A key area of your lone worker policy is the information it holds on risk. It’s essential to understand the hazards that your lone workers face, so you can offer best-practice guidance and help them to make informed decisions about their safety. But how do you discover and document these risks…?
Employee Focus Groups
Start by asking your lone workers within focus groups, split by job role or business area. This will provide in-depth, qualitative data, plus is a great way to raise the profile of lone worker safety within the business and engage staff.
Questionnaires& Surveys
If you work in a large organisation, surveys can be a great way to gatherinformation for your lone worker policy. Remember to keep surveys short and visual (tools such as Typeform and Survey Monkey will help with this).
A Day in The Life
Observing staff whilst doing their job can be difficult – you don’t want them to think that you’re simply there to look for mistakes or pick fault. So instead of observing, why not get involved and spend “a day in the life” of a lone worker? Make it clear that you shadowing them is in no way performance-related and askthem how they would feel if you weren’t there. This will help to highlight any tasks they perceive as risky.
Analyse Existing Data
Previous data will highlight patterns or specific areas of concern regarding health and safety.Makesure that you investigate all reported incidents and near misses. Once you have analysed this data, speak with employees to verify your findings.
Formal Audits
Always carry out a formal risk assessment. This is the simplest, most effective way to ensure that every area of lone worker safety has been covered. It will also provide you with a clear path to follow and course of action. Read our lone working risk assessment guide to learn more.
Remember: An effective lone worker policy is not a legal requirement. However, it will help to promote a strong safety culture among employees – keeping them safe and reducing the risk of legal issues.