WHAT’S AT STAKE

When you work early or late hours, work at mobile remote sites, or provide services on the go, you must keep yourself safe by following your own gut instinct and follow established safety procedures.

WHAT’S THE DANGER

DANGERS OF WORK AT ALL HOURS. Workplace accidents and incidents can happen at any time. The quiet, empty office can place workers at greater risk for hazards because usual resources for assistance may not be immediately available.

The risks of injury are higher for them because there isn’t a supervisor or team member around to assist or even know they are in danger. This makes it even more important to understand the hazards in more detail so you can take measures to mitigate the risks and keep your lone workers as safe as possible. Examples of hazards include:

1. Slips, Trips, Or Falls on The Same Level. Slip, trip, or falls are the most common types of accidents yet are often simple and cost-effective to prevent if you identify and mitigate the hazards properly.
2. Handling lifting or carrying. Handling, lifting, or carrying can lead to both immediate injury or long-term musculoskeletal disorders. Manual handling risks can happen in various workplace environments, such as working on farms, building sites, offices, and making deliveries.
3. Struck by a moving object. Being struck by moving objects include things such as knives or any object falling from height. According to HSE reports, around 700 cases of being struck by moving objects are reported every year, of which around 100 cases cause major injuries.
4. Acts of violence. Incidents where a person is abused, threatened, or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work. Lone workers and those who work after hours are most at risk for acts of violence.

BEST SAFETY PRACTICES FOR WORKERS AT ALL HOURS. There are no laws dictating supervisors must be onsite while employees are working, and it is left to the discretion of employers to set up their own policies and procedures for working outside of usual business hours. Even with the best security systems and safety measures in place, it is critical employees adopt their own proactive safety habits to protect themselves.

• Communicate your plans to work after hours with co-workers, family, and any onsite security personnel.
• Coordinate, when possible, with colleagues to work after hours together.
• Park your car in a well-lit area close to your building’s exit.
• Keep safety essentials on hand and within reach—flashlight, batteries, first aid kit and pepper spray.
• Know the emergency exit plan for your workplace and know who to reach in the event of an emergency.
• Be mindful about who you share your work schedule with, and never share with strangers your plans to work late or alone after hours.
• If you see a suspicious person during the day or after hours, notify the appropriate security personnel.
• Keep your phone on your person at all times.
• Throughout the work day, stay aware of potential threats and report erroneous activity or malfunctioning equipment such as broken door locks or burned out lights.
• Before you leave, always let someone know that you are on your way home.
• Check inside and around your vehicle before entering, and immediately lock the doors once inside.

HOW TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF WORKER AT ALL HOURS

• Avoid having a lone worker whenever possible, especially for jobs with a recognized risk.
• Assess the hazards of your workplace.
• Talk to workers about their work. Get their input about the work they do and possible solutions.
• Investigate incidents at your workplace, and learn from incidents in similar workplaces.
• Take corrective action to prevent or minimize the potential risks of working alone or after regular hours.
• Provide appropriate training and education to lone workers and those who work late.
• Report all situations, incidents or ‘near misses’ where being alone increased the severity of the situation. Analyze this information and make changes to company policy where necessary.
• Establish a check-in procedure. Make sure that regular contact is kept with all workers. Establish ways to account for people (visually or verbally) while they are working.
• Schedule higher risk tasks to be done during normal business hours.

TAKEAWAYS FOR REMOTE, ALONE AND AFTER HOUR WORKERS

Regularly conduct dynamic risk assessments. Before and during work, employees who work alone, in regularly changing environments, or in high-risk environments should conduct dynamic risk assessments. A dynamic risk assessment is the continuous safety practice of quickly identifying and analyzing risks and hazards on the spot, and making quick, yet informed decisions to mitigate hazards and proceed with work safely.

Use common sense. Employ common sense – and consider the potential health and safety ramifications of taking (or not taking) action – is another key way that lone workers can protect themselves and others.

Feeling fatigued? Take a break. Required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE)? Put it on. Operating hazardous equipment? Conduct a safety audit first. See a tripping hazard? Send a hazard report. Being accosted by someone? Press your panic button. Driving? Wear your seat belt. Not sure how to complete a task? Ask questions.

Take safety seriously. Employers create lone worker safety policies to keep lone workers safe, but it’s the lone worker’s job to read the policy, understand it, remember it, and most importantly, execute it. Many workplace accidents occur because employees fail to follow the safety rules their employers designed for them, based on government requirements and detailed risk assessments.

FINAL WORD

Lone workers are exposed to the same hazards as other workers, except they face a higher risk of injury because they are alone. They require specialised attention instead of blanket health and safety policies designed for the general worker.