Notes

Legal Requirements For Employers Regarding Lone Worker Safety
Every employer has a duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees. This includes ensuring lone workers are protected by carrying out a risk assessment.

These assessments should include training on lone worker procedures and prevention and response strategies to minimise the risks of injury, illness or death.
1. Duty of Care

When employers consider their duty of care, they must ensure that the health, safety and welfare of all employees is taken into account. This includes lone workers who have to work alone, and it is vital that employers take measures to protect these individuals from potential dangers and risks.

Lone worker safety is a major concern for many businesses, especially those who employ people who must work in isolated areas or who travel between different sites on a regular basis. This is because lone workers are at an increased risk of injury or illness due to their lack of access to fellow employees for assistance.

This means that employers must carry out a lone worker safety risk assessment, in order to determine the appropriate controls and arrangements for these employees. This will also include assessing whether the nature of the job could put employees in danger, and making sure that any hazards are either eliminated or controlled as far as possible.

This is in addition to any general health and safety requirements, such as requiring all staff to check-in on a regular basis if they are working alone (either by phone, text or two-way radio, for example), ensuring that back-up support is available for lone workers, and providing emergency procedures in case an employee becomes seriously injured or is killed while on the job.
2. Duty of Supervision

Every employer has a duty of care to their employees and this is no less important for those who work alone. Employers must think about all the risks that lone workers are exposed to and put procedures in place to protect them.

This can include having a lone working policy in place, defining roles and responsibilities, safety processes and procedures, checking-in methods, emergency response plans and health and safety resources. Developing these policies and communicating them to all lone working staff will help to ensure they know what to do should an incident occur.

Supervisors can also support lone workers in their workplace by providing guidance and advice on health and safety matters. This may be in the form of regular site visits combined with safety meetings in which health and safety issues can be discussed and a risk assessment carried out.

While lone workers cannot be constantly monitored, the health and safety regulations require that supervisors ensure that the appropriate safety precautions are taken by staff when they work alone. This may be through conducting risk assessments and providing lone worker solutions to enable communication, check-ins, emergency alarms, and location tracking. Lone worker protection should be seen as an essential part of any business and all organizations should consider the legal requirements, best practices and pitfalls of this type of work.
3. Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)

It’s important for all employees to be aware of their rights and what the laws state regarding health & safety. panic button But it’s particularly important for those who work alone to be informed of the specific risks and hazards they face, as well as how these can be mitigated by their employer. This includes those who work in the hospitality and hotel industry, as well as those working alone in industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and utilities.

As an employer, you must carry out a risk assessment for any worker who is exposed to a significant risk when they are working alone. Identify the hazards, evaluate whether these are avoidable or not, and put in place appropriate controls to mitigate the risks based on your findings.

Once you have completed your lone worker risk assessment, you need to create a lone working policy outlining the specific rules and regulations that your staff must adhere to when they are working alone. It’s worth noting that not all environments will qualify as lone worker environments. Even if you have multiple people around, an employee can still be considered a lone worker if they are in a situation that cannot be observed by others, such as working inside a blasting booth or operating equipment in front of clients. As such, it is vital that your lone working policy clearly defines all situations in which employees are deemed to be at risk of injury or harm and what they should do to ensure they can call for help if necessary.
4. OSHA Standards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) oversees workplace safety and health standards for private employers. Employers must comply with these standards, which include conducting regular risk assessments. These assessments identify hazards and determine whether a risk can be eliminated, controlled or mitigated. They also ensure that employees are properly trained in safety-critical tasks and provided with personal protective equipment.

Employers must ensure lone workers have easy access to the workspace and are not restricted from exiting the area while carrying out their duties. It’s also recommended that a lone worker has a means to check in periodically and raise the alarm if they experience discomfort or feel unsafe at any point. This can be achieved by implementing a check-in system, which can either be manual or automated through technology such as a lone worker safety app.

Another important requirement is that lone working employees must have adequate training and support for their specific job. A lone worker policy that includes clearly defined roles and responsibilities, a description of the risks associated with the role and an outline of the procedures in place to deal with these should be developed.

Ultimately, safeguarding lone workers protects everyone. By implementing regular hazard assessments, creating clear procedures and supporting employee well-being, companies can demonstrate their responsibility to the health and safety of their employees while simultaneously reducing lost work time and costs associated with accidents and injuries.
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