Britain's 9 Million Hidden Lone Workers: Who They Are and Why They're at Risk

The UK is home to around nine million lone workers, each performing their roles without the watchful eyes of a supervisor looking over them. They operate in a broad range of industries, some in direct contact with the general public and some behind closed doors, deemed as ‘hidden’.

Handing the responsibility of a job to a sole employee allows companies to redistribute supervisors to other areas. However, working alone can leave workers vulnerable to physical/verbal attacks, workplace accidents and a decline in mental health.

In this article, we’ll discuss more of the risks faced by lone workers. We’ll also highlight which industries present the largest threat to those who work alone.

Who are Britain’s lone workers?

The United Kingdom’s workforce is propped up by an estimated nine million lone workers, representing around 25% of the working population. These are workers that operate alone without direct supervision for the majority of their time on shift.

There are lone workers operating across the UK’s wide variety of industries, some being more public facing than others. Here are some examples of lone workers in Britain:

• Healthcare: Many healthcare professionals will operate alone, performing multiple house visits on a daily basis.

• Retail: Lots of retail workers work alone, managing small convenience stores or running departments in larger shops during quieter times.

• Trades: Plumbers, electricians and certain types of construction workers will often attend jobs alone.

• Security and night staff: It’s common for security guards to patrol areas on their own. Cleaners and caretakers also tend to perform their roles alone.

• Farmers: Smaller farms don’t always employ many people, leaving individual farmers to work solo.

• Working from home: This area of the workforce has dramatically grown since 2020, with many people working full time from home or doing hybrid weeks (1-2 days at home).

Which lone workers are most at risk?

While all forms of lone working have some form of risk attached to them, some workers are under more threat than others.

Health and social care

Amongst these are health and social care professionals who often have to work with mentally vulnerable or unstable people. They also face aggression from family members, who may be unhappy with the care their relative is receiving.

NHS staff are frequently on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse. For example, 29% of ethnic minority staff and 27% of white staff within the institution report harassment, bullying or abuse.

Public facing roles

Public facing roles are often left vulnerable to verbal and physical abuse, such as local government officials. The polarising nature of the role and its requirement to serve constituents on a face-to-face basis leaves them vulnerable to attacks. The murder of MP Sir David Amess in 2021 is a high profile example of violence against a government official. It’s worth noting that Amess did not have police or security with him at the time of his killing.

Retail and delivery

Retail staff are also at risk, especially during night shifts. They aren’t just a target during robberies, as the public facing nature of the role often means they face regular verbal abuse from frustrated customers. Delivery drivers working for retail companies are another high-risk group because of the goods held within their vans.

Other sectors at risk include:

• Construction: Construction workers using heavy machinery and working on unstable surfaces or at height are under constant risk of injury.

• Farming: Working with dangerous machinery and cattle presents a huge risk to those in the agricultural sector.

• Transport: Bus, train and taxi drivers deal with multiple people by themselves on a day-to-day basis. This puts them under huge risk of verbal/physical assaults.

What risks do lone workers face?

Because of a lack of immediate assistance from colleagues, lone workers face more risks than team-based workers. This leaves them vulnerable if an accident were to happen, if they fall ill, or if they’re subject to a verbal or physical attack. There are also mental health side effects that can come with lone working, including loneliness and stress caused by a lack of support on the job.

Verbal/physical attacks

Physical attacks on lone workers have increased by 132% over the past three years in the UK. These attacks take place across all sectors, with healthcare, retail, public transport, and enforcement officers particularly at risk. The nature of these attacks varies too, with some workers being caught up in robberies and some being abused because they’re the only public facing staff member present.

Workplace accidents

Workers that operate heavy machinery are at major risk of injury in case of a malfunction or accident. With nobody to raise the alarm, they face the threat of not being found or helped quickly enough to prevent serious injuries. Falling from height is another issue that lone construction workers need to be wary of, especially if they’re not equipped with an automatic fall detection device.

Difficult environments

Working in confined spaces brings about various risks, including poor ventilation, a lack of escape routes and the threat of engulfment. Some professions, including HVAC techs and plumbers, can put workers in environments where they are exposed to hazardous chemicals and gases. Gases undetectable to humans, such as carbon monoxide, can leave workers incapacitated and unable to call for help if they fall ill.

Medical emergencies

Sudden illnesses, such as heart attacks or strokes, require a quick response to increase the risk of survival. Without a lone worker alarm or anybody to call an ambulance, the risks of fatality in medical emergencies increases.

Poor mental health

Studies have found that between 40-50% of lone workers in the UK feel unsafe at work. In addition, 47% of lone workers say that these safety concerns have had a direct impact on their mental health.

Such mental strain can hamper their chances of doing their jobs to the best of their ability, potentially leading to mistakes as a result of the distraction.

There’s also a natural desire for companionship and camaraderie to consider. Loneliness is heavily linked with feelings of depression and anxiety, as well as burnout.

How can the risks of lone working be reduced?

While the risks of lone working make for grim reading, they can be reduced with the implementation of a few safety measures. Risk assessments, increased training, environmental improvements and lone worker monitoring devices are all effective in enhancing the safety of lone workers.

Risk assessments

Before the worker is sent to get on with the task at hand, employers should conduct a thorough risk assessment. This will highlight all of the possible risks associated with working alone, from environmental quirks like gas/chemical exposure to whether the job is public facing. No stone should be left unturned, with every possible danger and outcome considered by the employer.

Increased training and safety protocol

Safety protocols should be properly implemented to try and keep lone workers safe. This includes ways to diffuse and keep situations under control, as well as the workers being able to recognise when to remove themselves from a situation. In addition to receiving practical training to do the job well, workers should receive just as much training regarding the maintenance of personal safety.

Environmental control

One of the most effective ways of staying safe when working alone is to have complete control of the surrounding environment. For example, any potential holes a worker could fall down should be clearly marked, and if they’re working at night, the site should be properly lit. For jobs in confined spaces or underground work, clear and easily accessible escape routes should always be in place before work begins.

Lone worker devices

While they may be doing their job in isolation, lone workers shouldn’t ever be left without a form of supervision. That’s where lone worker devices come in. An effective lone worker device will include a panic button linked to a monitoring team, GPS tracking so they can be found, two-way communication capabilities and fall detection.

Ensure risk-free working with SureSafe

Employers across the UK will know that the best work is done by employees that feel safe and secure in their surroundings. For a lot of lone workers this isn’t the case, but with SureSafe’s lone worker devices it can be.

Our alarms are equipped with invaluable features, including panic buttons and GPS tracking, which help our 24/7 monitoring teams respond to distress calls quickly and efficiently.

For more information about our products, call us on 0808 303 4541, talk to our live chat, or request a call back from one of our experts.