A lone worker is someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision, and the HSE uses cleaners as a specific example. Lone cleaners face the same hazards as anyone else, but a greater risk of harm because no one may be there to help if things go wrong. Employers must provide training, supervision, monitoring and support.
What counts as lone working in cleaning?
The HSE defines a lone worker as "someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision", and specifically cites cleaners as an example. In practice this covers the many cleaning tasks done early morning, at night or in otherwise empty buildings, where the operative is the only person on site.
Why is lone working higher risk?
Lone workers face the same hazards as any other worker, but with a greater risk of harm — because if something goes wrong, no one may be present to help. A slip, a chemical splash, a fall from height or a sudden illness becomes more serious when the person is alone. There is also the risk of work-related violence, which the HSE specifically flags for lone workers.
What must an employer provide for lone cleaners?
Under HSE guidance (INDG73), employers should manage the risk to lone workers through training, supervision, monitoring and support, and should manage the risk of work-related violence. The controls should be proportionate to the hazards of the specific site and task.
How OptusGlean manages lone-working cleaners
Because we employ our operatives on PAYE (rather than using casual or self-employed labour), we can build lone-working controls into how each contract is run — task and site training, check-in procedures and a supervisor route, all set against the specific building. Every operative is also DBS-checked (or vetted via Disclosure Scotland or AccessNI in Scotland and Northern Ireland).