This is a collaborative post
Knowing where to start when it comes to keeping lone workers safe can seem like a daunting task.
After all, the risks lone workers run when going about their jobs are varied and can change from task to task and worksite to worksite.
However, it’s essential that any business that expects its workers to work without teammates establishes protocols and procedures that will allow it to manage and mitigate lone-worker risk.
This is both good practice and a legal requirement in the UK – all employers are required to assess lone-worker risk to comply with the law and health and safety regulations.
Below, we go over a few of the important things that will allow any company to make a start on managing lone-worker risk.
Identify Lone Workers
Identifying who exactly is expected to work alone among a company’s employees is a simple but vital first step when it comes to managing lone-worker safety.
By keeping a list of current employees who carry out their duties alone, a company can identify precisely which of its workers are most at risk when on the job.
Just as important is maintaining up-to-date and real-time rotas, so a company can quickly and easily identify where its lone workers are and what tasks they are performing.
Identify Risks
Lone-worker risk comes in different shapes and sizes and continues to evolve as the nature of work changes.
But this is no excuse for failing to identify the broad categories of risk lone workers are likely to encounter.
As a rule of thumb, lone-worker risk generally falls into the following categories:
- Violence in the workplace.
- Stress and mental health risks.
- Medical and health risks.
- Workplace topography and geography risk.
- Machine and tool risk.
- Risks associated with remote work.
Train Staff
Staff training is an important part of any role, but with lone workers, it might just be the difference between life and death.
Training can take many forms, but lone workers must be trained on all machinery, tools and chemicals they use on the job.
Equally important, if lone workers are kitted out with a lone-worker monitoring device, they should be trained on how to use it, how to keep it up-to-date and how to use it in case of emergency.
Monitor
Perhaps the most important step a company can take when it comes to mitigating lone-worker risk is to monitor and supervise its lone workers.
Recent developments in wifi-connected and remote technology mean there is no excuse for not keeping tabs on lone workers when they are away from base on the job.
A lone worker app is an especially good way of keeping lone workers safe.
These devices are super-portable and can usually be carried discreetly in a pocket or attached to a worker’s belt loop.
Conclusion
Knowing where to start when it comes to managing and mitigating lone worker risk can be a bit of a headache.
However, by sticking to a few simple rules and especially by kitting out lone workers with appropriate tech, lone-worker risk can always be mitigated even if it can’t be eradicated.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post