Lone workers: how to protect your employees

Health and safety specialists Citation outline who is classed as a lone worker, your responsibilities for them as an employer, and aspects of training and insurance.

A lone worker is anybody who works by themselves without close or direct supervision. In the UK, there are an estimated eight million lone workers – that’s more than one fifth of the working population.

There is a common misconception that lone workers are alone, but that isn’t always the case. Lone working could mean the individual may work in a separate location to their manager or team, with the general public or in another area on a large site, for example.

It is important to note that scaffolders working at height should not undertake lone working because there must be a rescue plan in place in the event of an emergency. A rescue plan is a pre-planned strategy or procedure designed to safely retrieve someone who has fallen from height and is suspended in a harness.

Do I still have legal responsibilities?

Yes, you do. Lone workers certainly aren’t a case of ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Before you allow an employee to become a lone worker, you must first consider any health and safety risks under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. This is to make sure that lone workers aren’t open to greater risks than other employees.

How do I address my responsibilities?

As you would with a risk assessment of your premises, you should consider any potential hazards a lone worker may face, assess the risks involved and determine whether there are any controls you could put in place to eliminate or reduce them. When instating controls, remember to take any foreseeable emergencies into account too; for example, equipment failure and accidents.

Factors to consider

You must consider health and safety risks before granting lone worker permission. If you’re unsure as to what factors to consider, this list below is a useful summary:

• How many people will be needed to complete the task safely?

• Does the location or environment pose a specific risk to the employee? Hazardous substances, dangerous machinery, confined space or working at height, for example.

• Are female workers at greater risk? For example, estate agents.

• Is the individual considered vulnerable? For example, young people, new and expectant mothers or an individual with medical issues.

• Will there be adequate security at the site where the lone worker would be working?

• How will you provide the employee with the means to notify you in case of an emergency? A simple option would be the provision of a mobile phone.

• Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required?

• Can you and will you be able to take reasonable steps to know the whereabouts of a lone worker? This could be via the phone or periodic visits from supervisors or security guards, or by using a mobile phone lone worker app.

Training

Because lone workers receive less supervision than employees who are on-site, the correct training is critical. Training should be given on anything from dealing with aggression and violence, to slips, trips and falls. Here are three actions you should take as an employer:

1. Ensure that all employees who will be lone working have enough experience, fully understand the risks involved and do so prepared with necessary safety precautions.

2. Put clear limits in place so that lone workers are fully aware what can and can’t be done when working alone.

3. Only allow employees to lone work if they are competent at dealing with new or unusual circumstances and are knowledgeable enough to know when to stop work and seek advice from you or a supervisor.

Off-site lone working

Sometimes, employees might go to another business to complete lone working. If this is the case, it is a good idea to liaise with the ‘host’ employer and let them know of any risks associated with the lone worker’s work, and what controls and measures will be required to minimise these risks.

Lone workers with medical conditions

Check if a potential lone worker has any medical conditions that could prevent them from doing so. In cases where the employee does have a medical condition, you should seek medical advice as to whether the job – and the potential emergency situations that could come with it – is likely to create any additional physical or mental health problems for the employee. The outcome of this medical advice may determine whether or not you allow the employee in question to be a lone worker.

In the event of an emergency

This forms part of your risk assessment. During the assessment, you should put appropriate processes in place for in the event of an accident, sudden illness or any other type of emergency.

Whatever processes you decide on need to be clearly established, and you should provide relevant training and information to the employee in question. As an example, your process might include the provision of lone-worker-specific first aid training to ensure they have some knowledge on how to deal effectively with an accident.

Insurance

Lone workers must be included in your Employer’s Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act cover. No additional insurance is needed.

Citation is a preferred partner of the Scaffolding Association, offering health and safety and HR and employment law support services to members at a discounted rate.