Lone working is an essential part of many industries, from maintenance engineers and delivery drivers to housing officers and healthcare staff. But while these roles keep operations running smoothly, they also expose employees to a unique set of risks. Without immediate support from colleagues, even a minor incident can escalate quickly.
To meet their duty of care under HSE guidance, employers must assess, monitor and control the risks of lone working. Digital tools, such as AssessNET’s integrated health and safety management system, provide an effective, proactive way to protect lone workers and demonstrate a genuine commitment to employee wellbeing.
Understanding the risks of lone working
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), a lone worker is anyone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision. This could include people who:
- Travel between sites or work remotely
- Visit clients or members of the public
- Work outside normal business hours
- Operate in isolated or high-risk environments
The potential hazards faced by lone workers vary widely: slips, trips and falls, sudden illness, or even violence and aggression from members of the public. The challenge lies in the fact that when incidents occur, there may be no one nearby to offer assistance.
Employers must therefore take a structured approach to understanding and mitigating these risks. That’s where a comprehensive risk assessment becomes essential.
How Risk Assessments help protect lone workers
A thorough risk assessment identifies the specific dangers associated with lone working, evaluates who might be harmed and how, and determines the necessary control measures. This could include communication protocols, lone worker devices, training, supervision, and emergency response plans.
Digital risk assessment tools make this process more efficient, transparent and data-driven. Organisations can easily:
- Create and customise risk assessment templates tailored to different lone working scenarios.
- Assign and review assessments through a central dashboard, ensuring nothing is missed.
- Track and manage corrective actions, giving full visibility from initial identification to resolution.
- Record an audit trail that demonstrates compliance with HSE’s expectations.
By digitising these processes, organisations can proactively manage lone worker safety instead of reacting after an incident has occurred.
Integrated digital tools for ongoing protection
Lone worker safety requires continuous monitoring and improvement. That’s where the power of integrated digital tools is so valuable.
Platforms like AssessNET connect multiple safety modules: Risk Assessment, Accident and Incident Management and Audits, into one unified system. This integration ensures that when a potential risk is identified, it’s automatically linked to the relevant assessments, actions and reports.
For example:
- A near-miss reported through the Incident Management module can trigger a review of the associated lone working risk assessment.
- Corrective actions can be assigned and tracked to completion.
- Managers can access real-time dashboards to identify patterns or recurring issues across teams or locations.
This joined-up approach ensures lone worker safety is not treated as an isolated issue but as part of a wider health and safety culture that protects all employees.
A Culture of Care and compliance
Beyond compliance, investing in digital lone working solutions shows staff that their wellbeing truly matters. When employees know their employer has systems in place to monitor risks and respond quickly to incidents, it builds trust and confidence.
The HSE’s guidance on lone working emphasises the need for employers to assess risks, ensure workers have the right training and supervision, and put systems in place for regular contact. Using a digital platform like AssessNET helps organisations not only meet these obligations but also demonstrate leadership in creating a safe, supportive work environment.
Protect Your Lone Workers with AssessNET
Creating a safe workplace means protecting every employee, whether they work side by side with colleagues or independently in the field. By adopting integrated digital tools like AssessNET, organisations can manage risk assessments more effectively, reduce the likelihood of incidents, and show genuine care for their workforce.
Book a demo of AssessNET today and discover how proactive, connected safety management can help protect your lone workers and strengthen your overall health and safety strategy.
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Most Common Workplace Health and Safety Risks – And How Digital Tools Can Help Mitigate Them
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is lone working in health and safety?
Lone working refers to situations where an employee works by themselves without direct supervision or immediate support such as field engineers, drivers or remote staff.
What are the main risks faced by lone workers?
Lone workers can face risks such as slips, trips, illness, violence, or delayed emergency response due to isolation. Identifying these through risk assessments helps reduce danger.
How can risk assessments protect lone workers?
Risk assessments identify potential hazards, evaluate controls, and ensure lone workers have communication, supervision and emergency plans in place.
What do HSE regulations say about lone working?
The HSE requires employers to assess and manage the risks of lone working, provide training, and ensure regular contact or monitoring systems are in place.
How does AssessNET help manage lone worker safety?
AssessNET provides digital tools to create and manage lone worker risk assessments, track actions, monitor incidents and demonstrate HSE compliance.
