Welcome to Lone Working

with

Cavity Dental Staff Agency Ltd

Course Details:

This course covers the potential hazards that relate specifically to lone workers and the appropriate action that should be taken to reduce the risks.

To successfully complete this course, you must view each lesson and pass the final assessment.

Modules:

• Introduction

• Case study• Responsibilities

• Identify the Hazards of Lone Working• Safety Arrangements

What is Lone Working?

Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.

Employers must ensure that lone workers are at no more risk than other workers. Therefore, potential hazards that relate specifically to lone workers must be assessed by employers and appropriate action taken to reduce the risks.

What are the risks of lone working?

Lone working can bring additional risk so a risk assessment must be conducted, considering the hazards of the specific job and employees involved. Some examples are:Injury - Any injuries sustained whilst working alone may prevent treatment being provided in an adequate time frame, increasing the severity of the injury. Health - Certain employees may be at particular risk when working alone, such as those with medical conditions. Task - Lone working is prohibited in some work situations and activities where regulation specifies requirements for supervision, assistance or accompanied working if work is hazardous or involves certain categories of workers. Workloads - extended periods of lone working without adequate support, supervision or constructive social interaction Working Times - Working out of normal working hours, e.g. office cleaners or employees securing the building Assault / Violence - isolated working during hours of darkness, which can make lone workers more vulnerable to assault, or fear of assault. Environment - the impact of weather, or seasonal variations, on working activities

Can people work alone?

Legislation does not prohibit lone working, but the general duties still require:

• Identifying the hazards of the work

• Assessing the risks involved and who is at risk• Implementing measures to Avoid or Control the risk and documenting the assessment

Case Study

Case Study - Suzy Lamplugh

On Monday 28th July 1986, in broad daylight and in the middle of a working day, the unthinkable happened. Suzy Lamplugh, a 25-year-old, disappeared during the course of her work as an estate agent while showing a client round a house in Fulham.

Timeline of events

12.40pm on 28th July –Suzy leaves her office• Suzy had left her office – Sturgis and Sons, 654 Fulham Road – taking her house and car keys and a purse with £15 and credit cards but

leaving her handbag behind.12:50pm on 28th July –Arrived at Property• 10 minutes later she was seen waiting outside an empty property, 37 Shorrald’s Road, which had only been on the market for one week.1.00pm on 28th July –Observed meeting a man• At 1.00pm, she was joined by a man (presumably the “Mr Kipper” she had written in her diary) and minutes later they were seen walking

away from the house.6.45pm on 28th July –Reported as missing• At 6.45pm, her manager reported Suzy’s disappearance to the police.10:00pm on 28th July –Suzy's Car Located• Suzy’s company car was discovered by the police about a mile from her office in Stevenage Road, Fulham. There were no signs of a struggle

– no fingerprints unaccounted for. The driver’s door was unlocked, the handbrake off and her purse was in the glove compartment, but her keys were missing.

Despite a police reconstruction and extensive media coverage, no information was forthcoming on Suzy’s fate. Her mother wrote five years later, “there has not been a single trace of her. Nothing. Just as though she has been erased by a rubber”.Suzy’s body has never been found, but she has been presumed murdered and was legally declared dead in 1993.

What can we learn from this incident?

At the time of the incident Suzy was a lone worker, there were multiple areas where control measures could have been applied to reduce the amount of time she was missing.

Some key points are:

• She had arranged to show the property to a Mr Dan Kipper, if you rearrange these letters, they spell Kidnapper. It is highly unlikely this would have been noticed at the time.

• She met 'Mr Kipper' in an empty property rather than at the office, there was no landline number only mobile numbers were used, she never called 'Mr Kipper' back to check his details.

• The business had no diary system in place to verify where she was or when she would be finished.• When she failed to return her colleagues assumed that she had gone for lunch, after they

assumed that she must have taken the rest of the day off.

• The sooner your colleagues start looking for you or your colleagues the better.

Responsibilities

Employer responsibilities:

• The health, safety and welfare at work for their employees and those affected by the work

• Identify and assess any risks to lone workers

• Take steps to avoid or control risk where necessary

Employee Responsibilities:

• Taking reasonable care of themselves, and other people who may be affected by their work

• Co-operate with their employers in meeting their legal obligations

Incident and Accident Reporting

As with all incidents, any situation which raises any concerns for safety must be raised as an incident report.Whilst working alone some incidents which normally would not cause any reason for concern may pose a greater risk to a lone worker. Therefore, reporting all concerns is vital to ensure they can be reviewed by your manager.

It is recommended that employers give special consideration to procedures for reporting incidents that occur when working off-site. This might need to involve a third-party company. The responsibility for investigating the incident lies primarily with the employer but should also be considered by the third party since their health and safety arrangements may be relevant to the incident or provide further control measures.

Identify the Hazards of Lone Working

A Hazard is anything that could cause injury or illness

A Risk is the likelihood of that injury or illness occurring and the potential severity.

Control measures reduce the likelihood of an accident

Risks to lone workers include:• increased risks of accidents, injury or ill health

• increased vulnerability, e.g. in the event of violence, sudden illness, fire or another emergency

The following sections review the lone working activities that should be considered as part of the risk assessment

The Task

When reviewing any work which is undertaken by a lone worker you must ensure it is not prohibited or hazardous and can be done safely and without risks to health.

Example of a lone workerBe aware that lone workers may feel obliged to undertake activities that are unreasonable or hazardous because of the absence of advice, assistance or direct supervision.You must ensure the requirements of the task are clearly communicated and documented processes are written and available to all lone workers.

Roles and Responsibilities

Specific jobs and tasks may involve certain responsibilities which make the task more hazardous for lone workers, such as caring for or protecting people, cash or valuables, or enforcing rules and regulations. Those at risk may include:

• lone workers undertaking their usual duties• employees particularly at risk when lone working because of individual factors such as health,

condition, disability or capabilities

• workers classed as vulnerable and who are therefore at greater risk when lone working• non-employees who may be at risk of the activities of a lone worker.

Examples of Lone Workers in Different Categories:

Type of work Typical type of lone worker

One person in a fixed establishment Small workshop staff, petrol station staff, kiosk attendants, shop workers, gatehouse security officer and homeworkers

One person working separately from others in a fixed establishment

Factory workers, warehouse staff, research and training workers, leisure centre and fairground staff

One person working outside normal hours in a fixed establishment

Cleaners, security staff, special production staff, maintenance and repair staff

One mobile worker working away from a fixed base

Construction workers, plant installation workers, maintenance and cleaning workers, lift repair staff, painting and decorating staff, vehicle recovery workers, agricultural and forestry workers, rent collectors, postal staff, social workers, home helps, district nurses, pest control workers, drivers, engineers, architects, estate agents, sales representatives, professional staff and journalists

Individual Factors

• Everyone is different and specific risk factors should be assessed in consultation with individual lone workers and health advisors, as appropriate.

• If the assessment shows that the employee’s individual circumstances, health, condition, disability or capabilities mean they would be at increased risk when working alone, then, lone working is not suitable for that person.

• If the risks can be effectively controlled, steps should be taken to adjust the work task or working conditions to allow the employee to continue working.

Employers must:

• avoid blanket restrictions on where, when and whether the disabled employee can work

• take practical steps to control the risks or make reasonable adjustments through staffing levels, work activities, equipment, communications systems or locations

• handle health records and medical reports in strict confidence in accordance with statutory requirements and data protection law.

Vulnerable Groups

Certain groups of workers likely to be at particular risk are classed as vulnerable:

Women• Women are particularly vulnerable to risks of violence, harassment and assault, especially when

working alone outside normal working hours. New and expectant mothers

• Employers are required to carry out both a generic risk assessment for hazards to reproductive health and a specific risk assessment for the individual expectant, new or nursing mother. This will need to include an assessment of any lone working and will need to be reviewed throughout the pregnancy.

Consideration will need to be given to

• any manual handling, working at height or use of temporary access equipment and whether this work can still be carried out unaided

• stresses associated with the work and lone working• whether help can be summoned if needed

• whether the woman is more susceptible to accidents and ill health or more vulnerable in the event of a fire, injury, medical emergency or other unforeseen event.

Vulnerable Groups - Young and inexperienced workers

Young and inexperienced workers are generally more at risk because of their inexperience, which can mean that they lack knowledge of safe systems of work. Young workers may also be more vulnerable to acts of violence.Employers are required to assess the legal provisions and risks to inexperienced or young workers and to ensure they are provided with appropriate levels of supervision, training and support.Non-employees at risk of lone working

Non-employees may be at increased risk from employees working alone and this should be taken into account during the risk assessment. Some circumstances where lone working could affect others include home carers and when driving.

Environmental

The area in which the work is taking place can dramatically increase the risks to you or a colleague.

Working in a busy urban city has different risks vs a remote rural location. The risks within the environment must be considered.

Some examples include:

• Urban Areas = Higher crime rates, increased road traffic / busier routes

• Rural Areas = Poor mobile phone signals - reducing communication and reduced medical response times.

Violence and Aggression

A key risk to all staff who perform lone working is the risk of violence and aggression, there are many roles which this risk is higher and seen as likely e.g. Security staff.

However, there are roles where this may not be considered at first, but where it should be e.g. domiciliary home care, shop workers etc.

What is the definition of Violence and Aggression at Work?

Forms of Violence and Abuse

Violence and abuse can cover a wide range of situations and it should be realised that it is the perception of the person that the abuse or assault is directed at that is important, not the intent of the originator.

Physical Violence

Physical Violence

Assault causing death, serious or minor injury

Kicking

Biting Punching

Use of weapons Use of missiles

Spitting Scratching

Sexual assault Held/grabbed

Imprisonment Pushed

Stabbed Slapped

Hair pulling Strangled / chocked

Drugged Burnt

Non-physical violence and abuse

Non-physical violence and abuse

Verbal abuse Racial or sexual abuse

Threats (with or without weapons)

Physical posturing

Threatening gesturesAbusive phone calls, emails or texts

Threatening the use of dogs Harassment in all forms

Standing too close Swearing

Shouting Name calling

Bullying Insults

Innuendo Deliberate silence

Stalking Pointing or prodding

Reporting

People often do not report incidents as they feel that is an accepted part of their job or that reporting it might be perceived as a weakness. All such incidents must be reported, if the events are known then action can be taken to prevent any further from occurring.

Safety Arrangements

Control measures should be put into place to address all risks wherever practicable.

In general, the measures should:

• Address the hazards where risks are created• Reduce risks to a minimum if they cannot be removed completely

• Prevent lone workers being exposed to foreseeable risks or minimise exposure if the risks cannot be avoided entirely.

Employers should also consider measures for helping lone workers who have experienced harassment, violence or stress at work. In this way, an overall preventive and protective strategy can be developed.

What Control Measures could you use?

Ensuring effective management and supervision

• active supervision of all workers, remotely or indirectly as necessary

• regular contact, e.g. by telephone, email or two-way radio

• provide automatic warning systems that raise the alarm in an emergency, or activate if a periodic signal is not received by the lone worker, e.g. by lone worker devices or smartphone apps

• proactive checks to ensure the worker has returned safely to their place of work or home on completion of the work activity,

• monitor workers’ activities and whereabouts as appropriate when away from base

• appropriate levels of support and assistance and prompt response

• site visits involving two people to locations, homes or people where services are to be delivered

• incident reporting systems and systems for reporting incidents away from base,

• co-operate with host employers, employment agencies and contractors

• monitor incident (near miss) records and information provided by employees regarding risks of violence

• include homeworkers and lone mobile workers in display screen equipment, manual handling, fire and COSHH assessments

• periodic site visits and workplace inspections by the organisation representatives

• consultation with lone workers - review any concerns or unseen issues

• ensure lone workers are included in staff meetings and communications, wherever they are based

Ensuring a safe system of work

• extra precautions for lone workers carrying out potentially hazardous activities, or specific controls on when, where and how those activities should take place if working alone

• preventive measures to avoid manual handling injuries, e.g. equipment at remote sites to enable lifting operations to be carried out safely by the lone worker

• effective and reliable communications systems for lone workers• providing lone working devices or management systems, such as electronic alert systems, alert

systems monitored by a call centre, smartphone apps, activities logging software, etc

Providing information, instruction, and training for workers and managers• develop a lone working policy

• encourage lone workers to remove themselves from situations they feel are unsafe

• raise awareness of the risks to lone workers of stress-related illness and violence at work and what can be done to prevent them

• provide training in use of protective equipment or communication systems designed for lone workers’ protection

• provide information about fire instructions, personal safety and emergency procedures for lone workers away from base

• explicit instructions to all workers about prohibited lone working activities

Ensuring workplace health, safety and welfare

• avoid or minimise lone working in unoccupied premises

• first aid and welfare provisions for all workers, including lone workers, to be accessible at all times

• include lone workers in fire drills, emergency procedures and fire risk assessments• adequate security and monitoring arrangements for lone workers, including protective barriers

and communications systems (with responders) if appropriate

Ensuring personal safety for remote working

• effective supervision of lone workers through surveillance and communications systems, checks on lone workers’ safe arrival/return

• effective personal safety plans and back-up systems for lone workers with named responders at all necessary times

• pre-work checks on sites, clients and locations• checks on reliability of early warning systems to inform managers in any known trouble spots of

risks of violence, e.g. violent clients, with tests to be carried out if the lone worker feels the system is critical

Reducing risks of lone working time arrangements

• avoid the need for lone working at certain times

• adjust start and finish times when working alone

• provide extra support, back-up and supervision for lone workers• relocate the work to avoid it being done in isolation

• limit or redistribute overtime and emergency duties, including on-call arrangements,• avoid the need for lone working after hours in empty buildings

• avoid lone working at possibly hazardous times, e.g. late at night in places with public access or poor neighbourhood security

• adjust working times and/or staffing levels or skill mix,

• improve lighting and security at times of darkness and in remote areas• ensure safe access and egress at all times, including hours of darkness

• ensuring staff lock doors when working alone in a building and have access to a form of emergency communication such as a mobile phone

Lone Worker Devices, Apps and Systems

Where you have identified that a lone worker may be at risk and additional controls and communication methods are is now a range of devices and software systems available for managing lone workers and reducing risks. Examples include GPS tracking devices that allow the whereabouts of staff to be monitored, mobile phone apps and emergency alert devices that can be used in summoning help. Many of these systems include triggers to allow an employee to raise an alert to a monitored call centre, or where the system will automatically send an alarm if the member of staff does not respond at a pre-arranged time.Some systems also have fall detection, so in the event of a fall from height or collapse (due to ill health) the device will trigger the alarm and send emergency services to the location.

Smartphones

Most smartphone have the capability to track the handsets location, company phones may be able to be located to monitor the safety of the employee.

Google Maps

Any devices loaded with Google Maps may also temporally share the location and send a viewing link to a colleague. This feature may be used to reassure an employee and track their real-time location.