Our lone working guide for employers

Lone working indicates an elevated risk to your employees. When you’re at work, it’s great knowing that someone has your back. But not all workers are accompanied by colleagues during their workday. 

The lone worker definition is broad, spanning every type of worker who might find themselves in a situation where no colleagues are nearby. The work-from-home employee; the office worker putting in some overtime after everyone has left the building; the healthcare worker making house calls; or the maintenance technician conducting a building inspection are just a few examples of this. 

The big concern is that if anything were to go amiss with lone workers, there is nobody to offer assistance or raise the alarm. Even without the laws governing lone work, a responsible employer would feel the need to provide protections for employees working on their own. 

In this guide, we’ll outline what that might look like, what you can do to keep lone workers safe and how you can help them be confident that help is at hand no matter where they may be. 

Lone worker safety: an overview 

Everybody should have the right to be kept as safe as possible in a healthy workplace. But with many contexts and industries in which people might find themselves working alone, employers face a range of concerns which must be addressed. Specific risks may differ from role to role, so the first step toward risk mitigation is always risk identification. 

Once you know the risks, it’s time to think about how they can be addressed. This can include ensuring that emergency communication channels are always available and easy to use, checking in at intervals to ensure lone workers are safe, tracking lone workers’ location at all times, and providing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Of course, lone workers must know what risks they face, which procedures to follow to reduce them, and why compliance benefits them. Even then, there is more to do. For example, if circumstances change or if a risk that wasn’t previously addressed comes to light in an incident, it’s time to go back to the drawing board.

This overview leaves out a lot of the detail, but paints a picture of the challenges involved in keeping lone workers safe. Next, the legislative environment in which your lone worker policies exist will be examined, before providing more detailed outlines to help you navigate risk assessment and risk mitigation. 

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Lone working legislation

The primary piece of legislation governing lone work is the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974). It stipulates that employers are responsible for the welfare, health, and safety of their employees. Naturally, lone workers are not excluded from this employer obligation. This law requires employers to conduct detailed risk assessments and take appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate risks. 

The management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999) takes this a step further, providing further details on what is required and how employers should implement the principles set out in the Health and Safety at Work Act. 

The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Act and its regulations may also be worth consulting. While some hazards, for example the use of corrosive chemicals, may be fairly obvious, even cleaning agents can fit the definition of a hazardous substance. With lone workers being at particular risk, potential exposure to hazardous substances should not be overlooked when formulating lone working policies and procedures. 

Properly equipped employees are certainly safer than those who lack properly maintained work equipment. Hence, the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (1998) is also relevant to lone worker safety. For example, proper inspection and maintenance of equipment can help to keep workers safe, and they should be properly trained in its use.

The Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (2013) form part of the suite of legislation applicable to all workers, including lone workers. It stipulates that employees must report incidents, even when they did not result in injury but were dangerous. It also defines employers’ duties such as reporting certain incidents to the Health and Safety Executive. 

Some risks are addressed through the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the Personal Protective Equipment at Work Regulations (1992) should be considered. Apart from defining employers’ and employees’ roles and responsibilities in the use and maintenance of PPE, this legislation requires a process to be followed before resorting to PPE for risk mitigation. 

Eliminating a risk altogether should be the first solution if it is at all possible. Replacing a high-risk element with a lesser hazard is the second option and should only be used if it isn’t possible to eliminate a risk altogether. Failing that, “engineering controls” that move people away from danger is the next tier of risk mitigation. If this isn’t possible or comprehensive enough, administrative controls that prescribe how people work is the next step down. The use of PPE is a last resort: a point to bear in mind when developing risk mitigation strategies. 

The Working Time Regulations (1998) also contribute to lone worker safety. Overworked, overtired employees are less alert and are therefore subject to higher risk. The Working Time Regulations must be adhered to so that employees are able to keep themselves safe. For example, a driver may not work for more than nine hours a day and must take a 30-minute break after five and a half hours of driving. 

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When is lone working not OK?

There are no laws specifically prohibiting lone working in the UK, but with risk assessment and mitigation being key employer responsibilities, there are certainly times when lone working may not be considered acceptable. 

For example, in a high risk environment in which dangerous machinery or chemicals are employed, or where workers enter confined spaces, it would be required or advisable to avoid lone working. If it were an operational necessity with no alternative course of action being available, safety measures must be fit for purpose and emergency support must be on hand.

Some tasks are risky by nature, and lone working must be avoided. For example, a firefighter has a dangerous job, and if anything goes wrong, there must be someone nearby to offer immediate assistance. Divers and people working with explosives also fall into this category. Industry-specific regulations may contribute to the legal framework surrounding lone work. 

The individual employee’s health status must also be taken into account. For example, a person living with severe epilepsy will need immediate assistance if they were to suffer a seizure at work and they may not be able to summon help. 

At all times, employers must ensure that there are safety measures to protect lone workers. Without them, no form of lone work is acceptable.  

Lone working policy

Any business or organisation employing more than five people must conduct lone working risk assessments. These, in turn, result in lone working policies: documents that are designed for risk management and mitigation. Procedures are clearly stated. Responsibilities are allocated. And safety measures are stipulated. 

The components of a lone working policy would typically be:

• A risk assessment in which lone working risks are identified and risk mitigation measures are stated.
• Procedures to be followed, for example procedures for carrying out tasks safely and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency are laid out.
  
• Emergency plans indicating who will respond to emergencies and what they will do if a lone worker requires urgent assistance must be in place.
• Lone workers must be trained so that they are able to follow the lone working policy properly.
• Supervision of lone workers ensures support and oversees their safety. For example, supervisors should know what lone workers are doing and where they are at any given time.
• PPE and other safety equipment are provided and other measures are taken to safeguard their health and safety at work.
• Communication systems and protocols for their use are key. Regular check-ins are required and emergency communications methods and procedures are in place.
• Employers monitor lone working policies to ensure they are implemented and that incidents, including near-misses, are reported and attended to appropriately.
• Policy reviews are conducted to ensure updates are made when risks or working methods change or in the event that unaddressed risks are uncovered.
• Steps are taken to ensure legal compliance.

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Lone worker risk assessment

Some workplaces are riskier than others. In simple scenarios, it may be possible for management to perform a thorough risk assessment without outside help. However, a person who lacks risk assessment training can all-too-easily overlook risks, and consulting a professional with risk assessment qualifications is advisable.

The following categories of risk should be considered in lone worker risk assessments:

Physical risks 

Accidents and injuries affect 41 percent of workers in Great Britain every year. The top causes of injuries are slips, trips, and falls. This is followed by equipment malfunctions and mishaps. A risk assessor must try to identify every contingency that could result in an accident at work, and the elevated risk that lone workers face means that special attention should be given to contingencies that may occur when an employee is working on their own. 

Health emergencies must also be considered. For example, an office worker who is putting in some overtime after others have left the building might suddenly have a heart attack or stroke. Rapid responses can save lives. 

Environmental risks

Apart from hazardous environments such as work that involves dangerous materials or working in hostile environments, for example, areas with extreme temperatures, a lone worker may be working in an isolated location. For instance, a farm worker may be exposed to environmental risks because they are working alone in an area where emergency services could struggle to reach them. 

Psychological risks

The rise of remote work provides an excellent example of the psychological risks that come from working alone. The BBC reports that 80 percent of remote workers say that isolation has impacted their mental health and many of them say they are working longer hours, adding fatigue to their woes.

Security risks 

Crime can impact lone workers disproportionately. From facing intruders or robbers alone to exposure to security risks when working on the move, lone workers may face theft, assault, or other threatening situations in which they may be harmed. 

Communication risks

It’s essential that lone workers are able to remain in contact with their supervisors and call for help. They need reliable communications systems that won’t fail them when they need them most. 

Operational risks

Various other risks may come from the nature of the work being done by lone workers. For example, if they undertake extremely complex tasks associated with risk on their own, there is greater potential for accidents. In addition, when lone workers have heavy workloads, they may become overtired or attempt to take shortcuts that place them in harm’s way. 

Lack of facilities

Employers must provide employee facilities to ensure the health and safety of workers. For example, access to clean drinking water, sanitary facilities, and rest areas are a given in most workplaces. However, lone workers may find themselves far away from the facilities employers provide. 

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How can I keep my lone workers safe?

Having identified lone worker risks during the risk assessment process, the next step is to seek the best possible ways to address each risk identified. If they cannot be eliminated completely, risk mitigation is the next step. 

As previously noted, reliable communications systems that allow supervisors to be aware of worker status and allow lone workers to reach out for assistance as needed will be essential. Other technologies to protect lone workers may include location tracking systems and alarm systems. 

Training is key too. Lone workers must understand how to perform their work using the safest methods possible, and if PPE has been chosen as a means of protection, they must use it correctly too. Finally, emergency preparedness training will stand them in good stead when they find themselves in trouble. 

Other possible measures to implement would include addressing any lack of access to employee facilities and providing equipment like alarms and first aid kits. In the interest of preventing stress and fatigue as potential causes of health and safety risks, implement reasonable workloads and working hours and consider providing additional services such as access to counselling and regular health checks. 

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Robust communications systems from Radiocoms

We’ve seen that communications failure can be a risk, particularly when it affects lone workers. Every workplace is different, so there is no single recommendation we can offer. But what we can do is to help you assess the most reliable form of communication to implement in your lone worker risk mitigation efforts. 

From broadband push to talk (BBPTT) devices to two-way radios that can function under the most demanding workplace environments, Radiocoms has the expertise and technologies you need to ensure your lone workers are always in touch. Talk to us about your workplace communications needs today. We’ll match you with a solution that works for you and your employees. With Radiocoms, lone workers need never be wholly alone.

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