Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, it is the employers’ duty to assess risks of the job to their employees and take steps to avoid or control risks associated with the job. Employees have the responsibility to avoid risk wherever possible and cooperate with their employer to enable them to meet their legal obligations by wearing appropriate protective clothing and adhering to safe systems of working. Lone working is commonplace and legally acceptable providing the necessary Risk Assessments are conducted for a potentially large range of duties that has to be covered under the above Act and Regulation, including:
Identifying the hazards (Something that can cause someone harm)
Assessing the risks (The chance, high or low, that harm can be caused by a hazard)
Putting measures into place in order to reduce the risks posed to individuals’ health.
Lone working appears in a variety of industries including factory and warehouse workers and those working in unsociable hours like office cleaners or security officers as well as drivers, engineers and sales representatives. Alongside this employers are required to be aware of any specific risks posed to lone workers that apply in their industry sector in order to establish safe working arrangements for their employees and to establish if the person is medically fit to carry out work on their own.
Risk assessments should be carried out and managed in much the same way as for any other work situation.
It’s important to consult workers whenever you undertake risk assessments but this is never more important than when assessing lone workers. After all, by definition, they may well be aware of issues that are not obvious to anyone else.
Lone workers are often employed on the premises of other organisations. Where this is the case, the other employer has a duty to inform the worker’s employer about any risks that are present and the control measures that are in place. It is worth double checking that such information has, in fact, been provided and is included in risk assessments.
In addition to regular health and safety legislation, there are laws that control lone working in particular industries, such as diving operations or scaffolding. Clearly you need to take them into account in your risk assessments.
It’s important to consult workers whenever you undertake risk assessments but this is never more important than when assessing lone workers. After all, by definition, they may well be aware of issues that are not obvious to anyone else.
Lone workers are often employed on the premises of other organisations. Where this is the case, the other employer has a duty to inform the worker’s employer about any risks that are present and the control measures that are in place. It is worth double checking that such information has, in fact, been provided and is included in risk assessments.
In addition to regular health and safety legislation, there are laws that control lone working in particular industries, such as diving operations or scaffolding. Clearly you need to take them into account in your risk assessments.
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