What is a Lone Worker Policy

A Lone Worker Policy is a set of rules designed to ensure the safety of workers who spend extended time away from the office, such as traveling alone to different locations or conducting night or weekend shift work in fixed facilities. Lone workers can be found across numerous industries such as utilities, maintenance & repair, agriculture & construction - regardless of size of company. Under law all organizations are legally obliged to protect lone employee regardless of size of organization.

An effective and clear lone working policy is an integral component of any organization, providing employees with clear expectations and helping to mitigate unnecessary risk. A solid policy should include definitions for what it means to work alone as well as details regarding risks associated with such work and mitigation techniques, in addition to assigning responsibility for different parts of it.

Lone workers must also understand how they can check-in with someone while working, whether this means verbal or visual communication, and who to contact if something arises that compromises their safety. A comprehensive lone working policy must include training for employees as well as an outline of available resources.

Keep in mind that developing a lone working policy requires your employees to adjust to new ways of working or technology, which may require them to change how they do their job or use new devices - something which may prove challenging. A key aspect of any successful lone worker program should aim to make this transition as seamless as possible by offering training, resources and clear instructions regarding equipment use; any questions or issues should be directed toward their manager for resolution.

Once a lone working policy has been developed, it's crucial that it's regularly reviewed in order to reflect any changes to the work environment or new health and safety regulations. Furthermore, engaging your lone workers in this process so they can share their opinions on procedures.





lone worker alarm Review your policy with any employees who might need to work alone in the future, to help them understand its purpose and impact. An awareness day, workshop or safety week focused around your lone worker policy can be held to demonstrate its positive effects on employees' wellbeing - helping promote adoption by showing it is part of a workplace policy rather than an optional add-on.