Lone Working

Lone working is working without close or direct supervision or remote from colleagues i.e. colleagues may be in the next room or on other floors in the same building.

What are the risks of lone working?

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Lone workers face the same hazards at work as anyone else, but there is a greater risk of these hazards causing harm as they may not have anyone to help or support them if things go wrong. 

A lone worker may be:

• unable to summon help as a result of injury, ill-health or an emergency;
• unable to carry out a task safely while alone.

Assessing the risks

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Before any lone working takes place, the health and safe risks must be considered and assessed.

> Guidance on completing a suitable risk assessment.

Some of the factors to consider when conducting a lone working risk assessment are:

Individual capabilities

• Any underlying or temporary medical conditions. Some medical conditions may make workers unsuitable for lone working. Individuals should complete the 'Safety Critical Health Assessment Form'.to determine their suitability for lone working.
• The experience of the workers - inexperienced staff may be unsuitable for lone working.
• Individuals with impaired vision, hearing or mobility.
• Individuals with language or cultural barriers. 
• Pregnant or disabled individuals.

Work patterns

Specific work patterns may increase the risks when lone working as they could take place outside of normal working hours. These include:

• shift work
• continuous experiments
• flexible working
• working at home

Location

The location of the work may increase the risks associated with lone working, such as:

• in places not managed or controlled by UCL
• an external location open to interaction with the public
• rural or isolated locations
• entering someone elses home for research
• confined spaces

If the worker is peripatetic more than one work location or area may be visited on the same day.

Work activity

If the task is to be carried out by someone working alone the risk assessment must consider the hazards of being alone in addition to the hazards involved with the work itself.

> Guidance on activities which must not be conducted while alone.

Access arrangements

The arrangements to prevent unauthorised access will help determine whether it is suitable for staff to work alone. Access to building or work area can be controlled by:

• security or reception staff
• keypad
• entry card 

Emergency arrangements

The arrangements in the event of an emergency must be clear and must be in place before any lone working can commence. These arrangements must ensure that lone workers are able to recognise and respond appropriately to emergencies, including being able to safely self-evacuate without reliance on others. The factors to consider are:

• First aid arrangements – is there sufficient cover and how does the lone worker request assistance?
• Accidents/incidents – if the worker suffers harm, how will others become aware? How will this be reported and responded to?
• Emergency evacuation – can the lone worker raise the alarm and evacuate safely and independently? Are arrangements in place to ensure they are not overlooked during evacuation (e.g. sweeps, monitoring arrangements)?
• Security – will the worker be able to contact security if required? Are there suitable means of communication in place?

Emergency arrangements should be considered as part of the lone working risk assessment and must reflect the nature of the work, the working environment, and the level of risk involved. In some cases, additional measures may be required to ensure lone workers are adequately prepared. These may include:

• Enhanced local induction or briefing on emergency procedures
• Access to clear, site-specific information (e.g. escape routes, assembly points)
• Fire Evacuation Marshal (FEM) training

> Further guidance can be found in table 1 of UCL's lone working standard.

Managing the risk

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To reduce the risks associated with lone working, the points below should be considered: 

• Ensure the lone worker understands the risks and precautions involved in their work i.e. has enough experience to work without direct supervision.
• Ensure the lone worker has information to deal with emergencies. The lone worker may not be familiar with the building in which they are working.
• Ensure there is a 'check-in' procedure so other parties are aware of a lone worker presence on site. This can be done by alerting security / reception, your line manager, another colleague or a combination of those listed. A method of communication and at what intervals should be agreed with the other party.
• Have robust emergency arrangements in place so that they are not compromised for a lone worker. 
• Reduce the amount of lone working that takes place out of hours to the absolute minimum.
• Regularly review whether the work activity is still necessary to be conducted alone.
• Review if the lone workers are still medically fit to work alone.

Guidance

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Download the guidance documents below for further information on lone working at UCL. 

Personal Safety when Lone Working and Travelling