Personal safety and lone working: guidance for property agents

A lone-working risk assessment should consider the work being carried out, the people involved, the location and the circumstances in which the work will take place. Workers should be consulted because they can provide valuable information about the situations they face.

Risks may include:

• violence, aggression, abuse or threats
• stalking and harassment, whether online or offline
• discriminatory abuse linked to a worker’s actual or perceived personal characteristics
• previous disputes or known conflict
• isolated locations or poor mobile coverage
• slips, trips, unsafe structures and other property hazards
• aggressive or uncontrolled animals
• driving and travel between appointments
• handling keys, money or valuable equipment
• accidents, illness and medical emergencies
• stress, fatigue and the effect of prolonged isolation.

The assessment should identify the measures needed to control each significant risk. It should also set clear limits on what workers may do alone and when a second person, additional supervision or a different way of working is required.

A separate form does not need to be completed before every routine appointment if the risks are already covered by a suitable assessment and safe working procedure. However, an unusual or higher-risk appointment may need its own recorded assessment.

The risk assessment and working procedures should be reviewed regularly and whenever:

• working practices or locations change
• a worker raises a concern
• an incident or near miss occurs
• existing measures are found not to work
• new equipment or technology is introduced.

Circumstances can change after an appointment has been arranged. Workers should be trained to make a dynamic risk assessment when they arrive and throughout the visit.

This means noticing changes, considering whether the planned controls remain adequate and deciding whether to continue, seek help or leave. A dynamic assessment supports the employer’s main risk assessment; it does not replace it.

Workers must be confident that they can end or rearrange an appointment without being criticised if they reasonably believe it is unsafe.

An employer should identify when lone working is not suitable. A colleague or other control may be needed where:

• there have been previous threats, harassment or aggressive behaviour
• a visit involves a known dispute or enforcement action
• the location is remote, isolated or has poor communications
• the appointment will take place late at night or outside normal hours
• the person attending is not the person expected
• several unexpected people are present
• there is an uncontrolled animal or known property hazard
• the worker is new, inexperienced or unfamiliar with the task
• the available monitoring and emergency arrangements are inadequate.

The presence of a mobile phone, app or alarm does not make an otherwise unsafe appointment safe.

Workers should understand the risks associated with their role and the procedures they are expected to follow. Training may cover:

• recognising warning signs and changing risks
• conflict management and de-escalation
• leaving a situation safely
• using check-in and alarm systems
• responding to an emergency
• reporting incidents and near misses
• dealing with stalking, harassment and online abuse
• first aid, where identified by the risk assessment.

New workers may need to shadow an experienced colleague before working alone. The level of supervision should reflect the risk and the worker’s experience, and training should be refreshed regularly.

Managers should investigate why a procedure was not followed before deciding what action to take. Poor training, impractical processes or unreliable equipment may be the cause. A punitive approach can discourage workers from reporting concerns and near misses.

Employers must have a reliable way to know where lone workers are and to check that they have completed their work safely. This could use a designated colleague or buddy, a monitored system or another arrangement identified through the risk assessment.

The system should record the relevant:

• worker and contact details
• appointment time and exact location
• name and contact details of the person being met
• travel arrangements
• expected completion or check-in time.

There must be a clear response if a worker misses a check-in or raises an alarm. The procedure should state:

• who receives and responds to the alert
• how quickly they must act
• how they will try to contact the worker
• when the matter should be escalated within the business
• when the emergency services should be contacted
• what happens if the designated person is unavailable
• how the system operates outside normal office hours.

Monitoring systems, alarms, code words and emergency procedures must be tested regularly. Everyone involved should know their role.

Risk assessments should consider whether lone workers need first-aid equipment, training or access to first-aid facilities. Emergency procedures should explain how and when to contact the employer and the emergency services.

Employers should also consider whether a person’s health makes a particular lone-working activity unsuitable. Where necessary, they should discuss this sensitively with the worker, consider reasonable adjustments and seek appropriate medical or occupational health advice.

Mobile phones, tracking systems, apps, personal alarms and other devices can support safe working, but they must be part of a wider system.

Before introducing technology, consider:

• whether it works at every location where it may be needed
• what happens if there is no signal, the battery fails or the device is damaged
• who monitors an alert and how they respond
• whether workers have been trained to use it
• how frequently it will be tested
• what personal and location data is collected
• who can access that information and how long it is retained.

Only collect information that is necessary for a defined safety purpose. Names, contact details, locations, vehicle registrations and travel information must be handled securely under the organisation’s data-protection policies. The Information Commissioner’s Office explains the data-minimisation principle.

Avoid using personal social-media profiles to investigate or verify customers. Agencies should use a consistent, lawful and proportionate identity and appointment-verification process.

Appointments should be assessed proportionately rather than treated as automatically dangerous.

Before attending:

• Log the appointment in the company system, including the exact location, expected start and finish times and relevant contact details.
• Use the agency’s agreed process to confirm who will be present and the purpose of the appointment.
• Check that the address and property details are consistent. Existing floor plans or online mapping may help workers understand the location and access arrangements.
• Review any relevant records of previous threats, aggression, harassment, animals or property hazards.
• Arrange appointments during daylight and normal working hours where reasonably practicable. Apply additional controls when this is not possible.
• Agree check-in times and confirm who will act if contact is missed.
• Make sure phones and safety devices are charged, working and accessible.
• Consider mobile coverage and have an alternative means of raising the alarm where necessary.
• Plan the journey and parking, taking account of road, weather and location risks.
• Avoid giving or accepting lifts to or from an appointment.
• Arrange for a colleague to attend if the assessment identifies a higher level of risk.

Pause before entering and assess the situation. Check whether the location, people present and general circumstances match what was expected.

Do not enter, or end the appointment, if:

• the person or property is not what was expected
• an unexpected person or group is present and this changes the risk
• behaviour is aggressive, threatening, intoxicated or otherwise concerning
• an animal is not safely controlled
• access or exit appears unsafe
• you feel uncomfortable or unable to manage the situation safely.

When entering a property:

• Be aware of the layout and keep an unobstructed route to an exit.
• Do not alter locks, unlock doors or move the occupier’s possessions without authority.
• Allow the other person to move ahead where this helps you maintain a safe position.
• Avoid becoming trapped in a room or enclosed area.
• Maintain an appropriate distance and remain aware of changes in behaviour.
• Keep your phone, keys and safety equipment accessible.
• Follow the agreed check-in procedure if the appointment runs late or the plan changes.

Politeness does not require anyone to remain in an unsafe situation. If you feel threatened, leave as soon as it is safe to do so, move to a safer place and raise the alarm. Call 999 if there is an immediate threat to life or safety.

Some tenancy and property management visits may involve an existing dispute, enforcement action or heightened emotions.

Before attending, review the history of the matter and decide whether a visit is necessary. Consider whether the issue can be handled at the office, remotely or at a neutral location. If a visit must take place, it may be appropriate for two people to attend.

Confirm who is expected to be present and make sure the worker understands the reason for the visit and the limits of their authority. A colleague may also provide useful support and act as a witness.

If the situation becomes confrontational, do not try to complete the task at any cost. End the appointment, leave and follow the reporting and escalation procedure.

Someone working alone in a branch may be vulnerable if an aggressive person enters or if a medical emergency occurs.

The risk assessment should consider:

• access to the premises and control of doors
• visibility into and out of the office
• panic buttons, alarms or code words
• access to a working phone
• arrangements for opening and closing the premises
• known disputes or people who may attend the office
• regular contact with colleagues
• safe travel home, particularly outside normal hours.

Employers have health and safety responsibilities for home workers as well as those based in an office.

Where workers deal with customers from home, use business contact details and communication channels rather than personal ones where possible. Avoid publishing home addresses, personal phone numbers, daily routines or other information that could increase the risk of unwanted contact.

Customer meetings should not normally take place in a worker’s home unless the risks have been assessed and suitable controls are in place.

Managers should agree how they will maintain regular contact with home workers and ensure they remain included in training, team updates and workplace consultation.