Lone working: Questions, answered

We have a number of employees who spend large amounts of their day working alone in contact with members of the general public. What training should they be undertaking to keep them safe?

Employees who work with members of the public are at risk of violence and aggression. Working alone heightens this risk, therefore employers are required to ensure their work activities and situations are rigorously risk assessed and all identified controls put in place.

As you identify, training is another element to keeping them safe, and employers should make sure lone workers are trained adequately.

Conflict management and personal safety training courses aim to equip lone workers with the tools necessary to be able to identify potentially violent situations, understand the triggers that could lead to them, use, read and understand body language, know how to defuse events so that they can take themselves out of them safely and know what to do in the event of an attack, either verbal or physical.

Training often takes place over a day and is delivered in a range of formats from the traditional classroom-based sessions to courses that use actors, giving a dramatic and very realistic view of the type of events that can arise.

Personal safety is a complicated area of risk management and it is not practical to have a single approach. The ability to deal with difficult situations is a personal skill and can vary from one employee to the other, so there is no competence standard.

The organisation should also ensure that it has clear policies and procedures for lone working and the reporting and follow-up of incidents, and that employees are fully briefed on these procedures and have had an opportunity to contribute to them.

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When do you need a lone working system? Our organisation has a number of staff members who have to meet clients outside of the office environment. Should we introduce a “lone working system” for these employees?

Yes. As lone workers are defined as those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision either working in fixed establishments or mobile away from a fixed base, you would need to implement a lone working system.

There are no general legal prohibitions on working alone, but the broad duties of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations apply and require the employer to identify hazards of the work, assessing the risks involved, and putting measures in place to avoid or control the risks.

The Health and Safety Executive states that “when a risk assessment shows that it is not possible for the work to be done safely by a lone worker, arrangements for providing help or back-up should be put in place” and that “procedures must be put in place to monitor lone workers to help keep them healthy and safe”.

The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, defines a lone working system as a “method or technology-based solution that encourages dynamic risk assessment but also provides a way of raising an alert and then tracing your staff when they are alone and/or off site to monitor their safety”.

There are a number of systems available ranging from low technology (such as a diary or whiteboard system) to high technology (using mobiles, radios, lone working devices and even tracking devices).

The Trust recommends that the following course of action be taken when considering the use of a lone working system.:

• Determine the need for a lone working system through the risk assessment process.
• Consider the use of a system as part of a wider solution that incorporates changes to procedures, dynamic risk assessment, a lone worker policy and personal safety training.
• Involve employees in the selection of the most appropriate system and trial a number of systems.
• Evaluate the system chosen once it has been implemented so as to ensure its effectiveness.

The Trust emphasises that it is essential that employees understand how to use the system and remain familiarised with it through appropriate initial and ongoing training. It is also vital that the system is used consistently and that there are clear consequences for staff who fail to use it appropriately.

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My employer has introduced an “internal alert system” which is activated by portable panic buttons carried by individual members of staff. I have been tasked with developing a training programme for users of such devices. Could you outline what should be included in the training?

Internal alert systems are essentially personal safety devices. Often, these systems are connected to a central control room, which is alerted when an incident is occurring and can indicate its exact location and ensure an immediate response.

Although such devices may not necessarily prevent incidents of violence or aggression occurring, if used correctly in conjunction with robust procedures, they will enhance the protection of lone workers.

Part of a robust system will include that staff are given the appropriate levels of information, instruction and training. The training will include:

• the rationale for the employer’s adoption of the system derived from risks identified through the risk assessment process
• key operational elements of the system (e.g. devices, alarm receiving, maintenance)
• protocols for using the devices and the devices operational functions
• user responsibilities and procedures to ensure the devices are not abused and are working efficiently
• alarm handling process and escalation through to the emergency services.

Written instruction in the use of any devices and wider system is normally available from the supplier of the equipment and should be integrated into the training.

It is essential that the devices are only actuated to summon assistance when the employee is in danger of being assaulted or has been threatened. It is, therefore, essential that users are instructed on the protocols for use, which can be based upon and escalation process.

The British Security Industry Association has produced useful guidance on this aspect. It can be useful to undertake some scenario-based training in this aspect to provide users with case studies and worked examples.

As with any alarm system, it is essential that the system is working efficiently. Users must, therefore, be instructed in how to protect devices from accidental misuse or damage. They should also be instructed to:

• ensure the device battery is fully charged before utilising the device
• check that the signal strength is adequate
• ensure the device is protected from unfavourable environmental and climatic conditions
• ensure they can reach the device and operate it easily and discreetly.