Controlling Lone Working Risks

Very few organisations work ‘9 鈥� 5’ and this is especially the case at Universities that create an ‘open access’ environment, enabling us to work and study 24 hours a day, seven days a week making ‘lone working’ the norm.聽

However, before doing so, always ask yourself the following questions as this will help you decide what controls you can put in place:

Before you start
  • Be realistic - do you need help, others around?
  • Have you checked local procedures to make sure the activity can be carried out 'alone'?
  • What training and experience do you need?
  • What resources e.g. equipment, materials do you need?
  • What clothing do you need e.g. warm / wet clothing, PPE?
  • Have you checked the security of the area e.g. can you shut the front door as you would at home?
  • Do you need medication, food, drink etc ?
  • Is the environment an issue e.g. too hot / cold, wet, windy?
Does anyone know you are there?
  • Are there local procedures that must be followed e.g. Out of Hours Working, ‘Logging In / Out’ book?
  • Have you contacted a Supervisor or Security who can check if they haven’t heard from you?
If it goes wrong?
  • Who can help if something happens?
  • Do you know what to do in an emergency e.g. first aid, fire, spills, contact numbers etc?
  • How will you contact someone in an emergency?