Lone working policy: what it is and why you need one

You want to create a healthy, safe workplace for all your employees, and to do so, you’re required to develop a set of policies and procedures. But what is a lone worker policy, what should it cover, and how often should you revise it? Our introduction to lone worker policies answers these questions and more.

What is a lone worker policy?

If your organisation employs people who must perform some or all of their duties in places where no colleagues are close by, it’s your duty as an employer to ensure that they’re as safe as possible. Your lone worker policy addresses the risks they might face, and how you plan to address or mitigate those risks. 

Why do you need a lone worker safety policy? 

Naturally, you want to do your utmost to keep all your workers safe, no matter where and how they go about their work. This takes careful planning on your part. The law also requires organisations to develop and implement policies to safeguard workers, and since people who work alone face unique risks, these must be addressed through your lone worker policies.  

Examples may include people who do specialised work in the construction industry, healthcare workers who visit patients at home, agricultural workers in isolated areas, security guards, work-from-home employees, and even office workers who are working after normal business hours.

What should a lone worker safety policy include?

Formulating a lone worker safety policy begins with a risk assessment that indicates the possible dangers workers face when working alone, remotely, or otherwise unsupervised. These could include:

• Accidents or health emergencies when nobody is nearby to report the issue or offer assistance. 
• Lack of basic facilities such as access to clean water, hygiene facilities, and shelter from the elements.
• Physical attacks or exposure to abuse: for example, people working alone may find themselves having to deal with abusive behaviour or even fall victim to violent criminal acts.

Your risk assessment should identify possible dangers and prescribe policies and procedures to follow in the furtherance of workplace safety. This should include ways in which lone workers can reach out for support when they find themselves in an unsafe situation. 

Typically, your lone worker safety policy will indicate:

• Remote communication channels, e.g. two way radios and smart devices.
• Automated check-ins which, if missed, would indicate a need for urgent investigation and action.
• Warning systems like panic buttons, automated distress signals, and no movement alarms.
• Worker training: for example, training workers on how to avoid or cope with hazardous situations, and additional measures such as the use of code words when faced with threats of violence.
• Assessment of personal protective equipment needs and directives on when and how it must be used. 
• The provision of first aid kits and first aid training. 
• Standard operating procedures that mitigate risk. As an example, working at heights on a construction site might include steps for the proper use of personal protective equipment.
• Basic safety and security procedures such as locking doors and setting alarms.
• A framework for reporting hazardous incidents and perceived risks along with strong policies to address reports and support at-risk workers.
• Counselling and disciplinary measures when the lone worker safety policy is not adhered to.

What laws directly affect lone working?

There’s no single law governing lone working. However, the conditions of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work Act apply regardless of where and how your workers are deployed. Underlining the importance of keeping employees safe, the 2007 Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act has relevance to your organisation’s duty of care towards employees – including those engaged in lone work. 

Gathering risk information to formulate a lone worker policy

You might be able to spot some of the top risks your employees face, and they may be able to fill in most of the gaps. Nevertheless, a trained risk assessment professional may uncover risks neither you nor your employees spotted. As a simple example, office managers and their subordinates may not be qualified to notice potentially dangerous hazards of working at heights. 

If you don’t have a trained risk assessment professional on your staff, appointing a consultant to help you with risk identification could make all the difference. That’s especially true when it comes to identifying risks that only apply to lone workers. Besides helping you to identify risks, a risk assessment expert will be able to offer recommendations to help you address risks. 

How to enforce a lone worker policy

Training is the key to effectively enforcing a lone worker policy. Employees must know what the policies are, why they exist, and how they affect the ways in which they work. Ensure that any obstacles to compliance are addressed, and require workers and their superiors to keep records. For example, if lone workers must contact supervisors periodically or use specific PPE, records should show that they are doing so. 

Failure to implement lone worker policies should be handled in the same way as any other breach of workplace policies and procedures. For example, counselling or disciplinary procedures can be implemented. 

How often should a lone working policy be updated?

Like other workplace health and safety policies, your lone worker policy should be reviewed annually. If there are incidents that shed new light on what lone workers must do to stay safe, new risks emerge, or your organisation plans to undertake new types of lone work, the review should take place even sooner. 

Tools to promote lone worker safety

Although your lone worker safety policy relies on people to make it work, there are technologies that can help to keep lone workers safe. Software can integrate with two-way radios, mobile phones and body cams helping lone workers to remain connected, supported and protected. 

At Radiocoms, you can access a curated suite of communications solutions that are tailored to meet your needs – including the need to take effective steps to protect lone workers. Our track record across industries including healthcare, education, construction, aviation, and oil and gas demonstrates our ability to help you rise to the challenge of lone worker safety. 

Revising your lone worker safety policy? Consult us to discover trusted solutions. From body cams to BBPTT devices, two way radios, software applications and more, we help you to support your lone workers effectively.