Why is Lone Worker Training Important?

Regardless of the resources in place, comprehensive health and safety training is crucial to equip all employees with the skills they need to work safely. For lone workers, additional training is essential to address the unique risks they face when working independently.

Lone workers are at greater risk of incidents because there are no colleagues around to help spot a hazard or prevent an accident. This makes it vital for them to be able to identify and manage risks on their own.

Without colleagues nearby, lone workers may also find it harder to get help during emergencies. However, proper training can be used to prepare them to handle unexpected situations, such as injuries or incidents of violence, with confidence.

“Those in control of work have a responsibility to provide adequate training to their employees so that they can operate equipment safely and devise safe methods of working. This includes providing the appropriate information, instruction and training to their workers.” - HSE Inspector Nigel Fitzhugh

Essential Training for Lone Workers

To ensure the safety of lone workers, it's crucial that they receive training in several key areas to address the unique challenges they face. This includes:

Dynamic Risk Assessment

Lone workers often operate in environments that are difficult to control, such as private homes or community spaces. As a result, there is always the chance of unexpected risks arising, so lone workers should be trained on how to conduct a dynamic risk assessment. This involves continuously analysing and assessing their surroundings to identify potential hazards, enabling them to reduce risks in real time. Find out more.

Diffusing Aggression and Conflict Resolution

Workers interacting with the public may encounter aggression. To prevent situations from escalating, lone workers should be trained to recognise early signs of aggression and respond appropriately. An employee being able to confidently and effectively prevent an aggressive situation from becoming violent will help them to safely exit before it can escalate further. Find out more.

Understanding the Risks

Slips, trips, falls, and incidents involving lifting, carrying, or moving objects are among the leading causes of workplace injuries. Lone workers should understand how these accidents happen and how to prevent them. Injuries can also occur when equipment or machinery is used incorrectly, so before working with any specialist equipment, employees should undergo training on how to use it safely by a qualified individual.

How to React in an Emergency

Lone working leaves the employee responsible for their own personal safety. As an organisation, you should have clear policies and procedures for lone workers to follow in the event of an emergency. A good lone working policy will outline a number of potential scenarios and provide guidance and advice on how the member of staff should react.

How to Implement Training

1 Identify Training Needs

Begin by assessing potential hazards specific to your employees' tasks. Tailor training to address universal risks (e.g., fire safety) and more specific hazards, such as those faced by lone workers or employees working with dangerous substances.

2 Choose Appropriate Training Methods

The method used to deliver training may vary alongside the types of training being delivered. For low-risk tasks, written documents or videos may suffice, while high-risk training benefits from interactive or face-to-face sessions. Consider adding quizzes as a method of knowledge checking.

3 Implement Training

Once methods are decided, implement the training for all relevant staff, including new hires. Ensure that self-employed or contracted workers under your supervision also receive the necessary training and are familiar with your health and safety procedures.

4 Review and Refresh Training

Regularly revisit training to maintain standards. For example, the London Fire Brigade advise that fire safety training should be refreshed at least annually, so you may apply a similar schedule to other training sessions to ensure ongoing competence.