It’s sometimes necessary for people to work alone in a variety of roles. But leaving workers on their own can present a number of issues, including several relating to their safety and security. Lone working should be approached with care and attention if you want to get it right. It’s essential to consider the problems that can arise and understand what steps can be taken to keep those working alone as safe as possible. At the same time, it’s necessary to ensure they are capable of working on their own without direct supervision. There are several ways you can start improving safety for lone workers.
Provide Essential Training
The right training helps to make conditions better for workers in a broad range of situations. It also ensures they can fulfil their duties properly and in a safe way. Lone working may require specific training to help workers keep themselves safe. They might need to learn how to complete certain tasks on their own while still getting good results. Training in how to stay safe and how to handle potentially unsafe situations could also be valuable to employees working on their own. Providing regular and up-to-date training will help employees to be more confident when working alone.
Conduct Health Screenings
Employee health is something to consider when they are working alone. Employees with certain health issues could be at greater risk if they are working without any supervision or in the presence of any coworkers. Carrying out a rail industry worker medical is one instance when it’s essential to check the health of workers before they can work in certain environments or complete certain tasks. A health screening can check for a range of health issues, from cardio health tests to drug testing. As well as conducting screenings when hiring a new person, regular medicals ensure no health issues are missed.
Consider Security for Lone Workers
One of the biggest problems for lone workers can be staying safe from security issues, crime, and violence. When they are left alone in the workplace, they can be vulnerable. There are various ways to consider security and ensure people working alone are as safe as possible. This could include using certain remote monitoring methods, such as cameras or personal alarms. It can also encompass employee training, helping to ensure employees know what to do in a potentially dangerous situation so that they can protect themselves as much as possible.
Provide Support
Lone workers want to know that they’re being supported. They might be working alone, but that doesn’t mean that they have to feel abandoned. There are ways to give them the support they need through good communication, checking in with them at various times, and ensuring they have the tools they need to do their jobs. It’s also important to make sure that, if anything does happen while they’re working, they receive the necessary support to process it afterward.
Ensuring lone workers are safe can be challenging, but it’s vital to take care of their safety at all times to prevent any incidents.
