HSE to review lone worker guidance

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) confirms it will review its lone worker guidance; ‘Working Alone: Health and safety guidance on the risks’ (INDG73), which was last updated in 2012.

Lone workers make up an increasing and important part of the workforce within a range of roles and sectors and there are no specific regulations relating to lone workers, but the HSE has always recognised this group of workers can be at higher risk.

Barbara Hockey, head of the HSE’s vulnerable workers team, explained that she looked at the existing guidance provided by the HSE, and thought it was time for the document to be looked at, especially with the HSE’s new strategy in 2020.

The HSE worked with trade bodies, trade unions, small and large businesses, industry contacts and people who attended the lone worker conference in 2018, to comprehensively refresh and review the lone worker guidance.

The revised HSE lone worker guidance will reflect the developments within technological change and an ageing workforce; the guidance also encourages and empowers employees to do their own assessment of risk and take proactive steps based on the guidance.