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Martin Newlan
Member - 34 posts
We employ a female night supervisor who is entirely on her own after guests go to bed (usually about 01.00) until day staff start to arrive at 06.30. During that time she will be cleaning, possibly doing some laundry in the basement, and making security checks of the two main buildings.
She carries a portable radio with which she can call a duty officer (one of three who sleep in staff accommodation), and a mobile phone for emergencies. There are no inherent risks, other than falling, in the risk assessment for the job function. Are we doing enough to satisfy our H&S obligations to her?
At weekends, the duty officers carry out the safety and guest security function, but they do so from their residences, and apart from lock-up on Sunday afternoons they are seldom completely alone in the buildings. The same question arises : are we under an obligation to always have a second person on duty for their personal safety?
Martin Newlan
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Smita Jamdar - Martineau Johnson
Online advisor - 17 posts
There is no general obligation to have at least two people on duty at all times.
To decide whether you are doing enough in this case, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
· How are the risks faced by your security officer addressed (e.g violence, emergencies, isolation etc)?
· How do you supervise her (e.g periodic spot checks to ensure that she has not developed unsafe working practices)?
· What training has she received to equip her to work alone?
· How do you know where she is at any given time (e.g does she have a relatively fixed schedule which she sticks to)?
· How can she get help if she has an accident?
In this case, although she may be the only person working, there are others in the building at all times (guests) and she can contact duty officers for help.
I am slightly concerned that the only risk identified in your RA is that of falling. If she's on her own for most of the time there are likely to be other risks - e.g having an accident of some other nature and no-one finding out, disturbing burglars, even drunken and disorderly guests. I would suggest that you start by assessing whether falling is really the only risk she faces, which will enable you to decide if there is anything more you need to do.
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Patrick Dealtry
Member - 1 post
You should carry out a risk assesment on her as a Lone Worker - the HSE does provide guidance speicifically for Lone Workers. Recent additions to H & S legislation make it easier for employees to take action against their employers and the fact that you may not have carried out a risk assesment is no defence and in fact will act against you if it comes to a court hearing.
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