Management Guidance
Whilst generally there is no legal prohibition on people working alone, it is not the Group's intention to place any of its employees at risk, or allow any employee to place him/herself at risk, when working alone. The Group is committed to ensuring the health, safety and welfare of all employees, including those who work alone.
The purpose of this section is to provide guidance that enables managers to develop and implement specific procedures for minimising risks in appropriate situations.
1.2 Assessing the Risk
Managers are to ensure assessments are carried out on all work activities to determine which activities are being carried out under lone working conditions and as to check whether existing work methods are safe. Where people work alone, special considerations in assessing their activities include:-
The Task
Can the job be done safely by one person working alone, taking into account present safe systems of work, procedures and training the employee has been given?
Even if the main work content can be done by a lone worker, can one person safely handle any equipment, covers or materials/substances?
Is the person medically suitable to work alone? Do you know which of your employees have health problems that could possibly place them at risk?
The Area
Are there special problems associated with where the work is to be undertaken? (eg. Remote location or away from the vehicle communication systems, difficult access etc.)
Some safe systems of work and procedures, such as those for confined space entry and those for gas operations, already specifically exclude lone working and must be enforced by managers.
Managers' risk assessments must identify any need to provide extra communication equipment so that employees may be able to make contact in the event of emergencies and so that supervisors can monitor lone workers' progress throughout the day.
1.3 Planning the Work
All work is to be properly planned and co-ordinated. This becomes especially important when employees are required to work alone, whether the work is on sites operated by subsidiary companies or those belonging to housing or commercial property developers, domestic or commercial customers. Those planning work are to make enquiries with the owner/occupier in advance of the work as to whether any special rules exist for lone working at the site or premises and take these into account when planning work.
Where practical the movements of employees should be recorded. A 'daily whereabouts record' would be a reasonable method by which such a record can be implemented, provided the employee keeps supervision informed of any changes in the order of attending sites from that initially recorded. There are other methods of recording employee whereabouts, such as a log sheet or diary into which the employee's location, start time, expected job duration and finish time are recorded and checked periodically throughout the day to confirm the employee's safety.
Managers must ensure that a system is in place to confirm that all lone workers are safe at the end of the normal working day. Managers must also ensure that a reporting system exists where lone workers are required to work beyond the end of the normal working day.
1.4 Methods of Checking Employee Safety
Regular communication between various groups/individuals is a means by which lone workers' well being and safety can be checked. Managers shall identify the method suitable to their departmental operations, acquire the necessary resources and implement the system.
Some systems which may be implemented are:-
· Twinning with a partner or partners who communicate and keep each other informed of the other's task location and expected duration of work. They would also contact each other on completion of work at a location. Any failure to communicate as planned would involve a physical check by a supervisor or the nearest employee.
· Radio and/or telephone communication with an office or the control centre on an agreed pattern, especially at the end of each normal working day, shift or period of working late.
· Where work is pre-scheduled, (eg. sample runs) the employees should log on at the start of their working day and log off at the end of their day. A nominated person should check the log at the end of the day and confirm all employees have returned safely.
· There should be a method/system to monitor the activities of employees. If an employee fails to return or report in, there should be an established procedure to check the employee's well being and safety.
1.5 Implementing Measures
Department managers are responsible for designing and implementing procedures, suited to the departmental operations, that will reduce risks to the lone worker to a tolerable level.
A review of any procedures in place shall be carried out by managers periodically (eg. annually) or whenever there is a significant change in work practices.
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