Broadband network operator Openreach has announced plans to launch a personal safety app for its 27,000 UK employees following an increase in abuse and assault against its workforce.

The app, created by Peoplesafe, will provide an added layer of protection for Openreach's engineers and office-based staff, according to the company.

Openreach said that since April of last year, there have been around 700 incidents of either physical or verbal assaults and threats against its staff. The BT subsidiary also discussed the issue with DCD in November.

These incidents include engineers being spat at, pushed down stairs, threatened with dogs and knives, punched and kicked, and even barricaded into homes and vans. On top of this, Openreach said it has seen more racially motivated incidents.

Last year, the company trialed "panic alarms" in an effort to combat the attacks, prior to launching the app for its workforce.

The app features an SOS and fall alarm, which is able to connect directly to a 24/7 control center. There's also GPS tracking, instant two-way audio, and direct police dispatch, plus commute monitoring and critical event alerts.

“Nothing’s more important than the safety of our people and making sure everyone gets home each day safe and well. That’s why we’re constantly looking at ways to protect our people as they go about their work, whether that’s through training, PPE, specialist kit like climbing harnesses, or new technologies," said Adam Elsworth, safety director at Openreach.

“The Peoplesafe app gives our people an added layer of safety while on the job and particularly for many of our colleagues who work alone for long periods of the day. It also helps us to address an area we have less control: attacks by members of the public.”

The app will be installed on all devices carried by Openreach engineers and will be offered as an optional safety precaution for its office-based staff.

Openreach didn't confirm a date for when the service will go live.

The company is currently building out its full fiber network across the UK, and has so far passed more than 20 million. Openreach wants to hit 25 million by the end of the year.