Protect those who work alone

Stress and other health factors

Stress, mental health and well-being

Working alone can cause work-related stress and affect people’s mental health.

HSE's stress management standards include the importance of establishing relationships with and obtaining support from other workers.

It can be difficult to get proper support away from managers and colleagues.

keep in touch

Develop appropriate procedures to enable direct contact with single workers so that their managers can detect signs of stress as early as possible.

If contact is poor, workers may feel isolated, isolated or abandoned. This can affect their performance and may affect their stress levels and mental health.

Sick working alone

If you are not sure whether someone's health status means that a person can work safely, seek medical advice. Consider routine work and possible emergencies, which may bring more physical and mental burdens to single workers.

First aid and emergency

Develop emergency procedures and train single workers how to use them.

Your risk assessment may indicate that lone workers should:

• Bring first aid equipment

• Receive first aid training, including how to use first aid on yourself

• Adequate first aid facilities

Emergency procedures should include guidance on how and when single workers can contact employers, including details of any emergency contact numbers.

Monitor the health of orphans

Some lonely workers may pose specific risks to their health. For example, HGV drivers alone have high physical and mental requirements, and they spend a long time on the steering wheel. You should monitor their health and adjust the driver’s work to suit any specific health needs.