Are you doing enough to support your lone workers?

For many of us, the pandemic brought a sudden and dramatic change to our working lives. One day we were working from bustling offices, the next, we were fielding video calls alone at the kitchen table. For the first time, we had become part of a different group: the lone workers.

However, many of us might not have realised that the concept of lone working is nothing new to many sectors. The pandemic has simply brought increasing attention to a category of worker that has always existed. From delivery drivers to maintenance workers and healthcare professionals, you might be surprised to learn that between 6 and 8 million people (20% of the UK workforce) were classed as ‘lone workers’ in 2018.

But, with more attention on lone workers than ever, what does lone working really mean, and how best can organisations like yours support lone workers?

What is lone working and who counts as a lone worker?

As defined by the Health and Safety Executive, lone workers are “those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.” While the profile has changed over time, lone workers can generally be classified into three broad categories:

1. Those who have a fixed base but spend much of their time elsewhere. This can include everyone from estate agents, to healthcare staff, to utility workers out in the field.
2. Mobile lone workers like bus, train, and delivery drivers.
3. Home workers. Since the pandemic, many businesses are employing lone workers for the first time, and may not have considered the risks involved.

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to put in place arrangements to control health and safety risks for employees while at work. While no specific differentiation exists for lone workers, the nature of lone working means that risk mitigation can be more challenging to get right.

The challenges posed by lone working

Lone workers face a wide range of different risks that will vary from role to role and sector to sector. However, what unites them is that working alone – without anyone to immediately help them in an emergency – makes them more vulnerable.

For example, if someone collapses in the workplace, colleagues are in a position to call for help or carry out first aid. A lone worker in the same situation could go for a long period without being discovered. Violence can also be a real issue. Around 150 lone workers are physically or verbally attacked each day in the UK.

Working alone can also impact individuals psychologically, particularly in roles with high levels of physical or mental stress. While some people might enjoy working without the distractions and irritations of colleagues, others can feel isolated.

Without supervision, it is also harder to ensure that workers comply with employer procedures around areas like information security. Workers might find their own solutions to problems. For example emailing documents to their personal devices to make printing easier, without realising the security implications.

How can you reduce risk for lone workers?

Addressing risk for lone workers requires a strategic approach. A full risk assessment should be undertaken to identify the dangers, and a lone worker policy should be incorporated into onboarding, training and communicated regularly.

Communication strategy is also essential. It’s important that lone workers are able to quickly raise problems with colleagues, gain any practical or emotional support they might need, and raise the alarm in case of emergency.

Different communication approaches will be required for different roles and needs. For example, a personal alarm system for emergencies, a chat platform for ongoing matters, a notification system to say that a worker has arrived at a destination or completed a task.

Ultimately, there are more people who can be classed as lone workers than ever, and keeping them safe requires bespoke and robust policies.

How standards can help you support lone workers

A revision of BS 8484: 2016, BS 8484: 2022 has been published this year, with an updated code of practice to help with the provision of lone worker services. The standard can help to inform and guide your policies, offering recommendations and best practice on issues such as safety and security, controlling risk, monitoring, training, and response.

The standard is aimed at improving an organisation’s culture by incorporating employee safety, wellbeing, and security at a strategic level. This can contribute to improved governance, management of risk, and compliance with company policies and legal obligations.

Incidentally, BS 8484: 2022 contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals -  Goal 3 on promoting well-being, Goal 8 on decent work and Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure.

For organisations employing lone workers, it may also be worth exploring other occupational health standards, including the recently published BS ISO 45003:2021 – a ground-breaking standard that helps to manage psychosocial risks such as stress and anxiety.

If you have any questions about standards like BS 8484: 2022, BSI Members can get in touch with the Knowledge Centre’s information experts.