What you need to know about lone working in a workplace
Lone working from fixed establishments or work away from a fixed base involves a lot of safety risks.
Fixed establishments are small shops, and kiosks, working from home and or working separately from others in a factory.
Work away from a fixed base can be agriculture or forestry work, service work such as a collection of rent, repair and maintenance work, or work for social workers.
In the UK alone, an estimated more than 8 million people are lone workers. And the figure alone amounts to 22% out of the 31.2 million working population of the UK.
In other words, 8 million people and above in the UK are being exposed to safety risks and hazards associated with lone working. And that’s a very great number of people.
Nevertheless, here is a list of what you need to know about lone working.
- What is lone working?
- Where can you see lone-working Jobs?
- The protection an employer can offer to lone workers.
- Conclusion: What you need to know about lone working
What is lone working?
Lone working is defined as those who work for themselves without direct supervision.
The work exposes the workers to working alone, and they could be in a separate location from the rest of the other workers.
Lone working is legal but companies have a legal obligation to protect their workers and to promote health and safety effectively.
And any failure to do so could attract a fine or penalty.
Onyeka Emma is a QHSE Professional with more than 10 years of experience in occupational health and safety, which spans many industries such as construction, beverage, oil and gas, etc. He has many health and safety certifications, including NEBOSH IGC, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 Lead auditor certificate. A member of IOSH, ISPON, and Nigeria Red Cross Society. He is interested in business, entrepreneurship, Speaking, and motivating people to do better for themselves. He enjoys leisure with a good motivational book.
