Appendix 1 - Checklist to assist undertaking a lone working risk assessment
No. Questions Yes* No N/A 1. Does the workplace present a special risk to the lone worker?
2. Is there anything that might prevent the lone worker from being able to access or exit where they are working in a safe manner?
3. Are the exits of the building locked after hours for security reasons, and would this impede a lone worker from exiting the building in an emergency?
4. Do the security measures need to be reviewed?
5. Is the lone worker using equipment that cannot be safely handled or used by one person?
6. Is the equipment in poor working order and/or in need of maintenance?
7. Is the lone worker using chemicals, or hazardous substances or materials?
8. Is Personal Protective Equipment needed?
9. Does the work involve working at height?
10. Does the work involve manual handling or assisted movement of people?
11. Does the work involve handling cash?
12. Does the work involve travelling, either using public transport or by independent means?
13. Does the work involve visiting pupil’s homes?
14. Is there a risk of violence, verbal abuse or aggression?
15. Is there a risk of sexual or racial harassment?
16. Would women be particularly at risk if working alone?
17. Would a new or expectant mother be particularly at risk if working alone?
18. Would young people (under 18 years) be particularly at risk if working alone?
1 Version 1 August 2012 No. Questions Yes* No N/A 19. Does the lone worker have any medical conditions that may put them at particular risk if working alone?
20. Does the lone worker have any disabilities that may put them at particular risk if working alone?
21. Do staff require appropriate training/instruction and written safety information in order to safely undertake the work?
22. Does the lone worker lack the competence to safely carry out the work activity?
23. Does the lone worker require additional training to ensure competence to carry out the work activity alone?
24. Does the lone worker require supervision?
25. Is it unlikely that one person could adequately control the risk of the job, taking into account both the normal work and foreseeable emergencies such as equipment breakdown, chemical spillages, violence, harassment etc?
26. Do procedures need to be established to enable regular contact with the lone worker? Consider the use of mobile phones, pagers, and/or personal alarms, and procedures to ensure they are always charged, have appropriate coverage, staff know how to use. Consider procedures by which staff report back to the office at regular times of the day, after completing a visit, or when finishing for the day.
27. Do procedures need to be established to monitor lone workers? Consider periodically visiting and observing people working alone. Consider monitoring to ensure safe working procedures are being followed.
28. Do emergency procedures need to be established to enable the lone worker to address foreseeable emergencies, such as fire, accident, ill health, etc? Consider if the current emergency procedures are adequate or whether special arrangements need to be made for the lone worker.
2 Version 1 August 2012 No. Questions Yes* No N/A 29. If special emergency procedures need to be established to cover lone working, are additional instructions and training necessary to ensure the lone worker is able to respond appropriately?
30. Do procedures need to be established to ensure that visiting lone workers, for example contractors, maintenance workers, peripatetic workers, trainers, and site visitors, are made aware of the emergency procedures?
31. Do additional procedures need to be established to enable a lone worker to call for help or assistance in the event of a violent or abusive confrontation? Consider whether installing a panic alarm would be appropriate, how this would work, who would respond, what maintenance would be required. For mobile workers, consider whether a Lone Working Device would be appropriate.
32. In the event of an accident or ill health incident, would the lone worker be unable to call for help or contact the emergency services? Consider how their safety could be monitored.
33. Is the provision of first aid facilities inadequate for the lone worker, and will additional first aid facilities need to be provided? Consider whether providing a mobile first aid kit, or first aid at work training for the lone worker would be beneficial.
34. Do staff need to be made aware of, or reminded of, the correct accident/ incident reporting procedures? Would staff have access to the reporting system out of normal working hours and during holiday periods
35. If the lone worker’s first language is not English, do arrangements need to be made to ensure clear communication, especially in an emergency?
This checklist can be used as a prompt to identify the risks of lone working, and to identify the areas that the risk assessment needs to focus on.
* All questions to which the answer is yes highlight the risks to which the risk assessment needs to expand upon and to which remedial action will be required.
3 Version 1 August 2012 Appendix 2 – Lone working management flowchart
List all lone or isolated Lone Worker = no one else present. workers. Isolated Worker = no colleague present, although other people may
List all the activities Include the task, equipment, undertaken by the lone substances, environment, procedures or isolated workers. and people.
Arrange for a risk For more information, please see the assessment to be risk assessment section. undertaken to cover each activity.
Ensure sufficient No Can the activity be It must not be assumed that any task staff available for undertaken by one is suitable to be performed by one the activity to be person safely? person, consult with the lone worker in undertaken the first instance. Yes Review and amend completed risk assessments to ensure they are suitable and sufficient.
Do control measures Do not continue with the task. reduce the risk to an No Review the activity and risk acceptable level? assessment to reduce the level of risk to an acceptable level.
Yes
Review risk Provide employees Ensure lone working procedures are assessment with information, communicated to relevant staff. following instruction, training Include lone working information in significant and supervision as staff induction arrangements. changes in required by risk Arrange suitable training for staff. work processes or following an accident or incident.
4 Version 1 August 2012