CPD – Lone Working: Best Ways To Ensure Employees Safety

Lone working has been growing since 2020 and it has become popular. This work arrangements are supported by new technologies that can make it easier for people to work from home or other places. The pandemic made this way of working more common. You can find these workers in almost every industry, like as local authorities, construction projects, healthcare, engineering, charities, utilities, and more.

Many companies think the number of lone workers will keep growing in the future. At the same time, there are a lot of concerns about the safety of these workers. It makes it harder for companies to deal with the problems. Because of this, many companies now see lone-worker safety as more important than before.

This is great news for the millions of people who work alone. Many lone workers need special safety measures because they don't have colleagues around. In this case, lone working isn't always more dangerous. But, if an accident happens or someone gets into trouble, there's no one close by to help. They can't ask for help right away. So, quick emergency help can turn a big problem into a smaller one.

What is lone working?

Lone working is when a worker works alone, without direct control from a controller or teammate. This usually means they don't have a colleague or supervisor with them. But, it doesn't always mean the worker is physically alone. In this case, they are only in a separate place, away from others.

Moreover, this type of working covers many different tasks and situations. It includes times when a worker is not seen or heard by a colleague for all or part of the day. This also applies to people who work from home. So, to sum up, lone working means a worker is physically working alone.

For example, people who work alone include delivery drivers, health workers, engineers, security staff, cleaners, warehouse workers, or those working in gas stations. It can also include anyone working from home, either full-time or part-time. As a result, the worker in this job is hard to define. This is because they do many different jobs in different industries.

The policy of lone working

There are no special laws for this work setup. But UK rules, like the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, say employers must keep workers safe. This way, it includes people working alone. Moreover, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also gives tips on how to handle lone working safely.

For example, employers must follow the law to check all risks to health and safety, including working alone. For this reason, companies need to do a risk check. This way, they can look closely to see if working alone is safe. If the it shows risks, they should find other ways to make work safer. Also, the law says a company with more than five workers must keep the risk checked. The company can make it a written record. It also requires the risk check to be documented.

Course Brief

This CPD – Lone Working: Best Ways to Ensure Employee Safety course gives important information about keeping lone workers safe. Moreover, it shows you the steps to protect lone workers. The course covers the basics, the challenges they might face, the rules they need to follow, and the right procedures to use. By understanding all of this, you can create a safe and comfortable workplace for them.

Additionally, it is important to provide training on health and wellbeing, particularly mental health, to make sure workers with lone working arrangements are properly trained and supported. That’s why this course also covers mental health training for lone workers. In short, this programme helps you keep lone workers secured.

Course Framework

Struggling to make sure the safety of your lone workers? The CPD – Lone Working: Best Ways To Ensure Employees Safety course can help. Moreover, the College of Contract Management created this course to help you in protecting your lone workers. For this reason, it teaches you how to provide good strategies and equipment for their wellbeing. Therefore, this course includes the following materials:

• Personal safety and the need for careful planning.
• Safe system towards following the UK HSE at Work Act 1974.
• Steps for staying calm in handling difficult situations
• Health and safety risks management for lone workers.

Eligibility Requirements

This CPD – Lone Working: Best Ways To Ensure Employee Safety course is open to everyone. As a result, there are no special needs to join. This makes the steps easier for anyone who wants to learn. This training will be beneficial for people with a background in Healthcare, Transportation, and Social Care. It will also help those with experience in Security, Retail, Engineering, Cleaning, Warehousing, and Petrol Stations. However, it is also available to anyone from any other background.

The College of Contract Management worked with experts to offer great courses for learners. This way, they can learn directly from the experts and get useful information. By doing this, it creates a safe workplace for professionals who work alone. Moreover, the company can get ready for any problems that may come up for their lone workers.

Risks of lone working

There are several risks you may face when doing lone working. It includes accidents, medical emergencies, violence, and lack of supervision. To avoid these problems, you can conduct a risk assessment, comprehensive training, make clear communication protocols, and more. Doing so can help you avoid the damage of these problems from happening.

Moreover, the lone working type needs special care for the worker because the jobs are riskier than others. In this case, they work alone, so no one is there to help if something goes wrong. For example, a lone worker might have an accident. The situation could become worse since no one is around to assist. To help you understand better, here are some risks they may face while working.

A. Slips, Trips, and Falls

The biggest risk for outdoor lone working is slipping, tripping, and falling. In this case, wet floors, like those just cleaned or made slippery by rain, can cause these hazards. Moreover, loose mats or equipment that move when stepped on can also be dangerous. Sometimes, the floor itself might not suit certain shoes and doesn’t grip well. Additionally, human mistakes can add to the problem, too. In the end, these accidents often happen because someone suddenly loses their balance.

B. Chemicals and Electricity

Working alone can also involve hidden dangers like chemical fumes and electricity. For example, a lab worker might breathe in harmful fumes and not be able to ask for help. Similarly, an HVAC technician working in a tight space could get an electric shock. No one would know about it. Therefore, it becomes one of the second top risks for lone working.

C. Heavy Equipment

Another main risk of lone working is heavy equipment. Accidents with heavy machinery can happen in many ways and cause injuries. For this reason, stuck in machinery is one of the most common injuries in workplaces. For instance, lone workers on oil rigs or in refineries may have to use heavy machines by themselves. If they are stuck or crushed by the equipment, no one is around to help or stop the machine. After such incident, the worker might not be able to move or call for help.

Creating a safe workplace for lone working type with CCM

The College of Contract Management is a well-known educational institution in the UK. Moreover, it offers useful courses for people who want to learn about different industries. It includes the safety of lone workers. Additionally, the college also works with many experts in their field. This way, it ensures that all the courses they offer are of high quality.

These offers include the CPD – Lone Working: Best Ways to Ensure Employee Safety course. This programme helps people make their workplaces safer. Also, it teaches about personal safety, safe working systems, and how to manage lone workers. Because of this, professionals can work productively feeling protected and secured. 

This course provides exclusive information on making sure a safe workplace for lone working type. Therefore, the materials will follow accordingly once the speakers have been settled. However, if you have any questions or need further assistance, you can contact our team. They are ready to assist you in any way.