S39. PERSONAL SAFETY OF Employees

Transcription

1 S39. PERSONAL SAFETY OF Employees 1.0 Introduction 1.1 NHH have responsibility for the health, safety and welfare at work of their employees and health and safety of those affected by their work, e.g. visitors, contractors, self-employed persons and tenants. These responsibilities cannot be transferred to people who work alone. 1.2 It is the duty of NHH to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control risk where necessary. Employees also have a responsibility to take care of themselves and other people affected by their work and to co-operate with NHH in meeting their legal obligations. 1.3 Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision. They are found in a wide range of situations: Only one person works on the premises People work separately from others, e.g. in void properties, tenant s properties. People outside normal hours, e.g. cleaners, security, special production, maintenance or repair staff etc. Mobile workers working away from a fixed base: maintenance, repairs, painting decorating, Property technical staff, Neighbourhood Officers, Community Support Officers and Mobile Scheme Managers. 1.4 Although there is no general legal prohibition on working alone, the broad duties of the Health and Safety at Work Act and Managing Health and Safety at Work Regulations still apply. These require identifying hazards of the work, assessing the risks involved, and putting measures in place to avoid or control the risks. 1.5 Control measures may include instruction, training, supervision, protective equipment etc. NHH Managers should take steps to check that control measures are used and review the risk assessment of lone working procedures every six months to ensure they are adequate.

2 1.6 When the risk assessment shows that it is not possible for the work to be done safely by a lone worker, arrangements for providing help or back up should be put in place. 1.7 NHH Managers must record the significant findings of their lone working risk assessment. 1.8 The following procedure outlines steps that may be taken to maximise protection for employees against assaults or other threats in course of their work. 1.9 These guidance notes reflect the minimum standards that NHH expects employees to meet regarding external visits. They have been designed to protect the health and safety of employees and form part of North Hertfordshire Homes health and safety policy. If these procedures are not adhered to, it can result in disciplinary action being taken against the employee and/or manager responsible. 2.0 Managers Responsibility 2.1 It is essential that all managers carry out a risk assessment for Personal Safety of employees as part of induction and six monthly reviews thereafter. 2.2 Lone workers should not be at more risk than other employees. This may require extra risk-control measures. Precautions should take account of normal work and foreseeable emergencies, e.g. fire, equipment failure, illness and accidents. Managers should identify situations where people work alone and ask questions such as: Does the workplace present a special risk to the lone worker? Is there a safe way in and way out for one person? Can any temporary access equipment which is necessary, such as portable ladders or trestles, be safety handled by one person? Can all the plant, substances and goods involved in the work be safely handled by one person? Consider whether the work involves lifting objects too large for one person or whether more than one person is needed to operate essential controls for the safe running of equipment. Is there a risk of violence? Are female employees especially at risk if they work alone? Are young employees especially at risk if they work alone?

3 2.3 Managers should check that the employees have no medical conditions which make them unsuitable for working alone. Seek medical advice if necessary. Consider both routine work and foreseeable emergencies which may impose additional physical and mental burdens on the individual. 2.4 Training is particularly important where there is limited supervision to control, guide and help in situations of uncertainty. Training may be critical to avoid panic reactions in unusual situations. Employees need to be sufficiently experienced and to understand the risks and precautions fully. Managers should set the limits to what can and cannot be done while alone. They should ensure employees are competent to deal with circumstances which are new, unusual or beyond the scope of training, e.g. when to stop work and seek advice from a manager and how to handle aggression. 2.5 Although employees cannot be subject to constant supervision, it is still the manager s duty to ensure their health and safety at work. Supervision can help to ensure that employees understand the risks associated with their work and that the necessary safety precautions are carried out. Managers can also provide guidance in situations of uncertainty. Supervision of health and safety can often be carried out when checking the progress and quality of the work; it may take the form of periodic site visits combined with discussions in which health and safety issues are raised. 2.6 The extent of supervision required depends on the risks involved and the ability of the employee to identify and handle health and safety issues. Employees new to a job, undergoing training, doing a job which presents special risks, or dealing with new situations may need to be accompanied at first. The level of supervision required is a management decision which should be based on the finding of the risk assessment. The higher the risk, the greater the level of supervision required. It should not be left to the employee to decide whether they require assistance. 2.7 Procedures will need to be put in place to monitor employees who are lone workers to see they remain safe. These may include: Line manager s periodically visiting and observing people working alone; Regular contact between the employee and line manager using either a telephone or radio; Check that an employee has returned to their base or home on completion of a task.

4 2.8 Employees should be capable of responding correctly to emergencies. Risk assessments should identify foreseeable events. Emergency procedures should be established and employees trained in them. 2.9 Information about emergency procedures and danger areas should be given to lone workers who visit our premises Lone workers should have access to adequate first-aid facilities and mobile workers should carry a first-aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries. Occasionally risk assessment may indicate that employees who are lone workers need training in first-aid. 3.0 Employees Responsibility 3.1 Making an appointment 3.2 The following procedure should be followed when making an appointment: Employees should obtain full information, name, address, telephone number; Information should be recorded in the diary, (or whatever method is used to record external or lone working in the location), clearly and legibly; Where employees are visiting a general area rather than a specific address as much information as possible regarding the intended visit should be entered into the diary/log; Employees should check the Incident register list held by the IT Systems Administrator to ascertain whether the property/person being visited is listed; Where appropriate employees should use lone working devices If appropriate, the appointment should be confirmed in writing. 3.3 Assessment of appointment or visits to be made 3.4 In the case of an appointment, an employee should consider telephoning back to check the telephone number if at all suspicious. 3.5 The employee intending to make a visit should assess the risk and where necessary, consult the line manager. The line manager should be consulted in the case of all out of hour s visits. Elements to consider will include: The nature of the visit; The likely nature of the interview, taking into account the subject, the person and the potential for confrontation;

5 The location of the visit and the vulnerability of the employee - public place/isolated location; In the case of work out of normal hours, the lateness of the hour for the end of the work and arrival at home; Whether or not the address/person is listed on the Incident Register. 3.6 Depending on the degree of assessed risk, one of the following arrangements set out in paragraph 3.7 must be adopted as considered appropriate by the employee. In the case of all out of hour s visits, the employee must also consult with the line manager authorised to make such a decision in relation to out of hours visits. 3.7 It must be emphasised that where an employee intends to make a visit alone out of office hours, the assessed risk must be no greater than that which would be acceptable during the employee s daily routine. The arrangements to consider are: Liaison with the police and arrangements for police support. The visit to be made by two employees and if one of the two employees planning the visit does not attend then the visit must be cancelled. One employee alone but equipped with a mobile telephone. An employee alone with no communication equipment. 3.8 In all situations, the line manager making the decision and the visiting employee must be satisfied that the arrangements are a safe system of work and where there is doubt they must choose a safer arrangement. 3.9 On leaving the office 3.10 The employee should leave the diary/log or whatever other method they use to advise their colleagues of their whereabouts, clearly visible in the office, preferably on their desk. If they use an electronic diary, a note on their desk will be sufficient. As much detail as possible should be provided about the locations they will be visiting and their expected return time On site 3.12 Employees are recommended to: Park their car in a visible location (under a street light if the estimated finish time warrants it);

6 3.13 On their return Be aware of potential problems and not put themselves at risk; Cut short or stop the visit if they are not happy with the circumstances; Put their safety first; If the employee is going to be delayed by more than one hour from stated return time, they must telephone the office with a revised return time. If the customer is drunk or abusive they should leave immediately and inform the office. Make sure the person/people are who they expected to visit/meet and not enter their house or an empty or other property if they are unsure. Make sure their phones are charged and working correctly at all times Employees should advise their colleague(s) they have returned to the office End of the day or start of the day visits 3.16 If an employee has an early or late visit, which involves going straight to an appointment on the way to the office or on the way home, they must advise an appropriate manager If an early visit, advise of the due time of arrival in the office when arrangements in paragraphs 3.20 and 3.22 below will apply In the event of an end of day visit, employees should advise the Careline control centre as in paragraph 3.23 below Back-up System 3.20 Persons authorised by the line manager will keep a check that employees have returned at the time they have stated. If an employee is delayed they should contact the relevant person to explain the reason for the delay and to advise a revised return time If no contact is made and an employee has not returned within 30 minutes of the stated return time, the line manager should be advised The line manager must take steps to trace the employee and if they cannot be found they must consult the police. Final v4 North Hertfordshire Homes S39. Personal safety of staff 14 July 2011 Author: Human Resources Manager

7 3.23 If the visit is out of office hours, an employee should advise the Careline control centre where their visit is and the expected return time. Once the visit is finished they must advise the control centre. If the employee has not contacted Careline within one hour of their expected time they will alert the police and a contracted security firm. A security officer will be sent to their last reported location to ensure that they are safe Staff Details 3.25 The staff at the Careline control centre will have access to relevant personal details (such as car registration, home address and phone number etc.). These may be given out to the police in case of emergency if an employee cannot be traced If an employee does not contact the control centre by their expected finish time, the control centre will try and contact them by phoning their mobile phone, the site they were visiting and finally their home telephone number. If the employee cannot be contacted, the police will be advised and the security firm will be contacted. A security officer will be sent to the last reported location to check that the employee is safe Reporting of Incidents 3.28 Any employee who is verbally or physically abused should report the matter as soon as possible so as to allow the circumstances leading up to the abuse to be examined and any procedural flaws identified. This information may well prevent recurrence, and thereby lead to a safer system of work for all employees In addition, details of any properties visited which cause a risk due to structural defects, vermin, aggressive dogs etc. should be recorded and sent to the who keeps the Incident Register which is available to all services. 4.0 Specialised Procedures 4.1 Employees who work consistently at mobile locations or within the community will be covered by specific ringing in and reporting procedures as agreed with their line manager. 5.0 Regulatory Standard that relates to this document 5.1 N/A 6.0 Related Strategies and Policies Health and Safety policy

8 Lone Worker policy 7.0 Monitoring and Review arrangements 7.1 This policy will be reviewed in two years.