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Standards

Responsibility: The responsible person (Head of School or Service) retains overall responsibility.


Standard Roles
C1 - Governance
>> Ensure effective governance of health and safety in relation to lone working
Deans / heads of service groups
>> Sufficient resources (time and money) must be allocated to allow effective safety management of lone working activities

 
C2 - Health and safety management (lone working)
>> Faculties and services will implement suitable local arrangements (safe systems of work) to manage lone working activities under their control.
Deans / heads of service groups

Heads of school / service
>> Lone working is to be avoided where possible, but where this is not possible:
> Lone workers must be at no greater risk than those working with colleagues
> Individuals must be competent to work alone
> A safe system of work must be identified and implemented
> Appropriate emergency procedures must be in place
>> Executive decisions will be made on whether or not to grant permission to those planning to work alone
>> Lone working will be forbidden if risks cannot be controlled to an acceptable level
   
C3 - Employees, research staff and students
>> Will abide by the safe system of work
Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors
>> Keep within the scope of the agreed work and work areas
>> Communicate concerns regarding lone working to their line manager
>> Will familiarise themselves with emergency procedures (fire, first aid, security) in operation as part of the local arrangements
>> Take reasonable care of themselves and other people affected by their work
>> Cooperate with their employers in meeting their legal obligations
   
C4 - Procedures, information and training
>> Employees, students, visitors and contractors must receive appropriate information, instruction, and training to allow them to work unsupervised (ie. lone working)
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors
>> Employees must maintain their competence for tasks relevant to their lone working activity (eg. additional training)
   
C5 - Risk assessment
>> An appropriate assessment of the risk for lone working will be completed.
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors
>> Controls identified in the assessment must be implemented
>> Where possible assessments to be conducted in collaboration with lone workers
>> Assessments will be reviewed regularly and when a significant change has occurred
>> Assessments are to be kept for a minimum of three years after the activity covered in the assessment has ceased
>> Assessments will be available to those associated with lone working activities
   
C6 - Exposure and health surveillance
>> Personnel working alone must inform their line manager of any pre-existing medical condition that would increase their risk when working alone (eg heart condition)
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors
>> Any medical information relating to individuals will be kept confidential
   
C7 - Health and safety assistance, competent people and supervision
>> Where necessary, specialist assistance must be sought to ensure all relevant information is available for the risk assessment process
Health & safety managers

Heads of school / service

Line managers
>> Ensure that individuals are proven to be competent to work alone and that this is documented
   
C8 - Design, commissioning and installation
>> The design and construction of a workplace must not place a lone worker at greater risk than those that work with colleagues (eg. provision of suitable lighting and CCTV to deter violence against employees)
Estate services

Designers

Architects

Heads of school / service

Line managers
   
C9 - Statutory inspection and examination
>> The design and construction of a workplace must not place a lone worker at greater risk than those that work with colleagues (eg. provision of suitable lighting and CCTV to deter violence against employees)
Deans / heads of service groups

Heads of school / service
   
C10 - Provision of equipment and maintenance
>> Appropriate equipment must be provided that is fit for purpose (suitable for operation by lone worker), regularly inspected, and adequately maintained
Deans / heads of service groups

Heads of school / service

Line managers
   
C11 - Personal protective equipment
>> PPE identified as required by a risk assessment will be provided - (see PPE standard)
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors
>> PPE will be kept in good condition, and where necessary maintained (records of maintenance must be kept)
   
C12 - Cooperation between employers
>> Procedures in the event of several casualties arising should be considered, decisions recorded and acted upon.
Heads of school / service

Line managers
   
C13 - Emergency planning, contingency plans and emergency actions
>> Where identified as required in the risk assessment, an emergency plan must be prepared, implemented, and tested to ensure effectiveness
Heads of school / service

Line managers
>> All individuals involved will be made aware of emergency plans and the actions to take in the event of an emergency
   
C14 - Environmental management and waste disposal
Not applicable
   
C15 - Security and safekeeping
>> Where support from Estate Services security has been identified as a contol in the risk assessment, then these arrangements need to be formally agreed and recorded
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Security
>> Emergency equipment (eg. panic buttons) must be maintained and tested
   
C16 - Dangerous substances and COSHH
>> Hazardous substances must be assessed in accordance with the control of substances hazardous to health regulations
Heads of school / service

Line managers
>> Special consideration must be made with regard to lone working and the use of hazardous substances, where the risk cannot be adequately control (eg. use of toxins, pathogens etc.) then that activity will be prohibited
   
C17 - Reporting mechanism
>> All accidents, incidents and near misses must be reported via the University online reporting system (Sentinel)
Heads of school / service

Line managers

Employees

Students

Visitors

Contractors