What to Include in a Lone Worker Policy
Your lone worker policy document should be tailored to align with your organisation's unique requirements, adhere to legal mandates, and effectively address the particular risks associated with lone work. However, regardless of the industry, there are a few essential elements that every organisation should incorporate into their lone worker safety policy.
A policy statement should be a clear and concise declaration that outlines the organisation's commitment to ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of its lone workers.
The statement should clarify the purpose of the policy, what it aims to achieve and how it will keep lone workers safe. This should focus on the benefits to your employees' safety and wellbeing, promoting employee engagement which will help to establish a culture of safety and encourage compliance.
The scope outlines the extent and boundaries of the policy's coverage. It defines the specific situations, scenarios, and individuals to which the policy applies, as well as where it stands in relation to other policies within your organisation.
If necessary, it should also specify any exclusions where the policy does not apply.
This section in your lone worker policy provides background information and sets the stage for the policy's relevance. It offers a broader understanding of why the policy exists and why it's important. This is a crucial step in achieving buy-in from employees to follow the policy. Here's what you might include in this section.
Organisational Overview: Briefly describe your organisation, its mission, and its industry or sector. This helps establish the context in which the lone worker policy operates.
Changing Work Landscape: Discuss any shifts or developments in the world of work that have led to the need for a lone worker policy. This might include the rise of remote work, flexible schedules, or evolving job roles.
Relevance: Explain why the policy is relevant to your organisation, including the types of lone workers it applies to and the specific risks they face.
Legal and Regulatory Context: Mention any relevant laws, regulations, or industry standards that necessitate the policy. This demonstrates your organisation's compliance with legal obligations.
Relationship with Other Policies: If applicable, briefly explain how the lone worker policy aligns with, or complements, other workplace safety policies or procedures.
It's important to provide clear and concise explanations of key terms and concepts used throughout the policy, including how you are identifying lone workers. This ensures that everyone within the organisation has a shared understanding, reducing any ambiguity.
Personal Safety
This section outlines procedures and guidelines that lone workers must follow to proactively manage their safety while working. If you have employees working alone in multiple different roles, it may be appropriate to write a section of procedures for each group of employees. This may include:
Emphasising that staff should take all reasonable precautions to ensure their own safety, as they would in any other circumstances.
Processes for alerting managers of any lone working, including what information is required e.g. location.
Steps to be followed to allow managers to ensure the safety of staff e.g. checking in and out of appointments using lone working apps or devices.
What to do in the event of a near-miss e.g. who to report this to and links to any relevant guidance.
Assessment of risk
When conducting a risk assessment, several key considerations are to be taken into account, tailored to the specific circumstances:
Environment-based risk: This involves evaluating the location's characteristics, security measures in place, and accessibility. It considers whether the environment poses any risks to the lone worker.
Task-based risk: Assess the nature of the task and any special circumstances related to it. Different tasks may carry unique risks, and this section accounts for those variations.
People-based risk: Analyse potential risks associated with clients and members of the public. This includes considering whether there have been any previous incidents in similar situations.
Risk Briefing: Prior to embarking on their tasks, staff should receive thorough briefings concerning both the associated risks and the specific tasks they will be performing. This ensures that lone workers are well-informed and aware of potential hazards.
Communication and Check-Ins: Robust communication protocols, including regular check-ins, must be established. These procedures serve as lifelines for lone workers and help to provide critical information in emergency situations.
Fall Back Arrangements: Contingency plans should be in place to address unforeseen situations or emergencies. These arrangements are essential for responding effectively to unexpected challenges and ensuring the safety of lone workers.
Detail the steps employees must take to report a hazard, incident, or near-miss and who to report this to. This data will help managers and lone workers learn from any incidents and continuously improve the lone worker policy and its procedures.
Explain the lone worker safety apps or devices that will be provided to your lone workers, along with a clear procedure for how the business intends them to be used. Also, outline any necessary training and how employees should report any problems.
This section should outline known risks that lone workers may face in their role and clear procedures for mitigating these risks. This section should reference your lone working risk assessment and be highly customised to fit your organisation’s industry, employees, and other unique factors, such as location.
According to the HSE, risks that particularly affect lone workers include:
the workplace itself e.g. rural and isolated
physical violence in the workplace
stress and mental health or wellbeing
a person’s medical suitability to work alone
For further guidance on what constitutes a workplace hazard, click here.
For each identified risk, detail the step-by-step procedures and safety measures that should be followed by lone workers, including who to contact, how to request assistance, and the proper use of personal safety technology.
Regularly monitoring and reviewing your lone worker policy is essential in maintaining it and ensuring it remains effective over time. This section should outline the processes for reviewing and updating your policy, including the frequency of review, who is responsible for this and any additional incidents that will cause the policy to be reviewed.
Here you should offer additional internal and external support resources for lone workers. Organisations can provide contact details of designated internal people or departments who are available to address any of their concerns. External resources can include relevant charities such as Suzy Lamplugh Trust or local authorities.
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