4. WORKING ALONE
“There is no single answer; it
will depend on the findings
of risk assessment, but often
the answer will be yes".
5. Definitions:
"Lone workers are those who
work by themselves
without close or direct
supervision. They are found
in a wide range of
situations".
6. Definitions:
“A worker whose activities
involve a large
percentage of their
working time operating in
situations without the
benefit of interaction with
other workers or without
supervision”.
15. Takes Place When People…
• work as individuals at a fixed site
(shop or petrol station)
• are separate from others
(warehouses, automated plants)
• work away from their base
(construction, repairs, cleaning)
• work at home
• work outside normal hours
• travel as part of their work
• provide services to the public
16. and Working Alone
• does not mean that an individual
has to work an entire shift to
qualify as a lone worker
• can apply to short periods in a
shift, perhaps only 10 or 15
minutes, when people are working
alone
17. The Law
•No legal prohibition
•Under HSW 1974 and
MHSWR 1999, employers
have a duty to assess all
risks to health and safety,
including risks of working
alone
18. The Law
•and to put measures in
place to avoid or control
those risks…
19. How Do the Risks Differ?
• Lack of immediate assistance in
the case of injury or ill-health
• Fire
• Violence against the person
• Inadequate provision of rest,
hygiene and welfare facilities
• Emotional, psychological issues
resulting from a sense of isolation
• Manual handling activities
20. Consider…
• Can the risks be adequately
controlled by one person?
• The risk of violence
• Are women especially at risk?
• Are young workers especially at
risk?
• Is the worker medically fit and
suitable to work alone?
21. Consider…
• Can plant, substances and
goods be safely handled by one
person?
• Is training required to ensure
competency in safety matters?
• Supervision
• Arrangements for illness,
accident, or emergency
• Arrangements for contact
22. Maximising Safety
A satisfactory risk assessment, then,
will address three main issues:
• whether the work can be done
safely by a single person
• arrangements for systematic
monitoring of the hazards by
qualified supervisors/managers
• arrangements to ensure the lone
worker is at no more risk than
employees working together
23. Minimising Risk
Where a risk assessment shows that
a lone worker cannot carry out
the work safely, provisions for
assistance or back-up should be
put in place.
When a lone worker visits the
premises of another employer,
information on hazards, welfare
facilities and emergencies should
be exchanged.
24. and Taking Responsibility
A lone worker working away at
another employer’s workplace is
still the responsibility of his or her
own employer.
Employers have a duty of care to
homeworkers and are required to
do a risk assessment of the work
performed by homeworkers.
26. What Is The Job?
• Consider the demand on the
employee’s physical and mental
stamina
• Individual characteristics
• Ill-health might preclude exposure
to a specific job
• Disability might preclude exposure
to a specific job
27. Consider…
• Is there a safe means of entry and
exit to the workplace?
• Is there adequate illumination,
heating and ventilation?
• Can all equipment, esp. powered
tools and access equipment
(ladders) be used safely?
• Can lifting be safely performed?
• Are fire precautions adequate?
28. When Is The Job?
Working outside of normal hours can
increase certain risks:
• more difficult to summon
assistance for illness or injury
• late at night or after dark, more
potential for violence or
aggression
• long hours, on-call and night work
adversely effects health;
impaired ability to think clearly
and reduced response rates
29. Where Is The Job?
Some places present special risks:
• remote locations leave the worker
vulnerable
• some locations may be prone to
violence
• availability of rest, hygiene and
welfare facilities
• premises where hazardous
substances are used
• premises where mechanical
handling equipment is used
30. Consider…
• How long should the job take?
• How frequently should the
employee report in?
• Is there a safe means of travel to &
from the location?
• Is there access to rest, hygiene,
refreshment, welfare and first-aid?
• Can emergency services reach
the location without problems?
32. High risk activities include:
• Confined space work
• Moving equipment or machinery
• Hazardous substances, electricity
or high-pressure systems
• Services where cash is handled
• Extreme weather conditions
• Laboratory work
• Home visits
33. Consider…
• Some jobs, such as confined
space work and electrical testing,
will require a Permit to Work
• Try to eliminate the use of cash
• Change routes frequently if
valuables are being transported
• Adequate building security for
out-of-hours work
34. Consider…
• Home visits to provide personal
care can involve exposure to
infectious diseases as well as other
hazards. Premises should be
assessed by qualified staff before
visits are begun.
• Arrange visits to clients or patients
away from home where home
visits are not essential
36. Facing different risks…
• Violent or sexual assault
• Risks need careful assessment and
steps introduced to minimise the
possibilities
• Special training and/or
• Provision of special equipment
• Regular contact especially
important
37. Facing different risks…
• Training in precautions to take
when using public transport and in
car parks
• Fitting of car telephone?
• Allowed to choose when to use
taxi or hire car, knowing that costs
will be reimbursed
• Should never be forced to take
risks
39. • Communications:
Telephones and walkie-talkies can
be a lifeline in some cases
• Alarms:
Many counter, service and care
workers have access to panic
buttons. A range of other
emergency, personal distress and
violent attack alarms are
available
40. • Buddy system:
A second person assigned to work
with the first, because the job
cannot be done safely alone
• Electronic and visual monitors:
If introduced through proper
negotiation, these can offer some
protection. Personal alarm security
systems (PASS) can also help
42. Control the Risks
• Don’t allow cost cutting exercises
to put employees at risk by forcing
them to work alone
• Ensure risk assessments identify
lone working on- and off-site and
the potential hazards
• Have employees work in pairs at
difficult or out-of-the way sites,
including home and community
visits. Safe completion of jobs
should be reported.
43. Control the Risks
• Keep records of staff whereabouts
• Provide information on high risk
geographical areas or jobs to
staff, particularly new members.
• Provide personal alarms or two
way radios where appropriate.
• Reassess the necessity for
handling cash or dangerous
materials
44. Control the Risks
• Encourage employees to leave a
job immediately if they feel
vulnerable or at risk
• Encourage employees to
determine when it is appropriate
to refuse to make a visit
• Encourage employees to
determine when it is appropriate
to request assistance
45. Control the Risks
• Ensure that suitable training and
equipment is provided
• Ensure that lone workers report
accidents, injuries and near-misses
• Establish emergency procedures
and train employees in them.
• Provide lone workers with access
to adequate first-aid facilities and
mobile workers with a first-aid kit
suitable for treating minor injuries.
46. Control the Risks
• Re-organise the way jobs are
done to provide a safer system of
work
• Review procedures regularly to
make sure they are working
47. Working Alone Safely…
Can be accomplished if your
Risk Assessment can
demonstrate that the work can be
done safely by a single person
…and that your arrangements
ensure that the lone worker is at
no greater risk than other
employees working together
