Lone Working
Be Safe when Lone Working
It is well known that Agriculture and other Rural Industries have many people who work on their own or work remotely from other people. The environment in which they work may also be remote and on top of that communications may be poor due to a lack of good mobile telephone signal or simply having no one to look out for them.
Ask yourself this.....'does anyone know where you are? do you have a means of calling for help if you need it and how long will it be before help arrives?'
There have been many examples of where lone working has contributed to a loss of life. Examples include:
- Farmer killed when he became trapped under an ATV.
- Farmer crushed when trapped between a sprayer and its rear wheel.
- Farmer crushed and killed between bales of hay and a barn wall.
In all of these cases the farmer had been lone working and was not discovered until it was too late.
The HSE reported a case in October 2004 which was particularly tragic. In that case a 53 year old who was employed as a temporary stand in game keeper sustained serious injuries to his pelvis when the quad bike he was driving overturned on a slope. Unfortunately his absence was not detected until 52 hours later when a search commenced. When found, he was 200 yards away from the quad bike in a separate field. The circumstances of the accident and subsequent investigations confirmed that he had not died immediately. He had no means of raising the alarm or getting help as he was not carrying a mobile telephone despite the location of the accident having a mobile phone signal. The HSE prosecution that followed identified that had he been carrying a mobile telephone he would have had the opportunity to summon help. It also concluded that employers need to have "a system in place for lone workers keeping in touch with people and also a means of communication to contact the emergency services if need be".
Lone Workers
The HSE provides information related to lone working in many formats for employers and employees. You can find out more information by clicking below.
What can You Do?
Avoid Lone Working
It is not always possible to avoid lone working, but where it is possible you should always ensure that people are at least working in Pairs. Lone working should always be avoided when undertaking high hazard activities such as chainsaw work, work at height, entering bull pens etc.
Assess the risks
Make sure that you fully assess the risks so that you can ensure that you have taken appropriate control measures. Make sure that the risks have been discussed with those undertaking lone working.
Know the whereabouts of Lone Workers
Make sure that you know the whereabouts of any lone workers. Where are they going, what will they be doing and when are the expected to return. Make sure that people report in before moving to other areas or before leaving site.
Means of Communication
Make sure that a suitable means of communication is carried at all times. and that it is charged This could be a mobile telephone or two way radio. Make sure that everyone knows how to summon help. If using mobile telephones and radios you must ensure that they will work in the areas where the lone working is taking place. Land features and remote locations can prevent a mobile or radio signal from being received.
Who to call?
This may seem like an obvious point but it may not be so obvious if you have foreign workers. Where workers have come from Europe they may immediately know 112 as an emergency number but not necessarily 999. Both numbers work in the UK. It is also possible to register for 999 by Text, although you must register for this service before it can be used.
Automatic Tracking
Systems are also available which will automatically track the whereabouts of your workers. Tracking devices can be in telephone Apps, wearable tech or installed in machinery and equipment. There are numerous manufacturers providing this equipment so make sure you do your research before you commit.