When help is available at just the press of a button, many employees feel safer carrying a personal alarm

Personal panic alarms are not just a main stay of high-profile politicians and single women, but there are now reports of more and more being snapped up by private companies for employees.

In recent years, thousands of the pocket alarms have been snapped up by delivery workers and technicians who work alone late at night and are looking for extra security.

Kristian Durhuus, head of the 4GS security company told Avisen.dk news website that around 3,500 private sector employees have purchased alarms from his company and he estimates that there are up to 7,000 people carrying them nationwide.

‘Companies are experiencing an increase in danger to their employees who drive around on the job at vulnerable times of the day. That’s why they buy safety alarms, and of course to also protect the expensive tools they’re transporting,’ he said.

Although the increase in alarm sales doesn’t mean an increase in crime because as Durhuus says they are not activated daily and are used more to create a feeling of safety.

Kasper Skov-Mikkelsen of the Danish Trade Organisation for Safety and Security confirmed the increase in employees carrying alarms, describing them as a ‘lifeline’ to those working at night.

According to Peter Sletskov, owner of a small security shop in Århus, many of his customers who bought the alarms are Polish and Romanian newspaper delivery workers who are out alone on their routes late at night and early in the morning.