Are you alone?
30 Jun 2015 by Evoluted New Media
Peter Swan examines the often-overlooked issue of laboratory lone worker protection
Peter Swan examines the often-overlooked issue of laboratory lone worker protection
Lone working, which often takes place in isolated areas or at unsocial times, occurs across many different sectors including laboratories, construction, refineries, warehouses and data/server rooms. The Office of National Statistics estimates that there are around six million lone workers in the UK.
The safety of lone workers is vital for laboratories, and employers have a responsibility to protect lab workers, yet lone worker safety is an area that is often forgotten or neglected. A recent study of 2,000 adults found that 78% were required to work alone, yet a quarter of those surveyed said that their employer never checked the welfare of staff when working alone.
UK lone worker policy does not prohibit lone working in a general sense, but companies and organisations must conduct a risk assessment covering the activities of all employees, including lone workers. Since the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act of 2007, companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter due to any serious management failure that results in a gross breach of their duty of care. A breach of the Act is likely to occur if laboratory managers are not aware of the risks to their lone workers and/or if suitable protection is not in place.
Employers need to ask themselves:
- Have you carried out a risk assessment of the lone working environments in your laboratory?
- How long has it been since lone working procedures were reviewed?
- Does someone in your laboratory always know where and when lone workers will be attending and leaving a shift?
- Do certain geographical locations have a higher risk of violence than others?
- Are your lone workers adequately trained to assess potential risks when working in the laboratory?
- Do all your new employees receive the correct training before starting lone work?
- How can lone workers get help if an incident occurs?
As a first step, laboratory employers need to conduct risk assessments within lone working environments. This applies even to those working in environments that appear ‘safe’. There can be hidden dangers such as high voltages, trip hazards and confined spaces. Trips and falls on a level was the fifth most frequently cited hazard in 2014, according to a TUC Survey.
Worst-case scenario ‘man down’ incidents have occurred where a lone worker has not been discovered for hours after an incident, as correct lone worker protection was not in place.
Another issue for laboratory managers to be aware of is lone workers working in environments with substances that can be hazardous to health. The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHHH) Regulations apply to the way workers, including lone personnel, work with these substances. Risk assessment is also important to address these regulations and take steps to prevent ill health.
Exposure to hazardous substances can harm health and if not controlled correctly can cause serious incidents for lone workers. For example, a lone worker with asthma who has inhaled hazardous substances could have an asthma attack which they are not prepared for and be unable to relieve their symptoms or call for help.
In situations hazardous to lone workers, such as a man down incident, lone worker alarm systems are vital to keep employees safe and ensure a fast response if an incident occurs. These systems can raise the alarm if a lone worker collapses or is rendered unconscious. They will send an alert to pre-determined numbers of your choice. The alarm can be raised manually by means of a panic button, or automatically by a ‘tilt’ sensor should the unit be stationary for a specified time due to a lone worker becoming incapacitated. A beacon sounder can also be programmed to activate, to draw nearby attention to the alarm.
Another important factor to bear in mind for lone workers in laboratories are the strict European rules and regulations concerning explosive atmospheres (Explosive Atmospheres Directive 94/9/EC). All lone worker alarm systems must be ATEX/Ex certified to the correct Protection Zone, Apparatus Group and Temperature class for each individual ATEX/Ex environment. It is important to bear in mind that just because safety equipment holds an ATEX/Ex label, it may not be certified to the correct level required and offer the correct protection to lone workers.
The author:
Peter Swan, Managing Director, SBES
Contact:
Sources:
https://www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/HealthandSafetySurvey2014.pdf
http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/kinds-of-accident.pdf
