The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) defines a lone worker as:
"Someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and The Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 mandates that employers think about workplace hazards in the form of a health and Safety risk assessment and provides employers with a statutory duty to control or reduce the risks to health and safety in the workplace. The law requires that employers consider and manage any health and safety to those who work alone.
It is advisable and good practice that workers who work alone are medically assessed for fitness to work. The purpose of a lone worker health assessment is to ensure the worker does not have any medical condition which could expose them to a higher degree of risk while working alone i.e. heart condition, epilepsy etc. which will in turn co-operate with their employers in meeting their statutory health and safety obligations.
Lone Workers health assessments take approximately 30 minutes and include:
- A confidential questionnaire
- Medical assessment in relation to working alone
- Blood pressure & pulse
- Urinalysis
- Report, restrictions and recommendations
- Anonymous statistics
Sources of further information
- Further information on how you can protect your employees from the possible harmful effects of lone working
- Working alone - Guidance on health and safety from Unison the union
If you have any questions about Lone Worker Health assessments or any other occupational health services for your business, don't hesitate to call us on 01753 536773 or Contact us.