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Introduction

The Health and Safety Executive, (HSE), defines lone workers as ‘those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.’ Such people tend to be those who are:

  • Working alone on site: for all or just some of the time, both regularly and/or permanently.
  • Working remote from their normal workplace: e.g., contractors, district nurses.
  • Homeworkers: persons working from home for an employer (unless in low-risk, office-type work).
  • Hybrid workers: combining home (or remote) working and attending an employer’s workplace according to a pattern that suits the needs of the business and the preferences or needs of the employee. Some of a hybrid worker’s time may be spent as a lone worker.

Another definition which applies to many workers is people who spend a large part of their working time in situations where there are no other workers or supervisors for them to interact with.

There is no set period of time which establishes someone as a lone worker. A person can be a lone worker for any period of time and working alone does not mean that the person is the only employee on the premises, for example, it may include a situation where an individual works at an isolated worksite within a large, well-populated office building. However, this would not usually apply when someone was working alone in a room, but colleagues were in a room nearby.

Increased process automation continues to reduce the number of labour-intensive tasks with the result that the number of people working alone is increasing. Additionally, increased mobility and the development of digital communication, encourages the development of single person operations. Increasingly flexible working also means that homeworking becomes an option for many more people. In fact, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to make flexible working the default position for all workers were announced in the King’s speech at the State Opening of Parliament in July 2024, with employers being required to accommodate this ‘as far as is reasonable’.

How vulnerable someone is as a lone worker depends on the situation and the nature of the work being carried out.

The advent of the Covid-19 pandemic resulted in enforced changes to working practices and this included work locations. Many employers and employees have retained modified working practices meaning that potentially more people are now classified as lone workers for all, or part, of their working week.

It is the duty of employers to maintain safe working arrangements under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and there is an obligation to conduct a risk assessment before introducing a policy of working alone. This risk assessment identifies which tasks should not be carried out by a lone worker and what steps need to be taken to mitigate any risks a lone worker may face. There are some circumstances in which it is too dangerous for a person to work alone and the Government has recognised and legislated for these activities e.g., diving, vehicles carrying explosives, fumigation operations and some types of work in confined spaces. Employers must also accept that their own risk assessments may identify an unacceptable level of risk associated with persons working alone on particular tasks, in which case working alone should not be introduced.

In the 2022/23 TUC Safety Reps’ Survey working alone was cited as a ‘top-five’ workplace hazard by 15% of respondents, compared to 19% in 2021/22.

 

Legal Requirements

There are only very limited specific legal duties on employers in relation to lone working, however, the general duty of employers to maintain safe working arrangements under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 applies.

Employers’ Duties

If lone workers are employed, the employer has the same responsibilities for their health and safety as for any other employees. There may, however, be a need to take extra precautions to ensure that lone workers are at no greater risk than other employees.

Under Section 2(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, employers must supply adequate information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of all employees.

Employers are also responsible for the health and safety of others affected by work, such as visitors and members of the public.

Employers are under an obligation to provide:

Employers also have duties under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR) to report and record certain accidents, injuries and violent incidents should they occur. Reports made by the lone worker to their employer of accidents, damage or near-misses might indicate that the activities risk assessment may need to be reviewed, the outcome of which might be that the work is no longer deemed suitable for a lone worker.

Prosecutions

The failure to manage lone workers has an impact on the penalties in a health and safety prosecution.

In 2016, Hemel Hempstead-based Parker Hannifin Manufacturing Ltd was fined £1 million plus costs after a lone worker was crushed to death by falling machinery. The CNC milling machine had been lifted using jacks and placed on skates; the employee, working alone, was using an angle grinder to cut and remove fixings when the milling machine overturned, crushing him. The employer had not ensured that his employees had received proper training, had not assessed the risks and the work was not properly planned. This resulted in an unsafe system of work being used, with fatal consequences.

The employer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Trustees of a Borders Country Estate were fined £3k in 2007 following the death of a game keeper who sustained serious injuries when his quad bike overturned. His absence was not detected until 52 hours later when a search was initiated. He had no means of raising an alarm although there was a mobile phone this had been issued to the usual gamekeeper, who was on sick leave. The trustees admitted failing to provide a means of communication or carrying out a risk assessment for a lone worker to report in at the end of a shift. The accident happened in 2004 but sentencing was delayed due to the case being referred to the Court of Appeal.

In 2016, Rodgers Builders Limited (based in Earlston) was fined £30k when a worker carrying out drainage work was asphyxiated when a trench collapsed on him. The company admitted failing to ensure a safe system of work for the drainage excavations, failing to ensure that soils from the excavation were battered back and failing to ensure there was a clear communication policy with the employee in place while he was lone working.

In 2017, South West Water was fined £1.8m plus £41,608 costs for failing to ensure the safety of a lone worker who fell into a sand filtration tank at a facility in Falmouth docks. The worker carrying out a routine task whilst working alone had slipped and fell into a narrow opening and was left with no means of escape or ways to call for help. He was in the tank for four and a half hours before a colleague was sent to find him. The lone-worker call-in system which had automatically called after a period of inactivity sent an alarm message to a control centre in Exeter and registered a potential problem at just before 5 o’clock. There had been an earlier incident some years before when an employee lost their footing and fell into a tank and remained there for an hour before being rescued.

Electricity North West was fined £900,000 after an incident in 2017 that led to the death of an experienced electrical engineer. The engineer was performing routine maintenance activities and climbed his ladder to remove ivy from an area of line. The exact circumstances of his death were not witnessed, but the result of the accident was that he fell 6 metres to his death. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was critical about the company’s failure to implement effective lone worker protection systems.

Restrictions on Working Alone

Working alone is not against the law. However, employers are required to carefully consider how to deal with any health and safety risks for people that work alone. By carrying out a risk assessment, employers can determine the right level of supervision. There are some high risk activities where there is a legal requirement for at least one other person to be present. For example:

Consulting with Employees

The Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977 (as amended) and the Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996 (as amended) require employers to consult with employees and their representatives on health and safety matters. Plans to introduce or modify a policy on working alone should be discussed with employees and their representatives before being introduced.

Employees’ Duties

Employees are responsible for taking reasonable care of themselves and must also co-operate with their employers regarding health and safety issues. Where specific legal requirements apply, employers must ensure that adequate equipment, information, instruction, training and supervision are provided. Employees should use the equipment provided for their health and safety and comply with any information and instruction given to them.

Self-Employed Persons’ Duties

Self-employed persons must carry out their work so as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that they and others who may be affected are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. They must also provide persons, who may be affected, with information about their health and safety. The Deregulation Act 2015 amended the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW) to take self-employed workers outside the scope of the Act unless working in a “prescribed undertaking”. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (General Duties of Self-employed persons) (Prescribed undertakings) Regulations 2015 details what constitutes a prescribed undertaking, and this includes agriculture, work with asbestos, and construction work. If work is not on the list, but poses a risk to others, the self-employed are still bound by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

 

Information

What Is ‘Working Alone’ or ‘Lone Working’?

The HSE defines a lone worker as:

‘someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision’.

Another description for lone working that applies to many workers is ‘people who spend a large part of their working time in situations where there are no other workers or supervisors for them to interact with.’ This definition does not however usually apply to people working alone in a room, where there are colleagues working in a room nearby.

Who Works Alone?

These can be people working in fixed establishments such as:

  • Kiosks, petrol stations, shops or small workshops.

Alternatively, lone workers can be:

  • People who are working from home.
  • People who work alone for long periods of time such as in a factory, fairground, warehouse or leisure centre.
  • People who work outside normal hours one their own such as security guards, cleaners and repair staff.

They can also be mobile workers who work remotely from a fixed base such as:

  • Construction, maintenance and repair personnel.
  • Agricultural and forestry workers.
  • People working in service industries such as postal workers, delivery drivers, estates agents etc.

Irrespective of the reason for working alone, steps must be taken to eliminate or reduce the risks to as low as reasonably practicable to ensure the protection of employees.

There is no time limit attached to working alone – it may be for the whole work period, or only for a few minutes.

Risk Management

To address any problems that may arise from lone working a risk assessment must be carried out and this is a legal requirement under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW). This process identifies the hazards that exist in the workplace and how likely it is that they will cause harm to employees and others.

The five-step risk-assessment process requires employers to:

  1. Identify the hazards.
  2. Assess the risks i.e. determine who may be harmed and how.
  3. Control the risks – either by their elimination or via appropriate precautions.
  4. Record the risk assessment findings and implement them.
  5. Review the risk assessment controls, as required, and update when necessary.

This process helps decide what prevention and control measures employers need to take to protect their employees from harm. The obligation on the employer is to ‘as far as is reasonably practicable’ eliminate or adequately control the risk. ‘Reasonably practicable’ allows the employer to find a balance between the cost and time of making a job safe and the likelihood of the job causing injury or illness. However, to discharge the duty, the employer has to be in a position to prove that to take any further action to reduce or eliminate the risk would be grossly disproportionate to the risk avoided.

Where a risk assessment shows that the hazards cannot be effectively controlled, then the work should not be carried out by a lone worker. If a review of a current lone working task also shows that the risk is not adequately managed, then this task should cease to be a lone working task. Investigations of accidents, near-misses and dangerous occurrences may also identify that lone working is inappropriate and initiate a review of the working alone policy.

What Should the Risk Assessment Address?

Different types of work will present different hazards, ranging from low to high risk, and each situation will require different levels of control measures.

Higher risks might include:

  • Access to and from the workplace – can a person working alone safely use the access equipment provided?
  • Entry into confined spaces, for example silos, deep inspection pits, drains or sewers.
  • Handling biological substances e.g. human waste.
  • Handling flammable substances, e.g. organic solvents.
  • Handling valuables item and money.
  • Lone occupation of rooms fitted with automatic gas fire protection systems.
  • Travelling alone late at night.
  • Working alone and directly with members of the public.
  • Visiting clients or customers at their premises where there is a risk of violence.
  • Work with high pressure systems e.g. steam boilers and pipelines.
  • Work with toxic substances e.g. cyanides, fumigants.
  • Working in high temperatures e.g. stripping/applying insulation in boiler rooms.
  • Working outdoors in extreme weather conditions.
  • Workers where their first language is not English who may not be able to communicate easily in an emergency.
  • Those with a medical condition/disability which may cause them to be more at risk.
  • Those who may be more vulnerable because of age, pregnancy or inexperience.

Activities which may present lower risks include:

  • Cleaning duties as part of a team.
  • Working alone out of hours in an office occupation.
  • Homeworking.
  • Static security work e.g. monitoring a CCTV system.

The risk assessment should contain:

  • Details of the risk(s) to the health and safety of the employer’s staff.
  • Any risk to others that may be affected by the work.
  • Identification of any preventative and protective measures that are needed (as far as reasonably practicable) to remove or adequately control the risk.
  • Evidence of a review of the assessment when it may no longer be valid.

In addition, it is important to remember that:

  • Although a written record of the risk assessment is only required if there are 5 or more employees, it is worth writing it down so that it is clear for everyone involved. The document can then be shown, if necessary to the enforcing authorities for health and safety.
  • Effective arrangements should be put in place for planning, organising, controlling monitoring and reviewing the preventative and protective measures arising from the risk assessment.
  • Any health surveillance measures identified by the risk assessment should be put in place.
  • Procedures to be followed in the event of an emergency should be established.
  • Health and safety training must be provided to employees.
  • The employer should consult with safety representatives about lone working.

The risk assessment should provide details of the arrangements required to ensure the lone worker is no more at risk than employees working together and that the work can be done safely by a lone worker.

Once the risks have been assessed, a safe system of work should be developed and, ideally, written down. This document is commonly referred to as a Lone Working Policy (LWP) and should contain as much relevant information as possible, both for the lone workers and their supervisors. The statement should build on the general company health and safety policy, and should reflect all potential types of lone working roles. The statement should contain details of:

  • Emergency procedures.
  • Name, address and workplace location.
  • Risks faced by each lone worker.
  • Suitable control measures.
  • Type of undertaking.

The policy should be updated, as necessary, and all lone workers and supervisors should be provided with a copy of the policy and trained/instructed on its content.

Dynamic Risk Assessments

Not all hazards relating to a role can be identified, especially if the role involves working in the community or in areas that the employer does not control. This means that the lone worker will need to carry out their own dynamic risk assessment when they are at the work location. This scenario will arise where the presence of a risk may not be known about in advance, such as a threat from animals or a hostile environment. The lone worker should be able to make the decision about whether it is safe for them to carry out the work, or not.

Hazards Encountered by Lone Workers

The hazards faced by lone workers are not unique to this category of worker, but their potential severity is increased by the absence of co-workers or supervisors to offer support in an emergency situation. Potential hazards include:

  • Violence and robbery.
  • Abusive customers.
  • Extreme weather.
  • Back injury due to heavy or awkward lifting.
  • Electric shock.
  • Smoke, gases and other inhalation hazards.
  • Falls.
  • Burns.
  • Chemical over-exposure.
  • Explosion.
  • Animal bites.
  • Biohazards.
  • Falling asleep at the wheel of a vehicle.
  • Traffic hazards.
  • Sudden illness.
  • Lack of immediate access to first-aid and emergency assistance.

Manual Handling

The risk assessment should have identified the lifting and handling tasks that cannot be carried out safely by a lone worker. This means a process will need to be put in place whereby the lone worker can request additional staff to assist with specific tasks.

Hazardous Chemicals and Substances

Some lone workers may be required to handle hazardous chemicals and substances and the risk assessment should take account of any special risks that may be faced by people working alone. Workers should be trained in the correct use of PPE and there should be a process for reporting any defects in the PPE. There should also be adequate first aid facilities available to treat minor injuries.

Fire

Lone workers are at risk if a fire should occur at the place where they are working as they may be less aware of the fire until they can see or smell it if there is no alarm in place. The risk of fire needs to be taken into account in the risk assessment.

Violence

When employees work alone, the potential for violence exists, and employers should have a policy to deal with such an eventuality. The HSE advises employers to work with their employees to develop a plan of action, and recommends the following steps:

  • Decide if a problem exists.
  • Record all incidents.
  • Classify all incidents.
  • Identify preventive measures.
  • Decide what to do.
  • Implement preventive measures.
  • Review/monitor the measures.

Women may be at a higher risk from violent attacks when working alone in certain occupations. However, although the perception is that women are at increased risk, accident statistics suggest that, overall, men are more likely to be assaulted than women.

Employers should ensure that all staff who work alone, and who have been identified as being at risk from violence, are trained in how to try and prevent and deal with such an attack. However, if the identified risk is significant, then lone working is unlikely to be appropriate.

Preferably, there should be regular contact by supervisors. Workers should be provided with any special equipment, as identified by the risk assessment. Examples of equipment include alarms, monitoring devices and mobile telephones. It may be necessary to provide transport, e.g. taxis, for those working at night to improve safety.

All lone workers should be aware of the relevant health and safety procedures, and should know what to do in the case of an emergency. In addition, procedures should be in place to avoid unnecessary risks. This information should be incorporated into the Lone Working Policy (LWP).

Examples of easy-to-implement measures that can be employed by a lone worker include:

  • Familiarise yourself with your employer’s lone working policy (LWP).
  • Ensure your employer holds up to date contact details for you, next of kin details and the correct vehicle information.
  • Provide family members with your employer’s out of hours contact information in case they have concerns about your whereabouts or safety.
  • Inform your employer if you have a health condition that could, potentially, make lone working unsafe.
  • Attend all necessary training applicable to your job role.
  • Ensure planned visits/appointments are risk assessed – this may involve the sharing of information with partner agencies.
  • Carry an alarm at all times, and keep it handy.
  • Wear your body-cam or other lone working device, if applicable.
  • Do not carry valuables unless necessary.
  • Ensure someone knows where you are.
  • Ensure you park in a well-lit place, preferably in a public place.
  • If you alter your plans, ensure someone is told.
  • Agree a code word which can be used during a telephone conversation with colleagues to indicate that all is not well.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust provides personal safety advice and is regarded as a field expert in lone working.

Working in Isolation and Remoteness

Many workers such as traffic wardens, ambulance workers, home care workers and district nurses work in remote and isolated areas. The risk assessment needs to consider:

  • Safe means of travel to and from the workplace.
  • Time taken to do the work and how frequently the employee should report in and what happens if they do not.
  • Access to toilets and welfare facilities.
  • Reporting and responding to emergencies.
  • How will emergency services reach the person in a remote area.

Homeworking

Please see the Barbour Guide Homeworking for specific information on this aspect of working alone.

Stress

Isolation for lone workers can cause problems. Arrangements should be made for workers to keep in touch and up to date via contact with supervisors/managers, HR personnel, safety representatives and colleagues. This could include seminars, training sessions, staff meetings and use of social media/the internet. Lone workers should also have the same training professional development as other employees.

Psychosocial hazards in the context of work is the term used to describe the impact of the work environment on a person’s mindset. Examples of psychosocial hazards include bullying, an unsupportive work environment and poor communication. Lone working and remote working are also seen as psychosocial hazards as they can have a detrimental impact on a person’s wellbeing and mental health. Psychosocial hazards can usually be prevented by a positive and inclusive organisational culture, secure employment, job role clarity, good communication, a manageable workload and appropriate co-worker and management support.

Working on Another Employer’s Premises

A worker’s own employer’s risk assessment should identify the risk of the work and any special risk arising from being in the workplace alone. The risk assessment should also identify whether any aspect of the work could be hazardous to the health and safety of any other employees.

There is a legal requirement for employers to cooperate and coordinate their health and safety arrangements for work activities that interact. This can sometimes be made clear in contract as to who is responsible for what. This should cover the provision and use of work equipment, PPE, training and first aid provision, fire and emergency procedures, reporting of incidents and a person to contact. Visiting staff members should be informed of the health and safety policy of the employer’s premises at which they are assigned to work.

Driving

Some lone workers spend many hours driving as part of their work activity. This risks fatigue, long hours and the possibility of breaking down in an isolated area. The frequency of rest breaks and contact in an emergency should be clearly communicated.

Please see the Barbour Guide on Driving at Work.

Supervision and Reporting Arrangements for Lone Workers

Alternative and or additional arrangements for supervision should be made as there needs to be an effective way of monitoring lone workers to ensure that they remain safe and feel supported in their roles. This level and means of supervision should be identified in the risk assessment. Where work is away from a main base – there should be a process for determining details of the lone worker’s plans for the day – including scheduled start and finish times, projected itinerary, plus contact names, addresses and telephone numbers. There should also be a system for the lone worker to raise an alarm if an emergency does occur.

Safe Working Methods

In the first instance consideration should be given to working in pairs. If this is not appropriate then, to ensure lone workers are protected, safe working procedures should be designed, implemented and monitored.

Regular checks should be made on those working alone and this may involve regular visits by a supervisor, another employer or other designated person. Alternatively, a system whereby workers are required to check in at regular intervals, or are provided with automatic lone working communication devices that prompt the worker and raise an alarm where there is no response, should be implemented. Where personal or automatic checks are used, the duration between these checks should be based on the estimated hazard of the job. Periodic telephone contact may be adequate for low-risk working alone situations. Whatever system is adopted, it must be possible for the worker and their manager/colleagues to contact each other at certain points throughout the working period.

Buddy Systems

The ‘buddy system’ is a way of staying in contact with someone who is working alone. The buddy is someone that the lone worker can contact at any time during their working period but can also be an automated system that lone workers us to check in and out of their activities.

It is the employer’s responsibility to decide the level of supervision that the lone worker requires and not that of the lone worker.

A lone working buddy should:

  • Be someone who understands the nature of the lone work being undertaken and the associated risks.
  • Have contact details for the lone worker including next of kin.
  • Possess details of any vehicle that the lone worker may be using.
  • Know the lone worker’s movements during their working time including when their rest breaks will be.
  • Instigate the agreed escalation process if the lone worker does not get in touch at agreed intervals.

Buddies operate together as a single unit so that they are able to monitor and help each other. The benefit of having a buddy is increased safety through having someone who can contacted in the workplace; each may be able to prevent the other becoming a casualty or rescue the other in a crisis.

This system is required when, for example, workers enter confined spaces, and is in addition to adequate rescue arrangements being provided. Confined spaces are areas that have restricted access or egress, and where a danger of accumulation of hazardous gases, vapours, mists or lack of oxygen exists. Other circumstances where a buddy system might be appropriate include: law enforcement; cash collection and security work; and dealing with unpredictable clients in health and social care settings.

Personal Alarms, Mobile Phones, Pagers and Apps

Personal alarms are designed to summon help, but they are not a replacement for a well-planned safe system of work. They are just part of the solution. If a lone worker is immobilised or faced with an attacker, they may not be able to gain assistance from anyone nearby. They may also be out of sight e.g. working behind closed doors or in a remote location.

A panic alarm allows a lone worker to send an alert to their employer or an emergency response centre to indicate that they need assistance. There are fixed panic alarms such as those in places where people handle money or high value goods and portable devices that are carried by the lone worker. There are also lone worker apps and devices which can be carried or worn around a neck or clipped to clothing. Critically, if some form of mobile panic alarm is to be used and this relies on mobile phone coverage, then consideration must be given as to what would happen if the lone worker was in a remote location without network coverage.

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has produced Guidance on the Use of a Lone Worker Device or App.

 

Key Actions

Employers have a responsibility to ensure that the hazards of working alone have been properly considered and that implementing a policy of lone working does not put employees at undue risk.

The practical actions that need to be managed in relation to working alone can be summarised as follows:

  • Conduct risk assessments for those activities that involve lone working, both on and off site.
  • Design and implement policies and procedures to protect those who work alone.

In practice this means:

  • Consulting with employees and/or their representatives about any planned policy on working alone, or changes to an existing policy.
  • Compiling and maintaining a database of locations/persons that should never be visited at any time by just one worker. This information must be communicated to all employees, contractors and sub-contractors.
  • Providing suitable and sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision for lone workers on health and safety matters. The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) explains in its Lone Working Guidance that after training a lone worker should be able to answer ‘yes’ to every question in its lone worker employee checklist i.e.:
  1. Have I received the appropriate training (e.g. conflict resolution training, emergency procedures, clarity on my employer’s Lone Working Policy (LWP), and correct use of equipment provided – including any Lone Worker App/Lone Worker Device (LWA/LWD)?
  2. Do I have the appropriate equipment?
  3. Have any new hazards been identified and reported?
  4. Have I worked with my employer to take action to reduce or eliminate any hazards?
  5. When working alone am I aware of my surroundings and any possible threats?
  6. Do I appreciate that I should leave a situation if I feel unsafe and back away from threatening situations? Am I conversant with my employer’s policy on this approach?
  7. Do I know my emergency escape routes?
  8. Do I report any incident as soon as possible to my line manager?
  9. Have I informed my employer of any changes to my personal details that are relevant to my lone working employment?
  • Issuing lone workers with all necessary communication measures (e.g. personal alarms, lone working monitoring devices, mobile phones, personal GPS) and ensuring that appropriate training is given in the use of such devices. The Suzy Lamplugh Trust offers advice on selecting an appropriate lone worker system/device. The BSIA has produced Guidance on the Use of a Lone Worker Device or App.
  • Maintaining accurate records of the location of lone workers (i.e., via a diary, white board or personal GPS).
  • Requiring lone workers to regularly report to their office base or to a co-worker – to include at the end of their working day.
  • Establishing a procedure to check on a lone worker who fails to report in.
  • Instructing staff that they must immediately leave any situation in which they feel uncomfortable or at risk and that such action has the support of management.
  • Providing lone workers with appropriate tailored skills training (e.g. aggression management, assertiveness and negotiation).
  • Requiring lone workers to report problems/incidents and ensuring the organisation takes appropriate action (i.e. review procedures and/or report to the Police).
  • Ascertaining the medical history/fitness of potential lone workers if their activities are likely to impose extra demands on their physical or mental stamina.
  • Establishing procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger i.e. when a lone worker has an accident or signals an emergency. Ideally, these procedures should be tested and validated before they are needed.
  • Deploying building security where appropriate in the case of out-of-hours working.
  • Ensuring the workplace is appropriate i.e.
    • Suitable and sufficient lighting, ventilation and heating.
    • All equipment is provided and is safe to use by lone workers.
    • Lifting operations can be performed safely by one person.
    • Means of access and egress are suitable.
    • Fire precautions are sufficient.
    • Mechanism exists for effectively communicating with supervisors and co-workers.
    • A check-in system exists.
  • Arranging for supervisors to periodically visit and observe people working alone and maintaining regular contact between the lone worker and their supervisor.
  • Documenting safe working methods.
  • Monitoring working procedures to ensure lone workers remain safe and are comfortable with the concept of lone working.
  • Ensuring that the working alone policy continues to reflect acceptable practice.

 

Key Terms

Buddy system: a procedure in which two people, the buddies, operate together as a single unit so that they are able to monitor and help each other. The main benefit of the system is improved safety; each person may be able to prevent the other becoming a casualty or rescue the other in a crisis.

Global Positioning System (GPS): a satellite-based navigation system that allows the user to determine their exact location at all times and in all weather conditions.

Homeworking: describes the arrangements where employees work at home on a regular basis rather than at the employer’s premises.

Hybrid working or blended working: a combination of home (or remote) working and attending an employer’s workplace according to a pattern that suits the needs of the business and the preferences or needs of the employee.

Lone worker: someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision except for low-risk office-based work at home.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): specialised clothing or equipment worn by employees for protection against health and safety hazards. Personal protective equipment is designed to protect many parts of the body, i.e. eyes, head, face, hands, feet, and ears.

Psychosocial hazard: Safe Work Australia defines a psychosocial hazard simply as anything that could cause psychological harm (e.g. harm someone’s mental health). Common psychosocial hazards at work include: job demands, low job control and poor support.

Working alone: working without close or direct supervision. The terms ‘lone worker’ and ‘working alone’ are interchangeable.

 

Related Documents and Further Information

British Safety Council:

British Security Industry Association:

British Standards Institute (BSI):

Health and Safety Executive (HSE):

The HSE has a dedicated page on its website that covers work-related violence as the issue relates to the lone workers.

Suzy Lamplugh Trust.

Health and Safety Authority (Ireland):

Trades Union Congress:

Unison:

 

 

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