Steps to take to ensure your personal safety when working alone
‘NHS staff and other healthcare workers have a right to expect a safe and secure workplace. However, recent reports indicate that these staff can be as much as 4 times more likely to experience work-related violence and aggression than other workers.’ HSE, http://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/violence/index.htm
This is of particular concern for community workers, who unlike
Healthcare professionals in hospitals or clinics do not have
colleagues or security staff on hand to help. Community nurses are
on their own. They can be at risk as they travel to see patients,
when they enter these patient's homes, or an accident could simply
happen when they are with a patient who's capacity to help is
limited.
In March 2005, the then health secretary John Reid pledged that
staff who work alone in the community would be given a personal
attack alarm in order to summon help should they feel threatened.
Two years later, an RCN survey of 1,000 community nurses found that
only 3.5% of nurses had alarms, even though 85% spent more than
one-quarter of their time working alone.
However, even if personal alarms become more widespread, these
alone cannot make community work safer.
You can take steps to ensure your own personal
safety:
- Consider how you would raise the alarm if something
went wrong?
As part of the Geneva Health and Safety policy we state
that Homecare and Community Healthcare professionals must carry a
mobile phone with them at all times and leave their contact number
with a senior member of staff during their shift. You need access
to a mobile telephone so that you can call for help if needed.
Programme the work base phone number into your mobile, so that you
contact work with the press of a button if situations that make you
uncertain arise. However in the case of an emergency please contact
the national emergency number 999.
Personal alarms may also be useful. The alarm needs to be readily
accessible and have functioning batteries.
- Familiarise yourself with the lone worker policy at the
centre.
It is important to be familiar with the NHS trust or clinic you
work for policy on lone workers. This usually includes a system for
ensuring that a responsible person in the trust knows of your
intended whereabouts and can raise the alarm if you fail to either
return to the base or make contact at an appointed time.
Equipment
If possible avoid using lifts, as these can break down.
Do not use equipment designed for two people.
- Locate emergency exits at every site before you
commence your duties
- Pass information on
If someone you visit appears agitated, or has made you feel uneasy,
make sure you pass this info on to someone in a senior
position.
- When working alone do not let anyone else into the
premises unless previously arranged
- Avoid unnecessary risk
If you are uneasy about anything in the environment, leave.
Copyright and Source: Safe workers, http://www.safeworkers.co.uk/LoneWorkersPersonalSafety.htm
& Nursing Times,
http://www.nursingtimes.net/community-nurses-in-need-of-protection/1902307.article