Minimising risks for lone workers

Posted on Friday 1 January 2010

Whether working as a cleaner outside normal hours or a shop worker who is the only person working on the premises, it is imperative for employers to make sure that lone workers are in just as safe an environment as other employees explains Rob Burgon.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, it is a legal requirement for organisations to ensure that people working alone have the appropriate arrangements in place to help them identify, avoid and control risks.

Not only that, as lone workers need to be in just as safe an environment as other staff, employers also have to think about and deal with any health and safety risks before workers are able to work alone as well as identifying whether the lone worker can adequately control the risks of the job.

What makes this so important? Well, there are many jobs that can require people to be left alone – factory workers, security staff, social workers or carers who have to visit people in their own homes to name but a few – and in many cases they can find themselves more at risk from violence and aggression.

This is where training comes in, as not only can it play an important part to control, guide and help in uncertain situations where there is limited supervision, for example, but can also help staff to cope when they are faced with unexpected circumstances, or if they find themselves in the midst of violence and aggression.

So, how can employers minimise the risks that lone workers might face? Well, first of all they can ensure that they undertake a risk assessment in order to identify any hazards and assess the risks arising from those hazards.

The risk assessment should identify issues such as whether any precautions need to be put in place for both normal work and for emergencies such as fire, equipment failure, sudden illness or accidents, for example, and should also look at whether there are any risks in the workplace as a whole.

The risk assessment process should identify the issues relevant to an individual’s circumstances.

One thing the law does require, is for employers to consider carefully, and then deal with, any health and safety risks for people working alone by putting measures in place to control the risks.

It is also important for employees to have systems in place so that they can stay in contact with staff – by radio, telephone, or mobile phone – as well as by taking the time to assess risk areas including violence, manual handling, safe entries and exits – especially if the workplace will be locked when people are working out of hours – and making sure that they do not have a medical condition that would make working alone unsuitable for them.

According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), other things employers should consider are:

Whether there is machinery involved in the work that one person cannot operate safely
Whether there are any chemicals or hazardous substances being used that may pose a particular risk to the lone worker?
Does the work involve lifting objects too large for one person?
Are there any reasons why the individual might be more vulnerable than others and be particularly at risk if they work alone – for example if they are young, pregnant, disabled or a trainee.

In saying that, it is often safe for people to work alone and it is not in itself against the law, but it is still important to bear in mind that establishing a healthy and safe environment can be different from organising the health and safety of other employees.

Workers also have responsibilities to take reasonable care of themselves and others affected by their work activities and to co-operate with their employers in meeting their legal obligations.

Rob Burgon is workplace safety manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).