Before working alone, agree who knows where you are, when you will check in and what they should do if you do not respond. HSE recommends pre-agreed contact intervals and a reliable way to confirm that a lone worker has returned after completing a task.[1]
For a self-employed tradesperson, that could mean arranging contact with another tradesperson before a visit. These are starting points for a conversation, not a complete safety plan or legal advice. A check-in cannot make an unsuitable job safe to do alone.
Start with the job, not the phone
A customer being somewhere in the building does not necessarily mean you have someone supervising your work. HSE describes lone workers as people working by themselves without close or direct supervision.[2] Think about the actual task and who could help, rather than counting the people on the premises.
Ask yourself what would happen if you became unwell, could not reach the exit or needed someone to stop work. Ask the person managing the site about relevant hazards and arrangements before you begin. HSE specifically includes finding out about risks and controls at someone else's workplace in its lone-working guidance.[3]
Some work needs another person present. HSE gives confined spaces and work near exposed live electrical conductors among its examples of high-risk work requiring at least one other person.[3] Do not treat a phone call or an app as permission to tackle work that needs specialist arrangements. Seek competent safety guidance if you are unsure.
Make the check-in arrangement specific
Choose someone who has agreed to the role and can respond during the hours you will be working. Do not assume a partner can monitor messages while doing their own job, or that a friend will notice a missed call. Have a conversation before relying on them.
Write down the job address, access details, your expected working hours and how you will make contact. Agree how changes will be passed on if the customer sends you to another property or the job runs late. Keep the details somewhere your contact can actually find them.
How often should you check in? HSE bases supervision on the risks and calls for pre-agreed regular contact; it does not give one interval that suits every job.[1] Choose the arrangement through the job's risk assessment, with competent help where needed. Avoid copying an interval from an unrelated business simply because it sounds convenient.
Decide what a missed check-in means
A useful arrangement needs a response, not just a reminder on your phone. HSE says monitoring systems should be tested so workers can be contacted when a problem or emergency is identified.[1]
Agree in advance how your contact will try to reach you, who else can help and what information they would need to pass to emergency services. Ask a competent safety adviser to help set appropriate response steps for your work. Avoid leaving someone to decide from scratch whether a silence means poor signal, a delayed job or an emergency.
Do not ask your contact to enter a dangerous area to find you. HSE's guidance makes clear that certain high-risk tasks need additional people and specific arrangements.[3] Knowing your location is useful; it does not turn a friend into a trained rescuer.
Check the signal and close the loop
Before relying on a phone, check that the agreed method works where the job will take place. Discuss what you will do if the battery runs low, reception drops or you cannot use the device during the task. HSE includes phones, radios and alarm devices as possible ways of maintaining contact, alongside regular testing.[1]
If an app appeals, ask what happens when a message fails and who receives an alert. Test the whole arrangement with your contact, including their response. Buying something is not the same as establishing that it works for this job.
Agree a final message when you have finished and reached the agreed safe place. HSE includes a reliable system to confirm a worker's return to base.[1] Tell your contact if the plan changes rather than leaving them waiting for a check-in you no longer intend to make.
Put one arrangement in place before the next visit
Take your next lone job and discuss it with a willing contact before setting off. Write the location and arrangements down, test the contact method and review what happens if you do not respond. If the plan depends on somebody being available, confirm that they are.
The HSE pages below provide a starting point for England, Scotland and Wales. In Northern Ireland, nibusinessinfo's lone-working guide covers managing the risks for employees and self-employed people.[4] Use the relevant guidance and seek competent help for the actual work you do.
For more reading written for people working in the trades, visit the Trade Mind hub.
Sources
[1] Lone working: Protect those working alone – HSE
[2] Lone workers – your health and safety – HSE
