Lone Worker Legislation in New Zealand

According to Employment New Zealand, “Working alone is when work is done in a location where the employee can't physically see or talk to other staff members.”

Employment New Zealand says the following factors must be considered for lone workers:

  • security - working alone may put an employee at increased risk from other people that they interact with (e.g. customers) or strangers (e.g. risk of violent attack)

  • social isolation - employees working alone are at risk of social isolation, managers should make sure that there are regular opportunities to keep in touch and to bring the person together with the rest of the team (even if this is by email, telephone conferences, video conferences, etc.).

  • organization isolation - employees working alone must receive the same information, training and development opportunities, and consultation as other employees. Managers should invite these employees to attend when there are events, both social and work-related.

  • technological isolation - employees working alone should have access to the same or more advanced technology as other employees (depending on the job requirements).

  • safety - the employee's physical safety related to their job tasks, for example, an electrician working alone, will have different risks from an administrator working alone, but both have risks. Working alone means if something goes wrong or there is an accident etc, there may be no one else there to help the person.

HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 2015

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, they say it is a general duty to “eliminate all risks to health and safety, and if risks cannot be eliminated they must be minimised as far as is reasonably practical.”

Under this act, employers are required to maintain communication with lone workers or have a check-in system as well as an effective means to call for help during an emergency.

Part 2 of the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016

  1. A PCBU* must manage, in accordance with regulations 5 to 8, risks to the health and safety of a worker who performs remote or isolated work.

  2. To minimize risks to the health and safety of a worker associated with remote or isolated work, a PCBU must provide a system of work that includes effective communication with the worker.

  3. A PCBU who contravenes this regulation commits an offense and is liable for conviction.

*a person/entity conducting a business or undertaking

Other duties such as supervision and training are outlined in the Health and Safety at Work (General Risk and Workplace Management) Regulations 2016

EXAMPLES OF LONE WORKER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Employment New Zealand provides examples of options to promote the safety of employees working alone including:

  • an effective means of getting help quickly in an emergency such as the SafetyLine panic button;

  • regular contact with another person (e.g. another worker) or, if regular contact is impractical, they should check in with another person at regular intervals, such as the SafetyLine check-in system;