Open HSI menu
Subscribe Login

Home / Articles and Press Releases / Article / Lone Worker Protection Advice For H+S Professionals

CATEGORIES

  • Latest Issue
  • Above The Neck Protection
  • Chemical Protection
  • Confined Space
  • Construction
  • Emergency Procedures
  • Energy, Oil and Mining Industries
  • Eye Protection
  • Fall Protection
  • Gas Detection
  • Hand Protection
  • Hazardous and Explosive Atmospheres
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Hearing Protection
  • Heat and Flame
  • Lighting and ATEX
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Safety Footwear
  • Safety Technology
  • Safety Training
  • Slips, Trips and Falls
  • Wellbeing at Work
  • Working at Height
  • Working Rights

MORE

  • Press Releases
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Magazines

COMPANY

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Open HSI menu
Subscribe

Home / Articles and Press Releases / Article / Lone Worker Protection Advice For H+S Professionals

CATEGORIES

  • Latest Issue
  • Above The Neck Protection
  • Chemical Protection
  • Confined Space
  • Construction
  • Emergency Procedures
  • Energy, Oil and Mining Industries
  • Eye Protection
  • Fall Protection
  • Gas Detection
  • Hand Protection
  • Hazardous and Explosive Atmospheres
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Hearing Protection
  • Heat and Flame
  • Lighting and ATEX
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Safety Footwear
  • Safety Technology
  • Safety Training
  • Slips, Trips and Falls
  • Wellbeing at Work
  • Working at Height
  • Working Rights

MORE

  • Press Releases
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Magazines

COMPANY

  • About
  • Advertising
  • Newsletter
  • Contact

CATEGORIES

  • Article
  • Press Release
  • Above The Neck Protection
  • Chemical Protection
  • Confined Space
  • Construction
  • Emergency Procedures
  • Energy, Oil and Mining Industries
  • Eye Protection
  • Fall Protection
  • Gas Detection
  • Hand Protection
  • Hazardous and Explosive Atmospheres
  • Health and Safety Awareness
  • Hearing Protection
  • Heat and Flame
  • Lighting and ATEX
  • Noise Monitoring
  • Personal Protective Equipment
  • Respiratory Protection
  • Safety Footwear
  • Safety Technology
  • Safety Training
  • Slips, Trips and Falls
  • Wellbeing at Work
  • White Papers
  • Working at Height
  • Working Rights

Article

Lone Worker Protection Advice For H+S Professionals

By Tidi Kwidini

| Read Bio

Published: June 09th, 2020

Share this article

A number of businesses have had to embrace the idea of working from home due to the coronavirus pandemic. While working from home is the new normal, some occupations make working remotely impossible. For these employees, it has been crucial that they and their employers take the necessary steps to ensure that they are protected and kept safe, from contracting and spreading the novel virus.

With the global outbreak, the topic of lone worker safety has been pushed to the forefront for many companies, with a reduced number of personnel in the field, throughout facilities and on the road. With the need for social distancing in all aspects of our lives, the rate of lone work for many organisations has increased significantly.

What is a lone worker?

A lone worker is someone who works by themselves, this includes independent contractors, freelancers or self-employed people. They often work without close or direct supervision and they exist in all sectors. 

The rise in home working has emulated the rise in technology. Robust broadband means employees can now check-in with the office from their lounge, study, spare room, or just about anywhere with an internet connection.
With schools and colleges being closed due to the lockdown, it has meant that education institutions like Leeds City College have had to adapt to working from home to ensure the safety of their students and employees. However, this has not been the case for a number of people, including the college’s apprentices who may work in frontline positions within the NHS or healthcare setting, where their services at this time are needed.

At a time where work and life need to integrate much more successfully, remote working can be a positive thing in some cases. However, it is also full of downsides for both managers and employees, especially those in professions where health and safety is paramount.
For many lone workers, choosing to work from home indefinitely simply isn’t an option. Healthcare workers and nurses, for example, cannot just stop treating their patients. Equally, lone HGV drivers who are often self- employed, and need to keep working to provide for their families do not have the luxury of staying at home either especially now with a higher demand for product deliveries in supermarkets and other essential shops across the UK.

“it is important for employers to outline the range of issues that they need to consider in preparing offices, factories and warehouses for reoccupation once the lockdown is lifted”

Meanwhile, the UK government has come under increasing pressure to review their lockdown measures, especially in terms of workplaces. While this is an ongoing discussion, it is important for employers to outline the range of issues that they need to consider in preparing offices, factories and warehouses for reoccupation once the lockdown is lifted.

Existing risk assessments may not cover Covid-19 risks and hazards in great detail. As a result, employers could develop a specific risk assessment strategy as part of their reoccupation planning. They must also consider how the key findings and controls from the risk assessment are effectively communicated to staff and stakeholders, as well as how they are implemented. 

One other way to minimise the risk of spreading the disease between lone workers and the people they come into contact with, is by equipping them properly. This will look slightly different depending on the nature of the work but this will include, hand sanitisers, masks and gloves.
Establishing a healthy and safe working environment for lone workers can be different from organising the health and safety of other workers. Some things to consider in ensuring lone workers are not put at risk include: assessing areas of risk including manual handling, the medical suitability of the individual to work alone and whether the workplace or environment itself presents a risk to them. Additionally, having systems in place to keep in touch with them and respond to any incidents is crucial.

Why it is important to protect your lone workers

An effective lone worker policy can help to promote a strong safety culture among employees and reduce the risk of legal issues. A strong policy will also need to consider the potential risks that lone working employees face and offer best practice guidance.

A company’s lone working policy should include risks that an isolated worker may face and the measures that will be put in place to minimise the risk. It is also important to consider background information, purpose statements, as well as the organisational commitment that clearly-defined responsibilities, guidance on reporting incidents, plus any relevant support and contact details.

The ability to monitor lone workers in real-time is critical. Every organisation that employs isolated personnel must establish a live monitoring team with documented response protocols, employee contact information, escalation paths and alert preferences.

Developing an online mapping system that makes it easy to have full situational awareness for every scenario that may occur could also be helpful.

“for organisations that are deemed essential, lone workers are often the reason the world can continue to deliver and receive goods and services that help keep people safe and the economy operating”

Organisations with lone workers must also implement a robust system of communication that operates without interruption in the event of an incident. Should that fail, a backup system where lone employees are able to contact the relevant support teams needs to be in place.

The coronavirus crisis is a challenging time especially for those who have to continue to leave their houses and perform their jobs alone in some instances. For organisations that are deemed essential, lone workers are often the reason the world can continue to deliver and receive goods and services that help keep people safe and the economy operating. By taking the measures discussed above, particularly providing adequate personal protective equipment (PPE), you will give your lone workers peace of mind and minimise the risk of them contracting and spreading the disease.

Now is the perfect time for organisations, large or small, to begin adopting and implementing processes that protect essential lone workers in the long run and that allow them to monitor threats and manage every incident from receipt to resolution efficiently and effectively during this unprecedented time.

Share this article

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tidi Kwidini

Tidi Kwidini is Corporate Communications Executive at Leeds City College.

Connect with Tidi Kwidini

POPULAR POSTS BY Tidi Kwidini

Istock 1210359002 - hsi -

Article

Lone Worker Protection Advice For H+S Professionals

Get email updates

Sign up for the HSI newsletter

Keep up-to-date through the power of email with Europe's largest audited safety magazine - delivering the latest news and products to satisfy all your occupational safety needs.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

FEATURED ARTICLES

Article

 Thameslink Traffic Management Programme

Press Release

‘Working At Height’ Remains Biggest Danger

Press Release

“Uncertainty and Ignorance” Risks More Asbestos Deaths

Advertisement

SOCIAL MEDIA

HSI on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/HSIMagazine/

Advertisement

SOCIAL MEDIA

HSI on Twitter

hsimagazine HSI Magazine @hsimagazine ·
25 Jan

Global gas sensing leader @ionscience has today formally announced the addition of a high-specification Particulate Matter (PM) sensor to its portfolio.

Read all about this exciting addition!
https://www.hsimagazine.com/press-release/worlds-best-performing-particulate-matter-pm-sensor-now-available-from-ion-science-ltd/

#hsimagazine #ionscience #particulatematter

Reply on Twitter 1618280038557970432 Retweet on Twitter 1618280038557970432 Like on Twitter 1618280038557970432 Twitter 1618280038557970432

Advertisement

SUBSCRIBE

Stay up to date with our newsletter

    • Keep up-to-date with Europe’s largest audited safety magazine

 

    • Delivering the latest news and products to satisfy all your occupational safety needs

 

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Subscribe

SUBSCRIBE TO HSI MAGAZINE

5 reasons to subscribe to our digital and print package

  • Stay up to date from anywhere in the world, with instant access to the latest issue straight from your phone, tablet or laptop.
  • Trust that you’re getting the best content from our range of internationally accredited authors.
  • Get full access to our archives and see how occupational safety has evolved with us over the years.
  • Enjoy our monthly newsletter curated with up-to-the-minute news and a selection of editor’s top picks.
  • Hot off the press and straight to your door – look forward to your own glossy copy of HSI, delivered five times a year
Subscribe View Subscription levels

STAY SAFE & INFORMED

Subscribe to the best health & safety articles, news, products and regulations

Find out more

Stay up to date with our newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

ABOUT

  • About HSI International
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

YOUR ACCOUNT

Sign In Register Account Subscribe to HSI

RESOURCES

Request Media Pack

CONNECT

ACCREDITATIONS

Copyright Bay Publishing 2023. All Rights reserved.

Designed & Built by:
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT