There are no defined restrictions on lone working – the law requires us to carry out a specific risk assessment on activities carried out by lone workers, any restrictions will depend on the findings of that risk assessment.

1. Health, Safety and Environment
Issue Date:
Weekly Review
Issue Date : 6 / 8 / 2013
SIMS Events waiting for
Managers Comments
First Aid Recordable
No. injuries ytd 10 1
No. days worked since
last OSHA recordable
171 (15/2/13)
No. days worked since
last RIDDOR injury
161 (15/2/13)
9
INJURY
THS
WEEK
Injury
Performance
0
Lone & Isolated Workers
There are no defined restrictions on lone working – the law requires us to carry out
a specific risk assessment on activities carried out by lone workers, any restrictions
will depend on the findings of that risk assessment.
There are two main pieces of legislation that apply to lone workers.
• The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974: Section 2 sets out a duty of care
on employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees
whilst they are at work
• The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999: Regulation 3
states that every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of
the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed
whilst they are at work
Is it safe to work alone ?
Lone working is not against the law, and it will often
be safe to do so. The law does require employers
and others to carry out a risk assessment to identify
both health and safety risks, and effective controls,
before people are allowed to work alone.
INDG 73
Working Alone
In Safety
Key Controls are identified in MP 1404 Lone or Isolated, and include……
• A risk assessment is required for each identified Lone Working task
Note - any risk assessments you already have for lone worker tasks need to be
reviewed against the updated MP, which now also calls for consideration to be
given to the provision and use of ‘man down’ communication devices dependant
on the work content and the time period required for the lone working.
• Lone workers will make contact with their control point each hour
• The control point will be continuously manned
• A record of the contact will be maintained
• If a lone worker fails to make contact, a suitable search will be conducted
• Employees who have a known medical condition that will affects their lone
working shall not be assigned lone worker tasks

2. Managers of employees who will work alone need to …….
• Carry out a risk assessment for the activity
• Identify a contact point / individual
• Identify an effective means of contact (e.g. 2 way radio, telephone etc.)
• Refer any employee who has a relevant medical condition to our Occupational
Healthcare provider, who will identify if the employee is suitable for lone working
Team Leaders of employees who will work alone need to …….
• Ask the employee if they have a medical condition relevant to lone working
• If any such condition is believed to exist, refer the individual to the Manager
Employees who work alone (including office workers outside normal hours) need to …
• Tell their Team Leader / H.R. if they have a medical condition which may make
them unsuitable for lone worker activities
• Make contact at the start of any lone worker period (expected to last 1 hour or
more)
• Make contact each hour during lone worker periods
• Make contact at the end of the Lone Working periods to confirm lone working has
ended
If you are manning the contact point , you need to …….
• Ensure you keep a log of lone workers
• Attempt to contact them promptly if they miss an agreed contact time
• Raise the alarm and initiate a suitable search if they can’t be contacted