This document discusses health and safety issues related to lone and isolated workers. It provides the following information: 1) There are 10 pending SIMS events requiring manager comments and no injuries reported for the year or week. Key controls for lone workers include risk assessments, hourly check-ins, a continuously manned contact point, and restrictions for those with medical conditions. 2) The main legislation governing lone workers is the Health and Safety at Work Act and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, which require risk assessments. 3) Deficiencies were recently identified in compliance with lone worker procedures, so all employees, including office workers, must follow requirements like risk assessments and check-ins.

1. Health, Safety and Environment
Weekly Review
10 SIMS Events waiting for
Managers Comments
First Aid
No. injuries ytd
Issue Date:
Issue Date : 21 / 10 / 2013
Lone & Isolated Workers
Recordable
14
1
No. days worked since
last OSHA recordable
248 (15/2/13)
No. days worked since
last RIDDOR injury
248 (15/2/13)
Injury
Performance
1
INJURY
THS
WEEK
There are no defined restrictions on lone working – the law requires us to carry out
a specific risk assessment on activities carried out by lone workers, any restrictions
or controls will depend on the findings of that risk assessment.
There are two main pieces of legislation that apply to lone workers.
•
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974: Section 2 sets out a duty of care
on employers to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees whilst
they are at work
•
The Management of Health and Safety at work Regulations 1999: Regulation 3
states that every employer shall make a suitable and sufficient assessment of
the risks to the health and safety of his employees to which they are exposed
whilst they are at work
Is it safe to work alone ?
Lone working is not against the law, and it will often
be safe to do so. The law does require employers
and others to carry out a risk assessment to identify
both health and safety risks, and effective controls,
before people are allowed to work alone.
INDG 73
Working Alone
In Safety
Key Controls are identified in MP 1404 Lone or Isolated Workers, and include……
• A risk assessment is required for each identified Lone Working task
Note - any risk assessments you already have for lone worker tasks need to be
reviewed against the MP, which now also calls for consideration to be given to the
provision and use of ‘man down’ communication devices dependant on the work
content and the time period required for the lone working.
• Lone workers will make contact with their control point each hour
• The control point will be continuously manned
• A record of the contact will be maintained
• If a lone worker fails to make contact, a suitable search will be conducted
• Employees who have a known medical condition that will affects their lone
working shall not be assigned lone worker tasks

2. Despite Lone Working being the topic of our communications in early
August this year, a recent SVP audit of our Lone Worker procedures has
identified a number of deficiencies in our compliance.
This MP and these Rules apply just as much to office workers as they do
to plant personnel.
For your own safety, you need to comply.
Managers of employees who will work alone need to …….
• Carry out a risk assessment for the activity
• Identify a contact point / individual
• Identify an effective means of contact (e.g. 2 way radio, telephone etc.)
• Refer any employee who has a relevant medical condition to our Occupational
Healthcare provider, who will identify if the employee is suitable for lone working
Team Leaders of employees who will work alone need to …….
• Ask the employee if they have a medical condition relevant to lone working
• If any such condition is believed to exist, refer the individual to the Manager
Employees who work alone (including office workers) need to …
• Tell their Team Leader / H.R. if they have a medical condition which may make
them unsuitable for lone worker activities
• Make contact at the start of any lone worker period (expected to last 1 hour or
more). If you work in an office and your last colleague leaves, you are then a lone
worker, and unless you intend to leave imminently, you need to make contact with
your nominated contact point.
• Make contact each hour during lone worker periods
• Make contact at the end of the Lone Working periods to confirm lone working has
ended
If you are manning the contact point , you need to …….
• Ensure you keep a log of lone workers
• Attempt to contact them promptly if they miss an agreed contact time
• Raise the alarm and initiate a suitable search promptly if they can’t be contacted
If you carry out work for your employer alone at home, you need to ……….
• Make sure a Risk Assessment for the activity has been carried out, which will
identify any specific hazards, and specify appropriate controls