Lone worker experts Peoplesafe are reminding employers and staff to take extra care as the clocks went back last weekend.
More than six million out of 22 million workers in the UK are thought to spend all or part of their working day alone. They range from postal workers, district nurses and social workers to farmers, shop workers and security guards.
Peoplesafe’s managing director Ian Johannessen: “The dark nights always seem to come as a surprise and they shouldn’t do.
“What often happens is you go in to a meeting in the daylight and then come out and it’s dark. Or you park the car somewhere that seems safe in the light, but not so when it is dark.
“A simple bit of planning ahead can make all the difference. Something as simple as parking near streetlights or where it’s busy.”
But it’s not just staff that need to plan ahead, employers need to take responsibility for their employees, said Ian.
“Employers have to remember that out of sight is not out of mind and they have a duty of care to their staff wherever they are. The dark nights are a reminder that organisations need clear and effective systems for managing staff safety throughout the working day.”
Peoplesafe, which has its headquarters in South Yorkshire, is one of the UK’s leading providers of simple and lightweight equipment, monitoring services and safety training for lone workers
It provides an NSI Gold accredited service, which is the highest possible industry recognition. The service is fully compliant with the British Standard for lone worker provision (8484). Its clients include a range of major retailers, housing associations, facilities management companies, charities and house builders.
