Hi, looking for some guidance - having taken over as H&S Manager, i'm reviewing risk assessments etc, for context we have aout 40 employees who work in the field, this is mainly in social housing, so going in and out properties every day carry out various surveys. They are generally working alone, although sometimes with a resident. Our RA states all staff will be FAW trained, but this isn't happening across the board and I have challenged that my not be necessary. 

Anyone got experience with this, if ew provide a personal frst aid kit, some online FA training to these employees, would this be reasonable and sufficient? 

Thanks

Hi David, 

I re-iterate what Ant has mentioned. Additionally, you should risk assess actual lone working, establish a lone working procedure etc. There are even phone applications now which make all the lone workers inform you that they are safe and well, the local managers could monitor this and you could oversee it. 

Originally Posted by: lukewildsmith

There are even phone applications now which make all the lone workers inform you that they are safe and well, the local managers could monitor this and you could oversee it.

1) Where downloaded

2) Where the handset is fully charged

3) When lone working is taking place in an area that is not a "not spot" for phone signal

4) When the company has been paying the providers invoices so the handsets are not disconnected

5) When the task is interruptible to permit making timed calls

Technology - great when it works

Hi Roundtuit

4) When the company has been paying the providers invoices so the handsets are not disconnected

Do I detect some personal experience?!?!

Hi Peter

Previous employment where everyone had to have a company issued mobile that finance decided would, for their convenience, be best placed upon a single provider contract - one missed payment. Other mobile classics include the corporate deal which works fine for those based at head office whilst those based at other sites have no signal.

Also coming to a disaster near you is the advent of "digital" server based handsets - lose power = no phone. Domesticly pensioner groups are lobbying providers that the switch from copper cabling will disconnect emergency communication - a UPS will only provide a few hours back-up whereas supply disconnections such as with storm Arwen lasted for days.

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

 I know of a number of  organisations who have moved away from the “old fashioned  internal telephone” to CTI (Computer telephony integration) where instead of  a separate land line, the phone goes through the computer desktop.

I'm not sure what you're complaining about here - you seem to link it to replacing wired 'landline' telephones with PC-based voice calls, but then segue into 'but what about people that aren't at a desk' and what if their mobile phone doesn't work or can't be used?

Those people couldn't use landlines in the 'good old days' either, though.  Or were your remote workers equipped with really long extension leads to take their wired 'landline' phone with them?  I can't really see any way in which communications now (regardless of decision to use PC-based calling or not) are less flexible and have less coverage than in the past.

Having said which, I am interested in application of technology solutions to lone workers, and would like to hear of systems that people are using and think tehy work well.  (Our people-based systems - remember to tell your manager when you're back safe - don't work as well as I'd like.)

Achrn

Imagine a workplace, which is not an office so there is no networked PC there but in the old days there was a phone mounted on the wall and if something went wrong you could pick up the phone a call someone and then shout HELP! Now the phone system has been improved but it only works through a PC and the wall mounted phone is still there but is no longer connected to anything.  If you need to call for help you can use a mobile phone, but what if you don’t have one or there is no signal in that area or for operational reasons you can’t use a mobile phone?

The question is has anybody else come across this situation? What have they done about it?

Have they insisted that the phone be reinstated? Have the installed wi-fi in the area so mobile technology works or have they just a crossed their fingers and hoped that they will never need to deal with this issue?

Achrn, I too like technology based solution, so I am not really  a Luddite but if you are interested in solutions, you need something that works and works in an emergency and is easy to use and generates a useful response. It’s no good being able to contact an empty office 24/7.

A lot of people are nervous about putting lone worker solutions on their personal phones, as they think it will be used to “spy” on them, which is why they prefer fixed alternatives.

Originally Posted by: A Kurdziel

Have the installed wi-fi in the area so mobile technology works or have they just a crossed their fingers and hoped that they will never need to deal with this issue?

Another technological assumption - not all UK carriers / hand sets support Wi-Fi calling and not all corporate systems grant open unverified pasword free Wi-Fi access.