What Lone Workers Need To Do

WHAT LONE WORKERS NEED TO DO

Under Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999, staff have a responsibility to take reasonable care of themselves and to cooperate with their employer.

Even with a good employer and line management support to make lone working safer, there are still things that lone workers themselves can do to protect their own safety:

Report incidents

Incidents and near misses provide details about violent or unpredictable patients, unsafe environments and important information on the risks faced. Through more accurate and increased reporting by staff, more will become known about the nature, scale and extent of the issues affecting lone workers. As a result of reporting a health and safety concern, policies and procedures can be updated and steps can be taken to address these risks.

Follow the lone worker policies and procedures

Before starting lone working, staff should familiarise themselves with the policies, procedures and risk assessments that have been put in place to protect their safety. All personal and escalation contact details should be kept up to date.

Be prepared

When travelling to meet a new patient or visiting an unfamiliar environment, gather as much information as possible about who you’re going to see and where they live. Google Maps' street view can be used to see what the area looks like and check if there is parking nearby. As part of the planning process, emergency equipment such as a power bank charger, a torch and a first aid kit should be put together.

Attend training

Receiving appropriate training in risk assessment, conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques is a key element in building skills for lone working safely.

Assess risks to personal safety

When staff are going to be working alone, they should be able to assess any immediate and unfolding risks to their safety. This is called dynamic risk assessment.

Communicate movements

Lone workers should always ensure that someone else within the organisation is aware of their movements. This means providing them with the address(es) of where they will be working, details of the people they will be working with or visiting, telephone numbers (if known) and expected arrival and departure times.

Make use of lone worker devices

There is a wide range of technology that can support lone workers to complete their job safely including the extensive choice of products provided by Peoplesafe. It is the staff member’s responsibility to ensure they know how to use the device, that it is fully charged and ready to use and remains in good working order.

Reduce risks

If you’re carrying equipment such as medical supplies or a laptop, make sure they are kept out of sight and secure when not in use.

NHS staff have the right to refuse to treat a patient if there is a serious threat of violence, but this needs careful consideration.

Employers cannot dismiss or discipline workers for leaving their workplace because of danger perceived to be ‘serious and imminent’ and which they could not be reasonably expected to prevent.

The Code from the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) states that workers should take account of their own personal safety as well as those they care for. If any members of staff have concerns about their personal safety, they should contact their manager or local trade union representative.