Manage the unique challenges Lone Workers face:
A Lone Worker Risk Assessment enables you to assess and mitigate potential high-risk scenarios before a person works alone. One of the biggest risks that separate lone workers from other workers is they have no one to turn to if they become injured, and there is no one nearby to check up on them if they seem distracted, fatigued or generally not themselves. This is why it is essential to proactively assess risks and prevent potential accidents. A Lone Worker Risk Assessment is often a checklist/survey that assesses the worker’s well-being, the environment they are working in and the potential people in the location (e.g. a home visit with a potentially aggressive person). This can give you clarity on whether the right risk mitigation strategies and processes are in place.
We recommend completing the risk assessment before commencing any lone work so that you can understand the risks involved, and whether there is a system in place to mitigate these risks. If the scenario is too high-risk, it should not be completed by someone by themselves.
Users can fill out the form online through an interactive PDF and email the results to their supervisors. Similarly, you can print the form and fill by hand. Then following the risk matrix at the end of the document, calculate the risk score by adding up the answers. If the results indicate low risk, the work can go on ahead without review. However if medium-high risk, we suggested that a supervisor reviews the results and makes considerations such as:
Not all individuals are suitable for lone working. Some employees may have specific vulnerabilities or medical conditions that make lone working unsafe. It is important to consider individual capabilities, health, training, and personal circumstances when determining whether someone is suitable for lone working or if additional support or accommodations are required.
The frequency of reviewing lone worker risk assessments may vary based on the nature of the work, associated risks, and any changes in work conditions. It is generally recommended to review and update the assessment at least annually or whenever there are significant changes in work processes, environments, or regulations.
In many jurisdictions, conducting lone worker risk assessments is a legal requirement. Regulations and standards may vary, but employers are generally obligated to assess and manage the risks associated with lone working to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of their employees.
SafetyIQ’s Lone Worker Module Module transforms traditional solutions into a streamlined, and automated approach, whilst ensuring the safety of your lone workers despite the high risk of isolation.
Users create a Lone Worker Activity with Check-Ins at scheduled time intervals. There is an optional risk assessment attached to the activity that includes an automated approval process. This calculates the risk score and automatically approves low-risk results and notifies a supervisor for review in high-risk scenarios.
If approved, the user can start their lone work and they are given automatic SMS and email reminders to check-in at predetermined times to confirm their safety. If they fail to check-in, the escalation process is triggered and managers are alerted to respond.
On average, our customers have seen 85.17% productivity improvements.
Sandvik in particular experienced:
Switching to SafetyIQ has saved companies valuable time by eliminating their manual processes.