Lone Working Policy
Lone Working Policy
Lone Working Policy
REVISION HISTORY
Date Revised By
October 2000 Gerwyn Hogben
July 2002 Gerwyn Hogben
February 2010 Mike Murphy
DOCUMENT APPROVAL
This document has received approval from: Date of Approval
HR Senior Management Team
Corporate Management Team
Cabinet
CONTENTS
Introduction............................................................................................................... 1
Policy Statement ...................................................................................................... 1
Guidance For Managers........................................................................................... 3
Who Are Lone Workers?.......................................................................................... 3
What Jobs Can Be Carried Out By Lone Workers? ................................................. 3
Prohibitions On Working Alone ................................................................................ 4
Assessing And Controlling The Risk ........................................................................ 4
Permits To Work....................................................................................................... 7
Monitoring/Supervision ............................................................................................. 9
Records To Be Kept ................................................................................................. 9
Managers Checklist ................................................................................................ 10
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Working alone presents a unique health and safety problem since on
the face of it employees must, to an extent, look after their own health
and safety. However, as far as the Health and Safety at Work etc Act
1974 is concerned, the responsibility of the Council as an employer to
ensure the health and safety of lone workers does not differ from that
responsibility to ensure the health and safety of employees working in
groups or under close supervision.
1.4 The Council’s Health and Safety Policy HS13 - Violence at Work needs
to be referred to, particular attention should be paid to Section 7.
2. POLICY STATEMENT
2.1 The Council is aware of the potential risks associated with lone working
and therefore all such work will be subject to risk assessment and
suitable controls to minimise the risk.
2.2 Depending on the result of the risk assessment the Council’s intention
is either to entirely remove the risks from any hazards and/or, where
complete elimination is not possible, to reduce them to an acceptable
level.
2.3 Managers of lone workers will ensure that risk assessments are carried
out and the required precautions taken.
2.4 In situations where as a result of the risk assessment the risks are
considered high, or where specific legal requirements exist, a ‘permit to
work system’ will be prepared.
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2.5 Employees (and others where appropriate) will be given all necessary
information, instruction, training and supervision to enable them to
recognise the hazards and appreciate the risks associated with
working alone.
2.6 The Council will ensure that procedures will be put into place whereby
employees do not experience significant stress as a result of lone
working.
2.7 Lone workers will be informed of the potential risks associated with the
work, will be required to follow the specified procedures, and to report
to their manager if there are any problems.
2.8 Attached to this Policy are guidance notes for managers which will be
of assistance in complying with the policy.
2.9 The responsibility for implementing the requirements of the policy and
the preparation of an implementation strategy rests with each Director
or Head of Service.
2.10 Advice on the implementation of the policy can be obtained from the
Health & Safety Team, Human Resources, Tŷ Elai, Dinas Isaf Industrial
Estate, Williamstown, CF40 1NY.
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GUIDANCE FOR MANAGERS
1.1 There are many definitions of lone workers. For the purpose of the
policy the following definition will be used:
2.1 Lone workers are found throughout the Council in a wide range of
situations. Some examples of these are set out below.
• construction workers
• maintenance employees
• social workers
• care workers
• rent collectors
• drivers
• planning officers
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3. PROHIBITIONS ON WORKING ALONE
3.1 There are a number of specific legal provisions which specify systems
of working which require more than one person. These include:
3.2 There are other provisions which require work to be done ‘under the
supervision of a competent person’ or similar words. This would
suggest that the work, although carried out by one person, must be
done in the presence of another.
3.3 Apart from the legal provisions, whether an employee can work alone
will depend on the findings of the risk assessment.
4.1 Risk assessment will be the tool for managers to use in ensuring the
health and safety of lone workers. The purposes of assessing the risks
of working alone or unsupervised for significant periods of time is to
establish two main facts:
4.2 It is important that when the risk assessor carries out an assessment
he or she ‘talks’ to employees as they can be a valuable source of
information. It will also ensure that all relevant hazards are identified
and appropriate controls chosen.
4.3 The starting point of the assessment should be the recognition that a
lone person is more vulnerable when the unexpected happens.
Therefore, when an employee is asked to work alone, certain issues
need to be addressed when assessing the risks from the work.
Examples of which are as follows:
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Remoteness and isolation
there is a clear understanding about how long the work should take
Communication
• has the lone worker been equipped with a system for maintaining
contact, such as two way means of communication, a pager or a
personal alarm?
Personal Assault
Persons with criminal intent may also pose a risk if they find out an
employee’s address.
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‘Worst Case’ Scenarios
Medical Fitness
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Access equipment that is suitable for handling by one person alone
may be required, and all lifting operations should be safe.
Consideration must be given to supplying correct and comfortable
personal protective equipment and clothing, bearing in mind the limited
possibilities for supervision.
Providing Support
5. PERMITS TO WORK
5.2 Some activities are commonly associated with permits to work, such as
entry into confined spaces, on to roofs, hot work, excavations,
electrical testing etc.
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5.4 However, it is inherent in lone working, that the remote site or
peripatetic worker cannot be subject to the same degree of inspection
or supervision. As a means for ensuring safety, a modified permit on
the following lines may be useful in establishing that all the foreseeable
outcomes have been taken into account.
5.6 Copies of permits must be issued to everyone directly involved with the
activity.
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6. MONITORING/SUPERVISION
6.4 The extent of the monitoring procedures will depend on the findings of
the risk assessment
7. RECORDS TO BE KEPT
risk assessment
permits to work
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HS22
MANAGERS CHECKLIST
As Appropriate
N/A Yes No
• Has a risk assessment been carried out where employees work
alone?
• Where “permits to work” are in place are they being adhered to?
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