Lone Workers: How to Prevent Hazards in the Workplace
Lone Workers: Pay special attention to the vulnerabilities and risks facing any lone worker(s) on the premises or elsewhere
– A ‘lone worker’ is defined as any employee in a situation where physical assistance would not be immediately available, which actually covers more roles and scenarios than you might think:
- People travelling to meet clients or customers
- People working on remote sites or in locations inaccessible to the public
- People working in confined spaces or behind physical barriers
- People whose jobs involve house calls
- People isolated in vehicles or private rooms
- People delivering goods, especially cash or high cash value items
– Any lone worker is automatically in a more hazardous situation than non-lone workers, because:
- there’s a much greater chance that they won’t see potential or incoming danger
- if they’re injured, they may not be able to get to safety or raise an alarm
- if they become ill or incapacitated, they may not have access to first-aid
- they may not be able to contact anybody for advice in dangerous or stressful situations
- they’re at much greater risk of suffering attack, violence, and verbal or physical threats in the course of their work
- they’re at greater risk from equipment or vehicle damage and breakdown
– The best ways to keep lone workers safe are based on continual assessment and monitoring with the input of the employee in question. They will typically include:
- a full potential hazard assessment
- comprehensive and regularly refreshed training
- frequent equipment checks
- establishing secure premises where possible
- agreed contact procedures
- regular supervisor visits and inspections
- automatic warning devices where appropriate
- impressing upon the lone worker that they also have duties and responsibilities for their own wellbeing, and for contact/cooperation with other employees
For further details follow this link https://uk.rs-online.com/web/generalDisplay.html?id=i/preventing-hazards-in-the-workplace#a-2-2
