All work involves risk, but the risk profile of some workers, especially those who carry out their duties alone, is elevated simply because of the nature of their work. Therefore, businesses that have lone workers on the payroll must make sure they have the correct safety protocols and technology in place to keep them safe. Below, we look at a few of the things all businesses with lone workers need to consider before they let them out on a job.
The Law
There is no law against workers working alone, but there are rules and regulations that they must take into account when it comes to their health and safety. First and foremost, a business has a legal duty to keep all its employees safe and secure – that includes any self-employed workers who carry out work for a company. That means they must assess the risks presented by the workplace and work sites its lone-worker employees work on.
Risk Assessments
Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, an employer must assess the health and safety of its work sites. If the risk assessment shows that it is not possible for the work to be done safely by a lone worker, then other arrangements must be made for the work to be carried out. If the risk assessment gives the go-ahead for lone work to be carried out, the employer still has a duty to make necessary provisions to keep them safe while working alone.
Training
Training is important in every job, but in the case of lone workers, it might just be the difference between life and death. As far as health and safety is concerned, at the minimum, all lone workers must be trained using the safety devices and safety technology they are kitted out with to keep them safe and contactable while on the job. It should also be remembered that in situations where the aforementioned risk assessment can’t be carried out due to the nature of the work or worksite, the lone worker himself must be able to carry a ‘dynamic’ risk assessment – i.e. on the job. This means that an employer must train all its lone workers on how to conduct an on-the-job risk assessment.
Technology
Technology has an increasingly important role to play in keeping lone workers safe and in touch with colleagues back at base. The proliferation of mobile networks and smartphones means that every worker can now download and use a lone-worker app. These apps come with a host of features, including man-down detection, GPS tracking and always-on-top SOS help buttons. In work environments that present particular safety concerns or where communications networks are patchy, specialised handsets from ANT Telecom can keep lone workers safe in the most inhospitable conditions.
Conclusion
Approximately a fifth of the UK’s workforce is today considered a lone worker. Keeping them safe and in touch with colleagues is essential. Thankfully, the technology is out there that means every employer, of any size, can now keep its lone workers safe.