a cup of coffee. A lockdown alert app is arguably more helpful, however, as it could save lives. You’re unlikely to be right next to the alert button when trouble strikes but it's much more likely that you’ll have your phone on you.
Manage any crisis more effectively with digital support
Our bespoke app, Bodet Alert, helps you manage alerts and crisis situations decisively. This comprehensive safety solution puts you in control when it matters most. It allows you to avoid potentially dangerous delays in responding and get help to the right place using the app’s geolocation feature.
Bodet Alert gives users immediate access to the emergency plan, as it is stored in the app. So, no matter who activates the alert or where they are at the time, they will know what to do.
Six reasons to use Bodet Alert
- Deliver enhanced communication – send alerts instantly to a PC, mobile device, digital signage or audio system. Get rapid updates with the two-way communication feature
- Get help to the right place – immediately and accurately identify the location of the problem using geolocation. The app automatically records the incident for future reporting
- Enable a rapid response – use pre-set messages that can be activated instantly, to avoid panic or confusion over what to broadcast in the heat of the moment
- Reach the right people – target the alert to the affected building, site, department or team
- Comply with regulations – centralised reporting and post-incident analysis ensure you meet your legal safety obligations
- Know your people are protected – activating alerts with one click is a simple, quick and reliable system
Why do speed and clarity matter in an emergency?
In any emergency, the difference between control and crisis can come down to seconds. In a factory environment, where hazards can be complex and situations fast-moving, there is little room for hesitation. Delays in communication, unclear instructions or reliance on outdated, ineffective systems can quickly lead to confusion. This puts everyone at unnecessary risk.
A lockdown alert system gives you immediate, clear communication. Instead of relying on word of mouth or manual processes, you can trigger alerts instantly and deliver them across multiple channels at once. This ensures that every team member, no matter what their location or role, receives the same clear instruction at the same time.
In addition, it removes uncertainty for the leadership team. In high-pressure situations, having a predefined, easy-to-activate system allows managers and supervisors to act decisively rather than panicking and/or second-guessing the correct response.
Ultimately, investing in the best alert system is not solely about compliance with regulations or duty of care. It’s about confidence. Confidence that your team will know what to do, confidence that risks will be contained quickly, and confidence that your factory is prepared for any emergency.
Discover how to make your factory safer
The Bodet Alert app complements the Harmonys range, so you can integrate it seamlessly and use the app to trigger alerts remotely. Bodet Time’s Harmonys range is a versatile alert system that runs via your existing IT network using a Power Over Ethernet (POE) connection.
You can tailor Harmonys to suit your facility by combining its indoor and outdoor sounders, manually operated button boxes, remote triggering and other features.
Harmonys allows you to broadcast a range of bells and pre-recorded or live messages across your manufacturing site, or to specific zones. This zoning function is extremely useful, especially in a large facility, sending efficient and effective communication only where it is needed.
Some Harmonys sounders also feature strobe lighting and text displays. So, you will reach anyone with hearing impairments and ensure that the alert is transmitted across a noisy factory floor.
Find out how to keep your workers and factory safe every day. Call us on 01442 418800 or email enquiries@bodet-time.co.uk for a free, no-obligation quote
