Lone Working

Lone working is defined by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as people who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.

Who are the lone workers?

Anybody who works alone, including contractors, self-employed people, and employees, is classified as a lone worker.
A lone worker is ‘someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision’.
Lone workers face the same hazards at work as anyone else, but there is a greater risk of these hazards causing harm as they may not have anyone to help or support them if things go wrong.
There is no one to assist them.
A worker is considered to be working alone if the worker works by himself or herself at a work site in circumstances where assistance is not readily available when needed.

Delivery drivers
Health workers
Engineers
Lab workers who deal with hazardous material alone
Farm workers
Carers
Couriers
Taxi drivers
Bus drivers
Retail assistants
Support workers
Receptionists
People who work on the premises alone, such as in small workshops, kiosks, petrol stations, shops, and home-workers.
People who work separately from others, such as in factories, warehouses, some research and training establishments, leisure centers, or fairgrounds,.
People who work outside normal hours, such as cleaners, security, special production, maintenance, or repair staff,.
People who work away from their fixed base, such as on construction, plant installation, maintenance and cleaning work, electrical repairs, lift repairs, painting and decorating, or vehicle recovery,.

Assessing areas of risk, including violence, manual handling, the medical suitability of the individual to work alone and whether the workplace itself presents a risk to them;
Provide training,
Monitor and supervise them;
have systems in place to keep in touch with them and respond to any incident
taking steps to ensure potential risks are removed where possible,
putting in place control measures, for example, by carefully selecting work equipment to ensure the worker can perform what is required safely;
Provide instruction, training and supervision;
reviewing Lone working risk assessments periodically and updating them after any significant changes, such as new staff, processes or equipment;
Consulting with lone workers to identify any updates required in risks and any additional control measures required.
If a lone worker has a pre-existing mental health condition, Employer may need to make reasonable adjustments to their work or workplace, and this may require additional interventions, including those required by the Equality Act 2010.

Lone Workers have a duty to take care of their own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their actions at work
Lone workers must cooperate with employers and co-workers to help everyone meet their legal requirements.
If lone workers have specific queries or concerns relating to health and safety in their workplace, they should talk to their employer, manager, supervisor, or a health and safety representative.
Lone workers themselves make operational decisions based on risks that cannot necessarily be foreseen.
Lone workers must receive training on how to make that assessment;
Lone workers must consider the range of possible control measures and what action to take;
Lone workers must get support for their decisions

There is no legal requirement to conduct a specific, separate risk assessment for lone workers.

YES

Lone worker should agree how to keep in touch with lone workers through regular meetings,
provide other opportunities to share concerns;
include lone workers in social events and work or team updates;
ensure lone workers are included in any consultation on changes – they may have unique implications for them;
make sure lone workers are included in any training that is required.

The impact of violence on a lone worker can lead to work-related stress, which may have serious and long-term effects on their psychological, physical, and mental health.
The consequences of violence for lone workers can impact businesses in several ways, including staff turnover, low productivity, and damage to business reputation.

Lone workers working in locations where there is a known high risk of violence;
late evening or early morning work when there are fewer workers around;
when workers, such as security staff, hold positions of authority over customers or clients;
alcohol and drug use by clients or members of the public lone workers have contact with;
carrying money and/or valuable equipment.

Technology advances mean there is a wide range of systems and devices available to employers to monitor lone workers.
Any monitoring system needs to be embedded into an organisation so it is well understood by workers.
You must put clear procedures in place because effective means of communication are essential.
supervisors periodically visiting and observing people working alone;
pre-agreed intervals of regular contact between the lone worker and employer, using phones, radios, email, etc, bearing in mind the worker’s understanding of English;
other devices designed to raise the alarm in an emergency which can be operated manually or automatically;
implementing a robust system to ensure a lone worker has returned to their base or home once their work is completed.
regularly test technical solutions and all emergency procedures to ensure lone workers can be reached or contacted if a problem or emergency is identified.

References :

This article is written for educational purposes only . The information has been used from various internet sources for awareness purposes.