The coffee shop chain is trialling the cameras, which are reported to only turn on in specific circumstances, as a safety measure for team leaders.
We asked HR commentators about the pros and cons using technology to improve the safety of frontline workers.
“Technology can be effective in protecting the safety of employees in a number of ways,” Cate Walter, director of health and safety consultancy Rhino Safety, told HR magazine.
She said: “There is a wide variety of technology available to employers, and they should utilise whatever forms are most appropriate for their employees and workplace.”
In January 2024, the government announced it was trialling body-worn cameras to keep hospital workers safe at work, due to a 47% increase in physical assaults against hospital staff from 2022-2023.
Jo Frape, advice and practice application manager at the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, pointed to AI equipment as a tool that employers could implement to protect employees’ safety.
Frape described AI-driven wearable equipment as “a revolutionary tool” for workplace settings. “These intelligent wearables are active observers that continuously scan the workplace environment, providing a unique form of protection for workers,” she told HR magazine.
Read more: Violence against retail staff escalates
“Not only can [devices such as body-worn cameras] be a pre-emptive measure to protect workers, they are also used to keep clear records of any incidents.
“Having these in place can make workers feel safer, as just wearing these cameras can change the nature of the interaction between the worker and the member of the public/customer.”
Leaders of private healthcare provider NRS introduced personal safety devices to its workforce. The devices were supplied by the security technology firm PeopleSafe. The devices reportedly allow lone frontline workers, including mobile driver technicians and occupational therapists, to press a button and receive help within three seconds should they feel unsafe.
Before the devices were introduced, NRS employees had a low perception of their personal safety. The introduction of devices improved staff satisfaction by 35% in three months.
Simon Jones, head of health, safety and environment at private healthcare company NRS, explained that this measure benefitted employers and employees.
He told HR magazine: [The benefits of introducing the devices] for the company was assurance that lone worker risk is being effectively managed and legal duties to protect colleagues discharged.
“Colleagues also feel safer; this is confirmed via the recent staff satisfaction survey that 85% of colleagues report they feel safe at work – an increase from 50% in previous years.”
Read more: UK riots: How can HR support employees amid crisis?
The news that Pret A Manger is implementing body-worn cameras follows a rise in violence against frontline workers, particularly retail staff, as the British Retail Consortium revealed in February 2024 that the number of incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff increased by 50% in 2022-2023.
Meanwhile, recent UK riots that followed the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport have further escalated escalated violence and abuse towards retail and frontline workers, including police officers, in August.
Walter added that employers should complete risk assessments to decide what technology could most benefit employees.
She continued: “Recording devices such as CCTV or body-worn cameras may be useful in hospitality venues. In high-risk retail premises there may be panic alarms, automated door locking systems, or automated direct alarms to local emergency services.
“Employers should be guided by the risk assessment when choosing appropriate technologies to protect their employees.”
