'LONE WORKING' AND HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY IN YOUR BUSINESS

Lone Working

The nature of lone working comes in many forms.

When asking the question in a training session, what the term 'lone working' means often the reply is, 'people in charge who close up shop/workplaces etc. at the end of their business day'. A lone worker being one who occupies for example any of these roles:

• Security officer
• Home health care worker
• Road side emergency worker
• Consultant
• Train driver
• Salesperson
• Decorator
• Land manager
• Self-employed person
• Volunteer etc.

The definition of a 'lone worker' is, 'a person who performs an activity that is carried out in isolation from other colleagues/workers without close or direct supervision'.

Being a lone worker has particular risks. Risk assessments should be carried out for any such roles coupled with a backup support network or buddying system.

• If, as a lone worker where driving is involved, the car should carry a fully stocked first aid kit at all times.
• Are incidents/accidents correctly and promptly reported and logged? 

An incident/accident can happen directly or indirectly. Abuse, threat, assault in circumstances relating to work bear in mind , that even on their day off if it is work related, the incident needs to be reported under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HASAWA).

• An incident/accident report should include a section for 'lone worker'. If not, make sure your report is specific to the business which should include the nature of the incident and issues such as abuse, physical assault, harassment etc.

A lone working policy should always include communicaiton e.g.

• Satellite phone for areas with poor connections
• Buddying system
• Emergency procedure
• Training

Good health and safety should include training and continuous updating of your emergency policy procedures i.e. what is being used to alert your work colleagues e.g.

• If using a fob, does everybody know how to activate it?
• PPE (personal protective equipment), has the right equipment been made available and is there a maintenance policy in place?
• Where and how to park at a client's site - off or on the road?

Your car should always face out of a cul-de-sac and as habit, parking facing towards the site exit should be favoured, as at the end of a visit or day's work when one's mind might not be as alert, many an incident could well be avoided if this policy is adopted.

Be mindful of what you input in your sat nav or mobile phone, also the personal items one keeps in a bag, as this could, if it lands into the wrong hands, compromise GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation). Rather than adding your client's or your own address details on any database when travelling, update your ICE policy (in case of emergency) and use a good app, for instance; 'what3words'. It provides your buddying stystem or emergency services with the exact 3sqm you are located in or where your live with 3 unique words.

Or you may already have a policy that all lone workers' mobile phones will be registered with emergency services. It is important, if you choose this text buddying system, that the phones are registered to start with otherwise it will not work. It is very simple:

• Send the word 'register' in an SMS message to 999.
• You will then receive SMS messages back about the service.
• When you have read these SMS messages make sure reply by sending 'yes' in an SMS message to 999.

However this silent alert to the police or an ambulance in an emergency by text will not work, if your phone is not registered before. Therefore it is important to review and check your emergency  policy on a regular basis, but crucially the buddying system is being communicated and implemented.

The lone working policy has never been more relevant and important than during the Covid-19 pandemic because of the increase of lone workers, but should always have been standard best practice.

To summarise above, we have dealt with conflict management, self defence and law, post incident procedure and incident reporting.