1.6 Lone working

Question 1

Establishing safe working for lone workers is no different from organising the safety of other employees. The key question is whether or not the requirements can be met by people working alone.

Issues requiring particular attention include:

Answer 1

Can the risks of the job be adequately controlled by one person?

Does the workplace present a special risk to the lone worker?

Is there a risk of violence?

Are young people or female workers at greater risk?
Is the person medically fit and suitable to work alone?

What training is required to ensure competency in safety matters?

How will the person be supervised?

How will lone workers be monitored?

Question 2

Management controls

Employers of lone workers should:

Answer 2

 Involve staff or their representatives in the risk assessment process.
 Check control measures are in place (examples of control measures include:
instruction, training, supervision and issuing protective equipment).
 Review risk assessments periodically and when there has been a significant
change in working practice.
 When a risk assessment shows it is not possible for the work to be conducted
safely by a lone worker, address that risk by, for example, making arrangements
to provide help or back-up.
 Where a lone worker is working at another employer’s workplace, that employer
should inform the lone worker’s employer of any risks and the required control
measures.

Question 3

Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision,
they usually fit into one of the following four categories:

Answer 3

(1) People in fixed establishments where only one person works on the premises,
such as in petrol stations or home-workers.

(2) People working separately from others, such as in factories, warehouses, or
research establishments.

(3) People working outside normal hours, such as cleaners, security, special
production, maintenance or repair staff.

(4) Mobile workers working away from their fixed base, such as plant installation or
maintenance contractors, agricultural and forestry workers, and service workers
such as rent collectors, postal staff, social workers, estate agents, and others
who visit domestic and commercial premises.