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| Image Credit: Pexels |
{This is a collaborative post}
Many business owners would agree with the sentiment that a
company’s employees are its most valuable asset.
But when it comes to actually keeping workers out of harm’s way, all too often, there is a disconnect between what they say and their approach to worker safety. This is especially so with lone workers, who often face unique, job-specific risks and hazards that are difficult to handle without proper care and attention.
The good news is that it doesn’t need to be difficult to keep lone workers safe. If HR managers and safety bosses adopt the right attitude and get to grips with safety best practice, no lone worker needs to be unduly put at risk while on the job.
Let’s find out more.
Know The Law
By sticking closely to what the law has to say on worker
safety, you protect yourself from a legal case.
Just as importantly, you bake safety-consciousness into
everything you do once you understand what the law requires when it comes to
worker safety.
You need to be familiar with two pieces of legislation here:
- Health
and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSWA).
- Management
of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSWR).
Perform a Risk Assessment
The 1999 regulations are your guide to keeping lone workers
safe, especially Regulation 3, which requires employers to carry out worker
safety risk assessments.
The UK’s Health and Safety Executive (HSA) has provided some handy guidance on how to
perform one.
They suggest a company covers the following bases:
- Identify
hazards: Anything that might cause harm or injury to the worker should
be pinpointed and recorded.
- Consider
who might be harmed and how: As far as lone workers are concerned,
think about what makes them vulnerable and how the risks might arise.
- Control
the risks: Put control measures in place to remove (if possible) or
reduce and mitigate the risks you’ve identified if they can’t be
eliminated.
- Record
findings: A legal requirement if the business has five or more
employees.
- Review
and update periodically: This is especially important if there are
changes in the way lone workers are expected to carry out tasks, or if a
safety event or near miss has occurred recently.
Use Technology
When it comes to lone worker safety, the HSE emphasises that
supervision and communication are essential. Technology has an important role
to play here. A lone worker app is a convenient way to keep in touch with lone workers.
Almost every worker nowadays has a personal mobile phone,
allowing a safety app to be downloaded and run in the background.
Lone worker apps come loaded with handy safety tools such as
on-screen SOS buttons, true man-down detection, GPS positioning, and timed
check-ins.
Review
A lone worker safety regime is only as good as its last
review. That’s because risks change, work sites evolve, and hazards
spring up where once there were none. With this in mind, it’s important to set
aside time to review all worksites and reassess all risks.
And remember, lone worker safety should be a consultative
and collaborative effort – the men and women in the field know the risks and
hazards they face better than anyone, so make sure you consult with the workers
when reviewing and updating risk assessments.
Conclusion
Keeping lone workers safe can seem a daunting task, given
the many diverse risks and hazards they face.
But as we have demonstrated, best practice is simple in principle. It is centred on knowing the law, conducting a thorough risk assessment and adopting the appropriate safety technology.
