WorkingAloneOrganisingforHealth&SafetyAhealthandsafetyguideonloneworkingforsafetyrepresentativesContentsIntroduction1Whatisloneworking?2Assessingandpreventingtherisksofworkingalone–whatdoesitinvolve?3Riskassessment3Dynamicriskassessments4Workinginaclients’home4Somecommonhazards5Workinginisolationandremoteness8Homeworking8Bullyingandharassment10Stress10Workingonanotheremployer’spremises10Information,instruction,andtraining11Supervisionandreporting11Driving11Safetyrepresentatives12Keepingintouchwithmembers13AppendixWorkingalone:surveyformembers141IntroductionManyUNISONmembersworkaloneaspartoftheirnormalday-to-daywork,atrendthathasincreasedinrecentyears.Thisisasaresultofanumberoffactors,includingcutbacksinfundingandresourcesinthepublicsector.Workingalonecanputpeopleinavulnerableposition–itmaybemoredifficultforthemtosummonhelpifthingsgowrongoriftheirhealthandsafetyisatrisk.Whateverthereason–UNISONbelievesthatmembersworkingaloneshouldnotbeatgreaterriskintheirjobsthanotherworkers.Thisguidehasbeendevelopedtohelpsafetyrepresentatives’andstewardstacklethehealthandsafetyissuessurroundingloneworking.Itsetsoutwhatemployersshoulddotoensurestaffarenotputatriskbecausetheyworkalone.Theguideincludesstepswhichsafetyrepresentativescantaketocheckwhattheiremployerhasdonetoassessandpreventriskstoloneworkers,andalsogivesadviceonhowtoraiseanyproblemstheyfindwiththeiremployer.2Workingalone:aUNISONguideWhatisloneworking?Inordertoaddresstheproblemofloneworkingitisimportanttohaveaclearunderstandingofwhatitis.Loneworkingdoesnotmeanthatthepersonhastobeworkingincompleteisolationallthetime.Forexample,acleanermayenterabuildingwhileitisstillverybusy,butmaybeleftalonetofinishtheirshift;amedicalsecretarymayworkinadepartmentwhichisbusyduringtheday,butquietandisolatedatothertimes.Inadditiontherearethoseworkinginthecommunityforwhomloneworkinghasbecomethenorm.TheHealthandSafetyExecutive(HSE)definesloneworkingas:“thosewhoworkbythemselveswithoutcloseordirectsupervision”.UNISONprefersthedefinitionsetoutinCroner’sHealthandSafety,whichis:“aworkerwhoseactivitiesinvolvealargepercentageoftheirworkingtimeoperatinginsituationswithoutthebenefitofinteractionwithotherworkersorwithoutsupervision”.ExamplesofUNISONmemberswhomayworkaloneincludemaintenancestaff,planningofficers,ambulancestaff,rentcollectors,homecareworkers,communitynurses,careerandpersonaladvisers,librarians-particularlythosewhoworkinmobilelibraries-watertechniciansandgroundsmaintenancestaff.ThislistisnotexhaustiveastherearemanyotheroccupationswhereUNISONmembersworkaloneforsomeorallofthetime.HazardsofloneworkingPeoplewhoworkalonefacethesamehazardsintheirdailyworkasotherworkers.However,forloneworkersthepotentialforharmisoftengreater.Soitisessentialthattherisksofloneworkingaretakenintoaccountwhenriskassessmentsarecarriedout.Hazardswhichloneworkersmayfaceinclude:accidentsoremergenciesarisingoutoftheir—workandthelackofimmediateaccesstofirstaidequipmentorassistancefire—inadequateprovisionofrest,hygiene,andwelfare—facilitiesviolenceandabusefrommembersofthepublic—theft—intruders—manualhandlingincidents—suddenillness.—Employers’legaldutiesThereisnogenerallegalprohibitiononworkingalone.However,undertheHealthandSafetyatWorkAct1974andtheManagementofHealthandSafetyatWorkRegulations1999,employershavelegaldutiestoassessallriskstohealthandsafety,including...
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