Ensure lone workers' safety

It is not possible to continuously supervise lone workers, but you can reduce health and safety risks by communicating with them regularly and monitoring their working conditions and practices. 

As an employers, you must consult your workforce on health and safety matters. It is important to talk to employees, as they are a valuable source of information and advice. Effective consultation will also help you spot hazards and take measures to reduce the risks. 

There are various steps you can take depending on the type of work being carried out and the type of premises being used. You could:

• Make regular visits to a lone worker. This is the best way of monitoring workplace hazards and safe working practices.
• Consider increased supervision where employees are new to a job, undergoing training, doing a job which presents special risks, or dealing with new situations.
• Set up a simple procedure for lone workers to report incidents such as accidents and near misses.
• Make sure lone workers know that they should take regular breaks and avoid working excessively long hours.
• Ask people working on their own if they feel there are any safety concerns that aren't being addressed.
• Encourage lone workers to seek help and advice if any safety concerns arise.
• Encourage lone homeworkers to visit your business premises every now and again. Face-to-face contact with colleagues might help them feel part of a team.
• Make sure that lone workers can keep in regular contact with you, especially those facing particular risks of accident or violence. See security for lone workers.
• Make sure you provide lone workers with any necessary training, instruction or demonstration.
• Keep confidential records - higher sickness rates or increased absenteeism levels may indicate potential problems.

Your aim is to ensure that lone workers aren't at greater risk than other workers. If this isn't possible, you should take action. You might decide a particular worker is not suited to lone working, or that an activity is too dangerous to be carried out by one person on their own.