What is a Lone Worker Policy?

Search data tells us that, ‘what is a lone worker policy?’ is a commonly searched, by what are presumably employers. This blog will explain what a lone working policy is, why you should have one, and the importance of a good policy.

What is a Lone Worker Policy?

 

A lone working policy is a practical guide that should outline hazards and define procedures for lone workers.

Employees need to be able to apply the policy directly to their own role, so your lone worker policy will be unique to your organisation, depending on the challenges your staff come up against and what solutions you choose to protect them.

Do I Need a Lone Working Policy?

 

Image from the blog of First2helpYou, a provider of lone worker alarms, where they explain what a lone worker policy is.

If you’ve asked the question, then it’s very likely that you do need a policy. If your employees work alone, they’re lone workers and a policy must be created. Simple answer!

A policy needs to be put in place to not only guide employees but help protect them. From a business perspective, a lone worker policy also protects your organisation any from potential trouble with the law. The senior office furniture experts at Calibre also completely support this policy especially as their Sales staff are always out on design visits on their own.

It’s not illegal to be a lone worker or to employ people to work on their own. It’s not even a legal requirement to have a lone worker policy or device, believe it or not! It is, however, illegal to put employees at risk due to negligence.

Several pieces of legislation cover lone working: Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, and the Corporate Manslaughter Act 2007. You need to take all reasonable precautions to protect your staff, that includes risk assessments and a lone working policy.

A lone worker policy should be a practical guide which staff can apply to their duties on a daily basis; not just a ‘paper exercise’. Separate to a general safety policy, your lone worker policy puts you in a good position to highlight and keep a focus on the safety of your staff.

Why A Good Policy is Important

Aside from the three reasons above, a good lone working policy establishes your business as a responsible one, which cares for its employees.  Having a lone worker policy promotes a positive safety culture, and healthy attitudes towards safety from your employees when put together with care. Taking the time to highlight the policy and discuss it on a regular basis with lone workers and their managers will keep safety and lone working a current and never overlooked topic.

Image from the blog of First2helpYou, a provider of lone worker alarms, where they explain what a lone worker policy is.

A good policy will also act as a guide for your staff. It can be scary being a lone worker, and having a document that employees can refer back to is a comfort. Much like lone worker alarms, it acts as a sort of security blanket.

Your lone worker policy should cover most of the situations which one of your lone workers may run into, a structured set of procedures and guidance can help coach employees to become confident in their roles, and facing hazards.

If you haven’t yet got a lone worker policy in place, take a look at our guidance on creating a lone worker policy.

Get in Touch With First2HelpYou

At First2HelpYou we pride ourselves on not only supplying fantastic lone worker alarms but on the advice and coaching we can also offer our clients. If you want to talk about your lone worker policy or have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch or give us a call on 0333 7729401.