2024 Vista CCTV Case Study with Layer One Installations Ltd and University Hospitals North Midlands
Executive Summary
When University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust conducted a thorough review of working practices in 2021, it became clear an overhaul was required of certain employee safety systems.
One priority was improvements to lone worker security and safety.
As a result, the IT department identified concerns about lone worker employee safety in the central core IT rooms containing servers (cold aisle containment facilities), along with an opportunity to drive regulatory compliance and operational efficiency within the unit.
And so, Layer One Installations – an existing contractor to the Hospital Trust – was asked to assess requirements and quote for installing a video surveillance solution that would improve lone worker operating practices in the IT department.
The overall objective of this exercise was aligned with the Hospital Trust’s commitment to employee safety, risk management, regulatory compliance, incidence response and operational excellence.
Following a thorough analysis of the project requirements and in consultation with Norbain, Layer One devised a video surveillance system deploying:
- 26 x Vista VIP Series 2.8mm Fixed Dome Cameras (NDAA compliant) with 2MP, IR up to 30m, triple streaming, vandal resistance & advanced analytics (Sku: 0910310)
- 1 x Vista VIP Series NVR, 32 channel 12MP with H.265 compression, HD, Power over Ethernet (Sku: 0910660)
- 19 x VIP Series Junction Boxes (0916500)
- 2 x Western Digital Hard Disk Drives WD101PURP with 10TB Pro HDD (0875560)
The Customer
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (the Trust) provides general acute hospital services for 1.1 million people in Staffordshire, South Cheshire, and Shropshire. Services for children and young people and a range of specialised services are also provided for 3 million people across a wider area incorporating neighbouring counties and North Wales.
The trust employs over 11,00 staff across Royal Stoke University Hospital & County Hospital.
Layer One Installations Ltd already provides Installations to the Trust. Therefore, the IT Department approached Layer One Installations to specify and implement a video surveillance solution. The new system’s mandate was to improve lone-worker operating conditions in the central core IT rooms containing critical servers and IT equipment across five different hospital sites.
The Challenge
The decision to install a lone worker CCTV system within the cold aisle containment storage facilities of the IT department stemmed from concerns related to employee safety, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.
If a lone worker needs to enter a cold aisle containment unit and there is an emergency or they are not following protocol, this may not be discovered for 12-14 hours until someone else comes on shift or that area happens to be entered.
Specific objectives included:
Employee Safety: Provide a safer working environment for employees who may be working alone in potentially hazardous situations or remote locations.
Risk Mitigation: Mitigate risks associated with lone working scenarios, such as accidents, injuries, or security incidents.
Compliance: The Trust must comply with specific regulations and standards regarding lone worker safety.
Incident Response: Implement an effective way to manage incidences involving lone workers – whether those were medical emergencies or security breaches.
Efficiency and Productivity: Increase efficiency and productivity, encouraging lone workers to adhere to safety protocols and focus on tasks in hand.
The Solution
The Hospital Trust informed Layer One Installations that they wished to use an NDAA-compliant solution.
Marc Jones and Layer One are existing customers of Norbain and had worked with the Vista Viper range in the past. Knowing it would offer a reliable, cost-effective option that’s straightforward to work with, Marc looked at Vista’s recently launched range of NDAA-compliant video surveillance solutions, the VIP Series of cameras and recorders.
Marc got in touch with his Account Manager at Norbain to assist him in identifying the products he needed to fulfill the hospital’s requirements.
He was able to arrange a meeting at Norbain’s Northern demo suite to be taken through how the VIP Series worked by our dedicated Vista Support Team. They also discussed IP configuration for larger networks and sent out some demo kits to ensure Marc was comfortable with the new range.
The VIP Series fixed dome cameras were chosen as the best fit across the five different installation locations because of their discreet design and to provide consistency in the solution. Vista’s VIP series 32 channel NVR was chosen because Marc and his team were familiar with Vista’s solutions, plus NDAA compliance.
The NVRs also have user-friendly Vista Vizion desktop software, customisable HD outputs, and ease of operation that is well suited to the requirements of an end user such as a hospital.
Once the installation was underway, it was very straightforward due to the good relationship Layer One had with the Trust. It was also beneficial that none of the areas into which they were installing surveillance equipment were patient-facing, allowing the team to complete the work in the data centres during standard hours.
Marc says of working with Norbain SD and the Vista brand:
“Vista is an expert brand. We knew from previous experience that we could rely on Vista to provide a cost-effective, quality solution that would reliably do the job. Norbain’s technical support and sales staff were more than helpful and very knowledgeable too”.
The Outcome
Through the implementation of the new video surveillance solution, the Trust’s IT Department has been able to meet its objectives.
Employee Safety: The CCTV system allows for real-time monitoring of lone workers, enabling quick response in emergency scenarios or accidents.
Risk Mitigation: The IT department can proactively identify and address potential safety hazards much more effectively through the ongoing monitoring of lone working behaviours in the central core rooms.
Compliance: Installing a CCTV system demonstrated the Trust's commitment to complying with lone worker regulations and ensuring the well-being of its employees.
Incident Response: The CCTV system acts as a tool for effective incident management. In the event of an emergency or security breach involving a lone worker, the video surveillance system provides vital video footage to aid subsequent investigations. It can also help identify incident origins as well as guiding the implementation of measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Efficiency and Productivity: Monitoring employees and the ability to capture video footage encourages lone workers to practice safety protocols as well as focus on carrying out tasks efficiently.
Bal Singh, Technical Architect at UHNM Trust told us:
“UHNM Trust has a long-standing relationship with Layer One Installations, they have carried out all major cabling installations for the Trust across all its hospital sites and office locations. We took guidance from Layer One in selecting the right CCTV products to meet our data centre surveillance requirements. The Trust had to ensure the hardware vendor of the CCTV equipment was from a reputable company based out of the EU which meets the Trust Cyber Security standards.
Layer One provided guidance on where to install and position the CCTV cameras. The installation was carried out in a very professional manner, Layer One ensured all drilling was fully contained from airborne particles and other contaminates which could impact the critical IT systems in the data centres”
About The Installer - Layer One Installations Ltd
Layer One Installations Ltd is a UK-based company specialising in the installation of structured cabling systems and related services. Founded in September 2019 and headquartered in Manchester with a nationwide operation, the company offers a wide range of services including structured cabling, fibre optics, CCTV systems, WIFI surveys, uninterruptible power supplies, intelligent security systems.
The company prides itself on high standards of installation and documentation. Their approach involves evaluating client requirements and proposing innovative solutions, then implementing these solutions to future-proof client security solutions and enhance business efficiency.