APAC Service Operations HSE

Health & Safety Management System

Title: Lone Working

Group Reference Standard – Operational
Group Document: Document Reference: APC-HSE-HSMS-00527
Controls
Date of Issue 14 Mar 2019 Process owner: APAC Service Operations HSE

1.0 Objective
The process aims to ensure that Sodexo meets its obligations to support our employees and
provide the necessary tools and provisions in order to comply with safe arrangements for lone
working activities.

The purpose of this procedure is to define how Sodexo will:

 Protect employee, in so far as it is reasonably practicable, by adopting appropriate risk
management measures identified through risk assessments and learning from incident
reports.
 Provide lone workers with specific support through hand held devices such as mobile
phones.
 Promote safe working practices to protect employee working alone.

2.0 Scope
This procedure applies to all Sodexo employees including our contractors (and their
subcontractor) that are required to work as ‘lone workers’ as part of their job role. The
arrangements also apply to the way in which managers and employees should seek to protect
employees that are required to work out of hours on Sodexo sites.

Where client’s lone working requirements need to be applied, ensure it is agreed and well
documented down in our HSE interface document. As per normal practice, a Local Operating
Procedure (LOP) is to be developed if it deviates from Sodexo’s.

There may be also situation where Sodexo is responsible to coordinate the work activities of
our Client's direct contractor as a management agent or coordination role, In this case, it is also
necessary and deemed required to agree on which lone working requirements (i.e. Sodexo's or
Client's) to be followed and documented down in the interface document. All non-compliance by
such client's direct contractor should be escalated to client for action immediately.

The overarching principle must be that lone working can take place anywhere, at any time and
within any group of employees.

3.0 Responsibilities
Regional and Local Management (Contract/Account) Team

Segment Managers and Account/ Contract Managers are responsible for ensuring that:
 this process is followed on sites.
 there is access to a competent operational resource allocated to each site/contract in order
to meet and implement the requirements in this document. This should include relevant

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 provisions for lone working are provided based on the need assessment for the site and
appropriate training is provided.

APAC Regional HSE Team

Supporting the management team in the implementation of the process within the organisation,
the APAC Regional HSE Team shall be responsible:
 To promote and cascade this procedure across the region through the respective Territory
Team(s)
 Ensure that this process is reviewed at regular interval, kept current and all references are
relevant/valid. This will include all related documents.

Territory HSE Team

The Territory HSE Team shall be responsible for:

 Facilitating the deployment of this process – relevant guidelines, tools and forms at site
 There is a process in place, as part of the H&S induction, for informing all Sodexo workers
of the lone working arrangements on site.
 Allocate / provide training for the employee to meet the requirements so they are able to
carry out the activities in a safe manner.
 Conduct scheduled or random checks during site visits, inspections or audits to ensure that
this process is being followed by the site(s) and in compliance.

Site Manager/ Lead

Site Managers are required to ensure they have effective local provisions (as appropriate) to
their areas of responsibility and all employee adhere to ‘good practice’. These should include:
 Accurate and up-to-date whereabouts of employee movements for those who work alone.
 Records on all lone workers are regularly maintained; diary and work schedules, all
personal contact details, changes to working practise and any leave or absence.
 Personal safety risk assessments are undertaken in the workplaces for which they are
responsible and that the assessments, and the actions taken from them, are appropriately
recorded prior to commencing alone working in any area.
 Ensure all employee follow their localised safe systems of work for the safety of all
employee working remotely or in the community
 Possible use of a ‘buddy’ system, or joint visits, in situations of uncertainty.
 Systems for informing others of the whereabouts including time-scales.
 The use of mobile telephones or other telecommunications.
 Making arrangement for employee who are undertaking ‘risky’ visits to report in at the
conclusion of the work and confirm they are returning to work/home.
 Ensuring clear instructions for employee calling in at a prearranged time, to an ‘on call’
manager, to confirm work is over and they are safe and returning to work or going home.
 In circumstances where a lone worker has been subjected to a violent or abusive incident,
the relevant supervisor should offer the lone worker a range of the following as appropriate:
o Employee Consultation
o Mental Health First Aid Support
o Post-trauma support
o Peer support
o Access to Occupational Health services for psychological support
o Access to a professional or trade union representative
 Effective communication and support for lone workers

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 Employees/ Contractors

All employee are required to take all reasonable precautions to protect their own safety and
ensure that they adhere to Sodexo Procedures designed to protect employees. In respect of
personal safety when lone working, all employee and Contractors (where applicable) must:
 Responsible to inform their manager of their lone working arrangement
 Alert their manager to any change of contact details (home/mobile)
 Follow recommendations of any risk assessments undertaken to protect their safety.
 Report any incidents and near misses that they experience in a lone worker setting
 Wherever possible, ask a “buddy” to accompany while carrying out any activity in lone
worker setting.

4.0 What you need to do

4.1 General Considerations and understanding of lone working

It is essential that employees at all levels, are made aware of their responsibility to be familiar
and compliant with lone working procedures which are in place for their protection. Care should
be taken to review the regular lone working tasks and time taken to carry out these tasks
should be varied to reduce the risks posed.

What is at lone working?

Lone worker - A worker whose activities involve some or most of their working time operating in
situations without the benefit of interaction with other workers or without supervision. Includes:
 People working in fixed establishments (or in remote locations) where only one person
works on the premises, e.g. in small workshops, kiosks, petrol stations, shops and home-
workers.
 People working separately from others, e.g. in factories, warehouses, some research and
training establishments, leisure centres or fairgrounds.
 People who work outside normal hours, e.g. cleaners, security, special production,
maintenance or repair stuff, etc.
 People who are working away from their fixed base, e.g. On construction, plant installation,
maintenance and cleaning work, electrical repairs, lift repairs, painting and decorating,
vehicle recovery, etc.
 Agricultural and forestry workers.
 Service workers e.g. rent collectors, postal employee, social workers, home helpers, district
nurses, pest control workers, drivers, engineers, architects, estate agents, sales
representatives and similar professionals visiting domestic and commercial premises.
 The table below outlines a few hazards specific to certain scenarios:

Hazard & Risk Example of Scenario

Motor Vehicle Incident Driving alone on a rural road that is infrequently travelled

Falls Using a ladder

Burns Working around hot cooking oil

Sprains and Strains Lifting heavy boxes

Violence Working alone during odd hours

Using cleaning products, paint products, or other potentially

Chemical exposures
hazardous materials
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 Sudden trigger of a medical emergency at work due to an existing
Health condition
medical condition

Sodexo recognises that assessing risk is an effective way of ensuring that known risks are
mitigated, transferred or terminated. In respect of lone working at Sodexo, it is not possible to
undertake a risk assessment of each unique lone working situation but it is possible to
undertake some general risk assessments that cover ‘usual’ lone working scenarios common to
different groups/work locations across Sodexo.

The managers and employees need to think through the anticipated risks in relation to lone
working in their area, considering environmental issues, and client issues etc. The following
questions could be used to have a basic assessment of the area before carrying out the
activity:
 Does the particular workplace present a special risk to someone working alone?
 Are there safe egress and exits from the workplace?
 Can all the equipment and substances be safely handled by one person?
 Is violence and security threat from others a risk?
 Is the worker medically fit and suitable for working alone?
 Is special training and supervision required?
 Has the worker access to first-aid?

As per our Global HSMS Definitions Guidance Note SMS_GHS_012_GN1:

Supplier - provides materials, equipment and services and includes a contractor* who is either
self-employed or employed by another company, on either fixed or open term contracts and is
NOT on the company salary/ wage payroll and are NOT directly supervised by Sodexo.

We further defined in this document that:

*Contractor - a person or firm that undertakes a contract to provide materials or labour to

perform a service or do a job. They may have signed contract with Sodexo directly or managed
by Sodexo on behalf of client or both. A Contractor may subsequently hire a Subcontractor for
meeting the contractual requirements.

Subcontractor – a person or a firm that the Contractor (refer above for the definition) hires to
perform a service or do a job. A Subcontractor has a signed contract or agreement with the
Contractor.

4.2 Access to Support

Within the department arrangements, there must be a clear, pre-arranged signal that support is
needed. This must be fully communicated to and understood by all. Remote workers can be
provided with special equipment such as personal alarms, satellite phones or mobile phones
which must be kept fully charged before commencing alone working.

4.3 Traceability

Lone workers should always ensure that someone else such as their line manager or
supervisor or another colleague is aware of their movements. Such information may be
recorded (as applicable) on an accurate weekly diary sheet lodged with the team
administrator/or equivalent.

They may also have periodic (e.g. every 1 or 2 hour) checking by a colleague or supervisor
(may be working elsewhere), to check and communicate with the lone worker to ensure that the
person is safe.

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 4.4 Colleague ‘Buddy’ System

For visits where there is uncertainty and the Lone worker wishes to make a link with a
colleague, a colleague/ buddy system should be implemented and a colleague’s availability
agreed. Where possible, a buddy or colleague to accompany the lone worker to the activity –
this arrangement could be made in case for activities of short duration.

4.5 Travelling and Driving Alone

 Employee should establish the exact location of the address that they are visiting or
travelling to and plan their journey.
 Select locations to park your car that are safe and well lit.
 If travelling by public transport, plan your return journey ensuring that you have current
timetables and that services will still be running after your visit is complete.
 Ensure employee are competent and capable drivers by regularly checking their driving
licences and, where necessary, providing driver training or health checks.
 Plan journeys thoroughly and set work schedules that are realistic and flexible, so that
employees don’t feel under pressure to drive too fast, for too long or in bad weather.
 Develop and communicate a Journey Management Plan to relevant personnel including
details like:
o Estimated time of arrival (ETA) is defined per destination so that someone may
initiate a call or try to contact the lone worker when the driver has not arrived at a
certain period after the ETA – preferably 1 hour.
o Defined reporting times by the driver to update someone (a journey manager or any
colleague) on his location, current state and issues, if any.
o Defined rest and sleep breaks, if driving will extend overnight.
 Make sure that employees are clear about your expectations in relation to safe driving
standards – such as your policy on using mobile phones or drinking and driving (some
companies insist their employee drink no alcohol at all before driving).

5.0 Training and Competence

Site Managers must have appropriate lone working awareness training. This awareness must
be cascaded to the front-line employee who are exposed to lone working activities and
conditions.

Training shall be recorded on the employee’s training record.

6.0 Record Keeping

Site Manager/Lead (or his/her appointed person) is responsible to ensure the following are kept
up to date, relevant and available at their site:
 Records of lone working training.
 Records of Traceability on lone working movement as mentioned in section 4.3.

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