Lone worker solutions
October 1st 2007

What is a lone worker and where do an employers responsibilities lie when it come to the protection of lone workers? John Brady, CellClear's service director, takes a look

What is a Lone worker? Lone working can be defined as any situation in which a worker is on their own – anywhere and at any time. Often this is perceived to be particular groups of staff who work in defined roles and outside a normal workplace such as District Nurses and Health Visitors. However lone workers can include anybody who is on their own at any time which includes people travelling between meetings, regularly working outside normal hours in offices, visiting other sites and homeworkers.

Lone-working is not unique to any group of staff, time of day or location.

A poll of workers conducted by the Public Sector Union, UNISON, revealed a high number of incidents of abuse against staff. 92% of those questioned said lone workers in their organisations were subjected to abuse at work and many of those resulted in physical injury.

The management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 states that every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk to the health and safety of employees to which they are exposed while they are at work.

It is the employers' duty to asses the risks and this responsibility cannot be transferred to the lone worker.

However employees have responsibilities to take reasonable care of themselves and other people affected by their work and to cooperate with their employers in meeting their legal obligations.

Is Lone working legal? Although there is no general legal prohibition on working alone, the broad duties of the HSW Act and MHSW Regulations still apply. These require the employer to identify hazards of the work, assessing the risks involved and putting measures in place to avoid or control the risks.

The procedures needed to monitor lone workers to see they remain safe may include: Regular contact between the lone worker and supervision using telecommunications.

Automatic warning devices which operate if specific criteria are not met.

Other devices designed to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency and which are operated manually or automatically.

Checks that a lone worker has returned to their base or home on completion of a task.

How can technology help? Telecommunications technologies can play a large part in helping to protect lone workers and organisations need to choose the right system, appropriate to their needs and the needs of their staff, as well as guidance to minimise the risks that they face.

However, it is also clear that technology can only be effective if it works alongside: Good risk assessment processes for managers and staff; Clear and robust management procedures that address both identified and potential risks, and deal with incidents when they occur; Managers and staff accepting responsibility for, and supporting the need to operate systems, procedures and technology provided for their enhanced protection; Sharing of information with other similar organisations on identified and potential risks; and The provision of good quality training, whether that is to help staff to prevent and manage violent situations or to use procedures, systems or devices provided for their security and safety to their best effect.

What is an ideal solution? There is probably no such thing as an affordable ideal solution and technology can only offer assistance in the event of an incident – not direct protection. However, the chosen solution must be TESSA: Trusted. Users must have confidence in the solution provided.

Effective. The system must offer support wherever and whenever needed.

Simple. Use must be intuitive in times of stress, supported by a system that is easy to deploy and administer.

Supportive. Offer different levels of support which may be advice, instruction, directions, assurance or physical back-up, preferably with a human interface to re-assure staff in moments of crisis.

Auditable. The system needs to provide data which can be used to support any subsequent investigation into the incident.

A human interface via a trained operator supported by technological capability would be incorporated in the ideal solution which also must be cost effective. The choice of the correct system to match the requirement is critical to the success of the solution and the welfare of valuable staff.

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