Lone working presents higher risks because there is nobody else to help should an accident occur. For this reason, extra care should be taken even when carrying out relatively safe tasks because even a small accident can have much larger consequences when alone. Having a mobile phone with you at all times may help, but does not mitigate all risks, so extra care is still needed. Lone working should be avoided where possible, and done when there is the minimum amount of time until someone else will be in the building - i.e. Lone Working is better done in the early morning, when the building will soon be opening, rather than late at night, where you might be stuck all night. 

To minimise the risks that an accident occurs and the person involved is alone for longer than necessary, the following email addresses should be notified, including a description of what you will be doing and where, before working in the building alone at a time when it will be more than an hour before you expect there to be someone else present: ben@arcolatheatre.com, jamie.samuels@arcolatheatre.com, norna@arcolatheatre.com, fohsupervisor@arcolatheatre.com, boxoffice@arcolatheatre.com, bar@arcolatheatre.com.

Lone working involving only consumer grade mass produced devices (including plugging them in), working at a computer, with devices with 60V or less potential electrical exposure to electricity, or plugging and unplugging network cables, are allowed without an additional risk assessment and approval, provided none of this involves other risks, for example working at height. Anything that does not fall into this exemption requires prior approval of Ben or Jamie LS.

IN ALL CASES PROVISION MUST BE MADE FOR FIRE EXIT ACCESS - YOU CANNOT WORK ALONE IN THE BUILDING IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE KNOWLEDGE / KEYS  AUTHORITY TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE MEANS OF ESCAPE (GENERALLY 2 ROUTES)

This document from HSE is relevant to setting this policy (archived version at the time of writing).

See Lone Working SOP: HSM128 Early morning and only person in building emergency SOP https://docs.google.com/document/d/1duO_klAccqFNspBEmL-BxEqz9nP1iYNFnsCjI_dH_SY/edit?usp=sharing 

HSM128 Early Morning and Only Person In The Building Emergency SOP:

PROCEDURE

• • The bar staff are normally the first staff in the building during the week. 

  • The building Duty Manager is normally the first staff in the building during the weekends.

  • The bar staff are normally the last people in the building. 

  • On occasion members of the technical team or Arcola Energy team may well be in the building first or last to carry out maintenance. (Technical team see HSM132 Get in/Get out procedure for the technical team evacuation procedure.) 

  • If staff are the first to arrive for a normal office day, that is not lone working. 

  • Lone working is activity outside of the normal activity that needs to be risk assessed.

  • Staff who will be working alone in the building, must have their activity signed off by senior management.  

  • Technical staff are to notify Geoff Hense (Production Manager) and all other staff are to notify Ben Todd (Executive Director) and the Health and Safety Management; Peter Stephens and Simon Mylius (Arcola Energy) and Charlotte Croft (H&S Manager, Arcola Theatre).  

  • The staff member must notify the above people of the following information: times of arrival, date of work, type of work, risk assessment if required.  On the completion of the work, the lone worker is to email again to confirm when the work is finished or when they are no longer alone in the building. I.e. they leave or another staff member arrives. 

Opening the building and ensuring the fire exits are clear: 

The bar staff member who is in the building first, unlocks and checks all the fire exits are clear: 

• 1. Bar exit doors, remove the bolts and wooden bar, bolts to go in the key bag and the wooden bar stands up next to the door. 

  2. Main front doors on Ashwin Street, remove the wooden bar and place behind the door. 

  3. Studio 1 fire exit door, remove the wooden bar from the door and place behind the door. 

• • Early morning Bar staff: week days /Building Duty Manager: weekends.

• 1. It is very important that the full walk around to check fire exits is completed by the coffee hut staff or the staff member who is responsible that day for opening building completes fire checks. 

  2. They must put out the sign in sheets for the staff and visitors to be able to sign in and out when they arrive.

• • Office work alone (staff arriving early): Unlock the following doors: 

  • Bar exit door (Abbot Street) are unlocked and clear

  • The two exits from the office (the main office door and the Energy office side door) are clear and accessible. The key to the Energy office door is on a red lanyard located on a shelf under desk 45 which is next to that door. 

All staff: If the fire alarm sounds

• • If the fire alarm sounds during the time they are the only ones in the building, they are advised to exit the building immediately through the nearest exit. Hence the importance of ensuring fire exits are unlocked and accessible when they first arrive. 

  • The staff member must phone the fire brigade on 999 from their mobile phone when safely outside the building. 

  • The staff member must phone Ben Todd to notify him of the situation. 

  • The staff member must liaise with the fire brigade when they arrive and advise if they think /know if any other staff/public are in the building. 

  • The staff member must liaise with our neighbours at Bootstrap, and if appropriate, at Café Oto, due to the Arcola Theatre fire alarm being connected to the Bootstrap fire alarm. 

    • The Arcola fire alarm will trigger the Bootstrap alarm. 

    • The Bootstrap alarm will trigger the Arcola alarm, therefore there might not be a fire situation in Arcola, but always evacuate and call 999 on hearing the fire alarm when lone working.  

All staff: Emergency situations

• • First aid: It is vital that any lone workers notify the above staff when they start and finish the work. 

  • Arcola as an emergency rest centre, see ‘HSM127 Emergency Rest Centre take over’ document. The basic information is that Arcola is on the Hackney Council list as a venue for the council to use to temporarily house people should there be an emergency in the borough of Hackney. If we are at capacity or we get the call during show /events times, we do not have to agree to be a rest centre. 

  • Other alarms: water level alarm, lift alarm, emergency call point alarm. See relevant SOPs. 

Lock down and invacuation for lone workers

Lockdown 

• • If we are aware of or are notified by the emergency services of a situation happening outside the building (eg armed shooting/riots etc) we have a duty to protect ourselves and the building. You should lock the doors and not let anyone in or out of the building. This is for everyones safety and for the safety of those in the building. We have been advised by the Metropolitan Police to not let anyone in or out during a lockdown. This is because if someone is let out they could be injured, and if we let anyone in, that person could possibly be an assailant of the troubles and cause more trouble inside.

Invacuation

• • An invacuation is carried out in case of a bomb threat or explosion nearby.

  • Take yourself to the safe space is Studio 2, or backstage in Studio 1 as these are the safest places in the building due to having no windows. (In a bomb explosion the shattering glass from windows causes most injuries). There is running water and toilet facilities for staff and patrons to use in Studio 2 and Studio 1. 

  • Stay in the safe space until advised to leave the building by the emergency services. First aid boxes are in both places.