What lone working means in optical support work

A lone worker is someone who carries out their duties without close or immediate supervision. In optical support work this includes obvious situations, such as opening a branch alone, and brief periods during the working day when colleagues are not available to help quickly.

Short lone moments count

• Front desk cover: the assistant is at reception while all clinical staff are behind closed doors.
• Pre-screening: a patient becomes unwell or distressed while the support worker is alone in a room.
• Stock and repairs: staff work out of sight with tools, equipment, steps, chemicals or heavy boxes.
• Opening and closing: one person deals with alarms, shutters, lights, deliveries, bins, car parks or cash.
• Travel: staff move between branches, make a delivery or visit another site without a check-in plan.
• Late or quiet periods: fewer people are nearby to interrupt aggression, theft, sudden illness or an accident.

Lone working should be judged on whether practical help can arrive quickly, not on whether another person is somewhere in the building. If a colleague cannot hear, see, respond or leave their task promptly, the worker may still be considered alone for safety purposes.

Lone working and HSE basics

Lone working is about realistic help, not just staffing numbers. If help cannot arrive quickly, the task needs lone-working controls.