Lone Worker Legislation in the United Kingdom

Here are the lone working and work alone acts and regulations found in the United Kingdom. We cover all the lone worker policy and legislation found for the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was founded in Januar 1, 1975, however it has has roots going back to the 1800s with the Factory Act 1833. Since its establishment in 1975, the UK’s HSE has protected millions of people from devastating injury and suffering.

THE UNITED KINGDOM LONE WORKER DEFINITION

  • work alone at a fixed base, for example in shops, petrol stations, factories, warehouses or leisure centres;

  • work separately from other people on the same premises or outside normal working hours, for example security staff, cleaners, maintenance and repair staff;

  • work at home;

  • work away from a fixed base, such as:

    • health, medical and social care workers visiting people's homes etc;

    • workers involved in construction, maintenance and repair including engineers, plant installation and cleaning workers;

    • engineers, assessors and delivery drivers of equipment and supplies who attend construction projects;

    • service workers, including postal staff, taxi drivers, engineers, estate agents, and sales or service representatives visiting domestic and commercial premises;

    • delivery drivers including HGV drivers, van driver/couriers and car/bike-based couriers;

    • agricultural and forestry workers;

  • are volunteers carrying out work on their own, for charities or voluntary organisations (fundraising, litter-picking etc).

THE HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK ACT 1974

This is the foundation of British health and safety laws. This act defines the general duties of employers and employees for their own and each other's safety. These duties are defined in the act by the principle of "so far as is reasonably practicable." This means an employer is not required to take action to eliminate or reduce the risk if they are technically impossible or if the time, trouble or cost of the measures would be grossly disproportionate to the risk. This law requires employers to assess what the risks are and take any possible measures to prevent them.

THE MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH AND SAFETY AT WORK REGULATIONS 1999

These regulations require employers to conduct thorough risk assessments, implement any necessary safety measures, and provide any needed training. Employers must assess if lone workers have medical conditions that make them unsuitable for working alone, which may include seeking medical advice.

HSE GUIDE TO PROTECTING LONE WORKERS

The HSE has an online guide available called, Protecting lone workers: How to manage the risks of working alone that helps you protect your remote team. This guide recommends:

Any monitoring system (like SafetyLine) needs to be embedded into an organization so it is well understood by workers. You must put clear procedures in place because effective means of communication are essential. These may include:

  • supervisors periodically visiting and observing people working alone;

  • pre-agreed intervals of regular contact between the lone worker and employer, using phones, radios, email etc, bearing in mind the worker's understanding of English;

  • other devices designed to raise the alarm in an emergency which can be operated manually or automatically;

  • implementing a robust system to ensure a lone worker has returned to their base or home once their work is completed.

2016 SENTENCING COUNCIL GUIDELINES

On February 1, 2016, the Sentencing Council for England and Wales published Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences, Definitive Guidelines , which increased the maximum fines and custodial sentences that can be handed down to employers.

These guidelines include a sliding scale of fines, designed to ensure that large and small companies are penalized to the same degree. Companies with a turnover of more than 50 million pounds can now be fined up to 20 million pounds in cases of corporate manslaughter. In extreme cases, this legislation can charge directors with custodial sentences of up to life imprisonment.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information, visit the HSE website.