Lone worker safety explained – how to keep them safe?

At Access Personal Safety we know that lone worker protection can be complex and safety plans can change depending on each employee safety policies, plans, and procedures take time to develop and update, so we want to make accessing and updating all this information easier, allowing more time to be spent supporting lone workers and training them on how best they can protect themselves.  

By the end of this article, you will hopefully know and understand all there is to know and do about protecting lone workers.  We will also provide some lone working safety tips and a checklist for you to help ensure all regulations are enforced both now and, in the future to reduce risks and improve your lone working safety measures. 

What is lone worker safety and protection? 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines a lone worker as someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision. There are various types of lone workers including NHS workers, security guards, truck drivers, as well as home and remote workers, to name a few.  

Due to there being various types of lone workers, lone worker safety and protection policies can differ dramatically.  

Lone worker safety therefore refers to the measures and protocols in place to ensure both positive physical and mental wellbeing in the working environment or environments. It involves ensuring that all lone workers, regardless of the sector they are in, have both the resources and information they need to complete their work in the safest way possible to reduce risks. 

Lone Worker Protection – Why is it important? 

As discussed above, lone worker protection is essential because individuals working alone are more vulnerable and are at a higher risk of accidents, injuries, or incidents without immediate assistance. Some lone workers face higher risks including medical emergencies, violence, or environmental hazards. In these cases, timely responses are vital to prioritise the safety of your lone workers. 

By making lone worker protection your top priority, risks and potential harm to your lone working employees can be reduced, and procedures and policies can be put in place so both managers and employees know and understand how to promote a safer working environment, as well as know what to do when an incident occurs.  

Lone worker protection and safety is also important as it helps to enhance productivity. Lone workers who feel safe and supported are more likely to increase their productivity because they can focus on their tasks without having any concerns about their safety. This, in turn, helps to increase their mental wellbeing by reducing stress and anxiety associated with working alone.  

Health and safety lone working – What are the regulations? 

Just like any workplace, there are mandatory regulations in place to keep everyone safe, and regulations for lone workers are no different. Depending on the level of risk a lone worker can experience there are often additional regulations to adhere to.  

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK government agency responsible for the regulation and enforcement of workplace health, safety, and welfare. These regulations also sometimes include specific regulations for lone workers. Some of the main regulations that must be followed include: 

• Health and Safety Work Act 1974  

The most well-known and overarching legislation identifies employers’ responsibilities to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of all their employees. 

• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 

These regulations emphasise the need for risk assessments and the implementation of measures to reduce and control the risks identified in the assessment. 

• The Working Time Regulations 1998 

These regulations, like for all employees, ensure lone workers have the right to adequate rest breaks, holidays, and maximum weekly working hours. These regulations also specify if certain lone workers need longer breaks than other lone workers to prevent exhaustion and burnout. For example, truck and HGV drivers have to have a 45-minute rest break after every 4 and a half hours’ worth of driving.  

• Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 

This example of working regulations ensures suitable equipment is provided to fulfill an employee’s job safely. This is arguably more vital for lone workers as it can help to reduce risks and potential harm.  

You can find more guidance and regulations for specific types of lone workers on the HSE website. Employers are obliged to follow these regulations to ensure the safety and protection of their lone workers. If employers don’t then they are at risk of serious penalties for not keeping lone workers safe. For example, between 2020 and 2021 fines of £26.9 million were issued to companies found guilty of a health and safety offence. On average each company had to pay £145,000.  

What rules can lone workers follow to keep themselves safe? 

Like employers, lone worker employees themselves also have rules and regulations to follow to keep themselves safe. It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure their employees know and understand their regulations and how to follow them.  

Procedures also need to be in place in case an emergency occurs so both employees and managers know what to expect and what the next steps will be to provide a timely and efficient response.  

Most industries will also have more specific rules and guidelines that lone workers have to follow to keep themselves safe. The list below demonstrates some of the most common rules lone workers follow and the things they can do to keep safe: 

1. Complete all training and education – including how to raise potential risks, use equipment, and raise emergency response protocols  
2. Maintain regular communication with managers and supervisors – including check-ins, start and finish times, and any delays in work 
3. Follow risk assessments – regularly assess the working environment and flag potential hazards so they can be mitigated quickly  
4. Fully understand emergency procedures – including how to report incidents, seek help, and administer first aid if needed  
5. Prioritise health and wellbeing – take regular breaks, stay hydrated, and avoid situations that could compromise safety 
6. Stay vigilant  
7. Follow all company policies and procedures  
8. Trust their instincts – if a lone worker feels unsafe or uncomfortable they must know how to take the necessary action  

Lone Worker Safety Plan – Where to start? 

When putting together a lone worker safety plan it can be difficult to know whether you have included everything to keep your lone workers safe, from identifying risks to maintaining and following regulations. Below is a step-by-step guide broken down into 9 different sections.

1. Risk Assessment  

• Identify potential risks associated with the specific job role of each lone worker, the tasks they will be completing, and the environments they will be working in 
• Evaluate potential hazards including physical risks, environmental factors, and the likelihood of threatening or violent situations (depending on job role)

2. Regulatory Compliance  

• Research and fully understand all the lone worker regulations from HSE and ensure your policies and procedures align with those regulations 

3. Communication and Protocols  

• Establish clear communication protocols for lone workers so they can maintain contact throughout each day  
• Determine the frequency and methods of communication – including the number of check-ins and the use of communication devices or alarm systems  

4. Emergency Response Procedures  

• Develop detailed protocols to respond to emergencies and report incidents  

5. Training and Education  

• Provide comprehensive training to lone workers regarding potential risks, safety procedures, and proper use of equipment  
• Put in regular working sessions to keep lone workers updated on safety practices and changes in procedures

6. Safety equipment and tools  

• Identify and provide appropriate safety equipment and tools necessary for job roles and hazards associated with lone working  

7. Regular Reviews and Updates  

• Implement a system to regularly review and update the safety plan to adapt to changing work environments, tasks, regulations, or workforce 

8. Reporting  

• Maintain detailed records of risk assessments, safety procedures, training sessions, incidents, and near-misses 

9. Support and resources  

• Provide lone workers with the information and resources needed to have access to all the support they require  

Lone Worker Safety Checklist  

Whether you are an employee or an employer it can be complex to determine if everyone is following every step to stay safe. Here is a checklist to make sure you are doing everything to ensure your lone worker's safety measures are consistently being followed.  

1. Ensure all risk assessments are up-to-date and regularly checked  

2. Establish regular check-ins  

3. Regularly check safety equipment  

4. Have procedures in place to report incidents and faulty equipment  

5. Stay up-to-date with relevant guidelines changes and offer training to keep lone workers safe  

6. Keep records of all lone worker plans, safety checks, and incidents  

7. Consistently review and update records 

Lone Worker Safety Tips - How can Access Personal Safety help? 

With lots of lone worker devices to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which device is best for you whilst following all lone worker safety regulations.

At Access Personal Safety, we want to provide all lone workers and managers with the tools needed to enhance their safety and wellbeing. Access Personal Safety offers a variety of solutions to help suit all lone working needs.  

Our market-leading selection of easy-to-use devices ensures safety and fast provision of assistance when required. We aim to improve staff productivity by providing reassurance that they will always be safe whilst supporting the responsibilities of employers.  

With a wide range of features our solutions help to support all types of lone workers, including offering discreet features making it easier for lone workers to raise alarms when they are in potentially violent or threatening situations.  

All data collected across our lone worker devices including our Oysta Watch, badge, ranger ruggedised device, and our Rio device is stored under our intelligence platform Intellicare to let managers see alerts, manage devices, and activity report. This information can also be accessed by employers and employees anytime and anywhere through our Personal Safety App.

There are lots of steps involved to keep lone workers safe. What is important to note is every lone worker can experience different risks and subsequently will need different devices to support this. At Access Personal Safety we can bespoke our devices to best meet your company’s and your lone worker’s needs both now and, in the future, as they change. 

For more information explore our lone worker protection devices today and see how we can bespoke our devices first-hand to help keep your lone workers safe and help manage your health and safety regulations more easily and efficiently.  

Contact us today and let’s get started in providing better protection and safety for your lone workers to ensure their welfare, provide reassurance, improve work productivity, and most importantly create and happy and safe working environment.