Health and Safety/Environmental Committee

Transcription

1 Trust Policy and Procedure Lone Working Safety Policy Document ref. no: PP(17)134 For use in: For use by: For use for: Document owner: Status: Trust Wide All Staff Lone Workers Health and Safety/Environmental Committee Approved Contents Page 1. Introduction 2 2. Scope of the Policy 2 3. Definition of Lone Workers Examples of Lone Working Situations 2 4. Policy Aims 3 5. Responsibilities The Chief Executive, Director of Nursing and Director of 3 Operations 5.2 General, Service Managers Line Managers Employees LSMS 4 6. Risk Management Incident Reporting 5 8. Training 6 9. Contacting / Involving the Police Support for Staff Support for Staff Following a Violent Incident 6-7 Appendix A Lone Worker Training Synopsis 8-9 Appendix B Training Record 10 Appendix C Checklist for Line Managers 11 Appendix D Generic Risk Assessment Form Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 1 of 13

2 WESTSUFFOLKHOSPITAL NHS TRUST LONE WORKING SAFETY POLICY 1. Introduction The Trust recognises that some staff are required to work by themselves for significant periods of time without close or direct supervision in the community, in isolated work areas and out of hours. The purpose of this policy is to protect such staff so far as is reasonably practical from the risks of lone working. The Trust recognises it has an obligation under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, for the health and safety and welfare at work of its employees. These responsibilities apply equally to staff that, for whatever reason, work alone. 2. Scope of the Policy This policy is provided for the use of ALL STAFF in their day-to-day work, inclusive of volunteers and where appropriate contractors. The policy applies to all situations involving lone working arising in connection with the duties and work activities of Trust staff. 3. Definition of Lone Workers People working alone or in isolation from others may be at particular risk because of their vulnerability in the event of an attack or illness. They may be at risk if they are not in regular contact with others and are not kept informed about relevant current developments. 3.1 Examples of Lone Working Situations can include: Staff working alone at particular times of the day or night or in isolated parts of otherwise populated buildings. Staff working alone because there is no planned cover for absent colleagues or for night or weekend shifts. Staff who are required to work alone for all or most of the time, such as cleaning staff working at night or early morning. Staff working alone as an occasional part of the job e.g. staying on to finish urgent works after others have left work or those who regularly work alone after hours or arrive early before others. Staff who are key-holders or who are left to turn out the lights, set the alarm and lock up premises after everyone else has gone home. Peripatetic workers whose work involves traveling or home visiting. Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 2 of 13

3 4. Policy Aims The aims of this policy are to: 4.1 Increase staff awareness of safety issues relating to lone working; 4.2 Ensure that the risk of lone working is assessed in a systematic and ongoing way, and that safe systems and methods of work are put into place to reduce the risk (s) so far as reasonably practicable; 4.3 Ensure that appropriate training (see appendix A &B) is available to all staff to equip them to recognize risks within their workplace and provide practical advice to maintain their personal safety at all times; 4.4 Ensure that appropriate support is available to staff who work alone; 4.5 Ensure that all incidents, near misses and injuries to staff relating to lone working are fully reported and recorded. 5. Responsibilities 5.1 The Chief Executive, Director of Nursing and Director of Operations Ensuring that there are arrangements for identifying, evaluating and managing risk associated with lone working; To provide, as far as is practical, a safe working environment for lone working employees. Ensuring that there are arrangements for monitoring incidents linked to lone working and that the Trust regularly reviews the effectiveness of this policy. 5.2 General, Service Managers Ensure that the responsibilities listed below are adhered to and provide support to Line Managers when dealing with any ensuing issues. 5.3 Line Managers Ensuring that staff are aware of the policy; Ensuring that in addition to the Trusts generic risk assessment; Line Managers carry out individual departmental risk assessments and that they carried out and reviewed regularly; Ensuring that appropriate health surveillance is carried out by Occupational Health Department before a lone worker commences appointment, and throughout their lone working employment; Putting procedures and safe systems of work into practice, which are designed to eliminate or reduce the risks associated with working alone; (please see appendix A+C) Ensuring that staff groups and individuals, including internal staff, identified as being at risk are given the appropriate information, instruction and training, including training at induction, updates, and refresher training in safe working practices, conflict resolution, raising the alarm and safe breakaway techniques. (please see appendix B) Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 3 of 13

4 Ensuring that appropriate support is given to staff involved in any incident, which may include referral to the Occupational Health Department. Managing the effectiveness of preventative and control measures through an effective system of reporting, investigating and recording incidents, near misses and incidents. Providing resources for putting the policy into practice. To include lone working devices; to ensure that reports relating to said devices are analysed and any necessary action is taken Health and Safety Representatives also have a responsibility to assist managers in assessing risks to lone workers and agreeing appropriate control measures to eliminate or reduce risks identifies. 5.4 Employees Taking reasonable care of themselves and others effected by their activities and processes; Co-operating with their employers by following policies, procedures, safe systems of work, attending required training e.g.crt and breakaway training, using equipment provided and guidelines designed for safe working; Reporting all incidents and near misses affecting the health, safety and security of themselves and others, seeking advice as appropriate; Taking part in training, noting information and instruction designed to meet the requirements of the policy 5.5 LSMS The Local Security Management Specialist will be responsible for ensuring that all line managers responsible lone worker individuals /groups have in place risk assessments, training programs, safe working practices, lone working devices where necessary and are fully compliant with the policy. The LSMS will be available for consultation and assistance on providing training for said lone workers. The LSMS will monitor and audit said policy requirements; this will be achieved by inspecting monthly device usage reports, incident reports, training and risk assessment records. This will be supported through a review as part of the Trusts Work Place Assessment programme. The LSMS will provide an annual report to the Health Safety and Environmental Committee to include audit reports and subsequent actions. 6. Risk Assessment It should be emphasised that although Lone Workers may face higher risks, it is important that these risks are not over-exaggerated, as this can have a detrimental effect, by engendering an unnecessary perception of fear amongst staff that is disproportionate to the reality. Therefore, it is important that work to minimise these risks is based on fact. Risk assessments MUST be completed to identify staff whose working practice makes them vulnerable. Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 4 of 13

5 This includes: Staff who are site based but work in isolation, including out-of-hours working. Staff who work in the community, in external clinics, surgeries and patients homes. Recommendations will be made to eliminate or reduce the identified risk (s) to the lowest level reasonably practicable. In all cases the question about the need for lone working MUST be addressed. Managers must decide whether systems can be adopted to avoid workers carrying out tasks on their own. The working practice of the lone worker, and any other contributory factors (e.g. physical security of the work place) must be risk assessed. Where staff works alone, or in isolation in buildings, or carry out domiciliary visits, managers should complete a Lone Workers Risk Assessment Form (see Appendix D) generic risk assessment to be used for guidance only). The Risk Assessment Form is a tool to help identify if existing control measures are adequate. If not, modifications and additional actions must be considered to help to reduce the risk associated with lone working activities. Completed Risk Assessments should be retained via Datix. Risk Assessments for mobile lone workers must include: Client/patient risk assessment where applicable Arrangements for domiciliary visits, including consideration of alternatives. Travelling between appointments. Reporting and recording arrangements. Communication (e.g. mobile telephones) and trace ability (e.g. visit log at base). Personal Safety training, to include Conflict Resolution t & Breakaway Training Following completion of the risk assessment, consideration must be given to any appropriate action that is required. Managers must ensure that risk assessments and appropriate action plans are in place to meet the needs of all lone workers within their area of control, including identifying the needs of individuals. 7. Incident Reporting An incident can be defined as an unplanned, unforeseen, random event or sequence of events with the potential to cause injury, ill health, damage or loss. ALL incidents, accidents or near misses MUST be reported on Datix as soon as after the event as possible and always within 24hrs. The Trusts Local Security Management Specialist will be responsible for reviewing incidents linked to issues of security. Staff MUST ensure that all incidents where they feel threatened or unsafe (even if no harm or loss was experienced) are reported. This includes incidents of verbal abuse. Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 5 of 13

6 8. Training Where employees work alone it is particularly important that they have the information and training to avoid panicking in unusual situations. They should be able to understand the hazards, the risks, the precautions that are needed and what to do in an emergency to keep them safe from harm. They should be given the competence to deal with unusual and difficult situations including the ability to know when to seek advice and where from, as soon as they feel that they have reached the limit of their ability to deal with something. 9. Contacting / Involving the Police If a situation arises in or out of working hours, whilst on Trust property, which precipitates the need for Police attendance, one of the following options may be taken: Dial 2222 and ask the operator to call the Police, clearly state your name, where you are and what the problem is Dial 9 for an outside line followed by 999. Non-return or failure to communicate with base, of lone workers, must be reported to the Police. Employees who need assistance from the Police whilst off site, travelling or in a non- Trust building should dial 999. The Trust is actively committed to protecting staff from violence and aggression and will support criminal proceedings against those who carry out threats and assault staff. All staff are encouraged to report violent, threatening and abusive incidents to the Police and will be supported by their Manager and the LSMS throughout the process. 10. Support for Staff All new staff to the Trust will receive personal safety and security awareness advice at induction, The managers of lone workers will identify the level of risk associated with the job role and must ensure that their staff are made aware of the Management of Violence & Aggression (PP (14) 082) and Lone worker Policies (PP (14) 134). 11. Support for Staff Following a Violent Incident Employers must supervise their employee s health, safety and welfare at work with lone working, constant supervision is not possible but a level of supervision must be agreed as part of the procedures put into place. This may be an arrangement with a Manager working within the Trust at the same time as the lone worker, or a telephone supervision arrangement, or supervision by some other accessible and competent person it could be a combination of all three. In the event of a violent incident involving a lone worker, the Trusts LSMS and the individual staff members Line Manager will immediately ensure that the injured / effected worker receives any necessary medical treatment or advice. Out of hours, this responsibility rests with the Duty Manager. The LSMS will support the staff member during any necessary Police interview. If out of hours this responsibility rests with the Duty Manager then the LSMS must be informed as soon as possible after the event. Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 6 of 13

7 A Trust Incident Report MUST be completed as soon as possible after the event and always within 24hrs. Author(s): James Pretty, Security Manager Other contributors: NHS CFSMS, WSH Occupational Health Department Approval and endorsements: Health and Safety, Environmental Committee, Risk Management Committee Consultation: Health and Safety, Environmental Committee Issue no: 5 File name: Facilities Shared Drive Supersedes: PP(14)134 Equality assessed: Yes Implementation: Distributed to all Managers. Published on the Intranet Monitoring: (give brief details All Lone Workers will be required to have a security risk how this will be done) assessment in place. This action will be audited on an annual basis with an expectation of 100% compliance. This will be monitored via the Risk Office Work Place inspections and the LSMS audit. All incidents of V&A will be reported to the V&A panel which will be monitored by the Security Group, with the expectation of a year on year reduction in incidents resulting in harm. The Security group will monitor and ensure that CRT and Break Away training is 100% compliant, with Government guidelines, for all Appropriate staff. The LSMS will provide an annual report to the Health Safety and Environmental Committee to include audit Other relevant policies/documents and references: Additional information: reports and subsequent actions. Security Policy PP(14) 050 Management of Violence and Aggression Policy PP(14) 082 Risk Assessment Policy PP(07)132 None Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 7 of 13

8 Appendix A LONE WORKER TRAINING Lone worker training must include the following: Conflict Resolution Training, (Management of Violence and aggression) Breakaway training Personal Safety Awareness Training Property Safety Awareness Training Incident reporting Handy Hints for Lone Workers Travelling to Patients Homes or Off Site Work Places Keep your car maintained and topped up with fuel Know where you are going and carry maps to cover your area of travel Make sure that a responsible person at your base knows where you are going and in what order Make sure that a responsible person at your base knows the details of your car make, registration number and colour Make sure that a responsible person at your base knows your mobile phone number if you have one Consider having the following items in your car: a torch (check battery and bulb regularly), a blanket, drinking water (hot flask in extremes of cold weather), a warning triangle, pen and notebook in case of accident and a Mobile telephone fully charged. Allow plenty of time for your journey Drive carefully to avoid road rage incidents Keep doors locked whilst in slow moving traffic, especially of you do not know the area Keep windows and sunroofs closed whilst stationary or in slow moving traffic Do not keep your handbag or any other goods on the passenger seat Do not keep items with your address on in your car Hide all equipment in the boot of your car Park as near to the premises you are visiting/working at as much as possible Park under a lamp or in a well-lit area, preferably facing the direction you will need to leave in Be aware of the nearest place of safety (e.g. police station, shops, petrol station) If approached by a stranger do not open a window or door. Drive away and sound horn if threatened or trapped. Beware of those handing out leaflets or asking for directions Glance round before unlocking and opening the car door Lock the car door and make your way to the premises you are attending avoiding subways, alleys and open land as far as possible If you find the car unlocked or open DO NOT get in. If safe to do so, check if anyone is in the car, otherwise leave and get help When leaving the premises have your car keys ready in your hand. Keep house and car keys separate On approaching your car be aware of persons hovering nearby and consider walking on to a safe area (e.g. a shop) Be alert at petrol stations, car parks road junctions and traffic lights where car jackers look for targets Allow room to manoeuvre between yourself and the car in front, especially at traffic lights and road junctions Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 8 of 13

9 Appendix A If an unmarked car attempts to stop you and you are unsure whether it is a police officer, signal that you intend to drive to the nearest police station or somewhere else where you will feel safe and will not be alone. If someone asks for assistance (e.g. broken down vehicle) do not get out. Go to a safe location and call the police Training for what to do if things do go wrong; try not to feel overwhelmed. Consider: Can anyone else help you? E.g. the Trust Risk Manager and Health and Safety Manager, the Local Security Management Specialist, your local Health and Safety Representative, the Occupational Health Advisors, your own line manager or Director? Ensure that a suitable and sufficient risk assessment has been completed, that the recommendations made are being acted upon does it need reviewing? What has gone wrong? Gather evidence from incident forms, look for trends, speak to everyone involved in the incident/s, and ask them if they have any suggestion for improvements Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 9 of 13

10 Appendix B LONE WORKING TRAINING RECORD DEPARTMENT Please note all staff are required to sign and date attendance, it is important to note that a signature denotes an understanding of the training content. NAME LONE WORKING TRAINING CRT TRAINING BREAKAWAY TRAINING Date Signature Date Signature Date Signature Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 10 of 13 Issue date: March 2014 Review date: March 2015 Document ref: PP(14)134

11 Appendix C LONE WORKER CHECKLIST FOR LINE MANAGERS TASKS TO BE COMPLETED Baseline Risk Assessment Record Annual Risk Assessment Review Record Lone Worker Policy Issued to Staff Record on Individual Training Record Lone Worker Training Record on Individual Training Record Lone Worker Refresher Training Annual Record on Individual Training Record Lone Worker Device Issue Record Date Issued on Record Lone Worker Device Training (Initial) Record Training Date on Record Lone Worker Device Refresher Training Record Training Date on Record Monitor Monthly Lone Worker Device Report LSMS to audit all of the above quarterly. Audit will be against the Policy requirements Take necessary action where the report indicates LSMS to audit and report to the Health, Safety and Environmental Committee Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 11 of 13 Issue date: March 2014 Review date: March 2015 Document ref: PP(14)134

12 Appendix D Risk Assessment Form Local Activity ref: Security XX Directorate/Service: Facilities Dept/Ward/Other: Generic Trust Risk Register Number: XX. (Allocated by Risk Office) Assessment Date: 10/01/2014 Review Assessment Date: February 2015 Site: Address: WestSuffolkHospital Hardwick Lane, BSE Name of Assessor: James Pretty LSMS Signature of Assessor; J Pretty Description of the task or activity: Risk assessment of identified hazards relating to Lone working Please identify category of people affected: Staff / Patients / Visitors / Contractors (Indicate all that apply) Number of people affected: Significant Hazards identified: Noncompliance with Lone Worker Best Practice Significant consequences: Media Interest No Conflict Resolution Training Staff injuries resulting in RIDDORS Violence and Aggression from patients and Relatives. Identification Badges not always worn by staff. Muscoskeletal injuries Psychological impact; possible significant long-term sickness absenteeism. Violence against staff Disruption of service Illness Theft of staff property Theft of drugs Theft of Trust property Theft of NHS property Theft of controlled/ prescription drugs Poor adherence to Controlled Drug protocol. Un-secure staff personal property. No means of communicating problems/incidents Possible consequence catastrophic ; loss of life Cost to WSH Trust of replacing or repairing Trust assets. Calculate the Risk Rating without controls in place: L X C =5 x5 =25 Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 12 of 13 Issue date: March 2014 Review date: March 2015 Document ref: PP(14)134

13 Appendix D What precautions exist to control the risk: Conflict Resolution Training. Breakaway Training Personal Security Awareness Training Management Of Violence & Aggression Policy Lone Worker Training Risk Assessment of Hazards resulting in department procedures and Protocols. Appropriate safe system of work, e.g. Buddy System. Lone working Safety devices Calculate the Risk Rating with existing controls in place: L X C = 3 X 4 = 12 Less than 12 = Green Area/Ward Manager responsibility = Amber Service Manager/Head of Department/Lead Nurse responsibility 16 or more = Red General Manager/Director responsibility (If Risk Rating = 12 or more send a copy of completed Risk Assessment form to Risk Office) Are these arrangements satisfactory: Yes If No, What further control measures are required: Calculate the Risk Rating with recommended control measures: L X C = x = Approximate costing of introducing further controls: Expected completion date: Signatures of Managers up to and including Manager with Responsibility: Green:... Amber:... Red:... Risk Assessment Form Version 4 (October 2007) Source: Security Manager Status: Approved Page 13 of 13 Issue date: March 2014 Review date: March 2015 Document ref: PP(14)134