LONE WORKER PROTECTION HELP WHENNEEDED MOST
Leon Marsh, Founder & CEO of Bodytrak, explores some of the most significant risks that lone workers and companies face and suggests ways to safeguard against them.
Working alone isn’t just dangerous for employees; it can also pose many risks for organisations. The ability to mitigate and manage those risks can ensure organisations avoid negative implications on workers, prevent financial losses and improve productivity. Companies must have carefully planned and implemented lone worker safety programmes that identify and address the unique hazards lone workers are likely to encounter.
At a very minimum organisations have a duty of care to ensure their employees are provided with a safe workplace free of recognisable risks. Failure to do so can result in severe accidents or injuries and liability for the company.
THE RISKS TO EMPLOYEES Lone workers are exposed to many of the same hazards as other workers, except they do not have access (or have more limited access) to co-workers, supervisors, or organisational support. If they are involved in an incident or seriously injured on the job, there is no one around to assist or to alert emergency services, placing them at a much greater risk.
The range of risks lone workers can encounter during their shift changes rapidly as they move around. Here are some of the most common risks employers should be aware of to safeguard their employees:
Heat Stress: Lone workers often operate on their own in remote, hot environments for extended periods without easy access to food or water. Hot environments can result from climatic conditions or enclosed spaces, such as server rooms, tunnels or large machinery. Extreme heat is exceptionally hazardous, especially for those working without someone to ensure they’re taking the required breaks or monitoring for the warning signs of heat stress.
Fatigue:Many lone workers, like maintenance staff, are sent to different locations to install, repair or maintain infrastructure. Unplanned repairs or complications during maintenance can result in workers completing long shifts over extended hours and not much respite, which can lead to fatigue. While this is often underestimated in the workplace, the consequences can be catastrophic when you combine fatigue with other tasks such as driving long distances and operating heavy machinery near other workers of infrastructure.
Medical emergencies: If an employee goes into cardiac arrest while at an office, most organisations have staff trained as a first aider who can provide support and contact emergency services until a medical team arrives. When a person works alone in a remote location, it is unlikely they will have access to the same level of support.
Crime:Often, lone workers work in isolated areas which can make them vulnerable and a target for crimes such as robberies, hijacking and assaults. The risks for a lone
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worker are heightened given their situation and lack of immediate support available to them.
ORGANISATIONAL RISKS Employers have a duty of care to protect their workers and provide a safe work environment free of risks that can be avoided or minimised. Protecting employees from injuries isn’t just a legal requirement, it’s also good for business. Workplace accidents are costly, disrupt employee morale, and can destroy an organisation’s reputation in seconds.
MITIGATATION AND MANAGEMENT While lone workers can present significant risks for the employee and employer there are a few ways to overcome these issues:
Hazard assessment: It’s crucial that companies do not only assess the hazards of work areas within their direct reach or control but also review the locations and environments that their lone workers are likely to be exposed to. These lone worker risk assessments must identify the most common hazards each loan worker will likely encounter during their shifts so informed decisions and mitigation plans can be made.
Lone worker policy: Companies must create a written health and safety policy around lone worker safety and ensure that loan workers understand the expectations. These policies should also be regularly reviewed and updated as environmental conditions, regulations and expectations change.
Employee training: It’s not effective to only point out the hazards to employees; companies must provide training on best practices for identifying and mitigating the risks.
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