STATEMENT OF AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. FAST takes the health, safety and welfare of all volunteers extremely seriously and accepts that whilst its volunteers are not employees in the true sense of the word, FAST owes a similar duty of care to its volunteers.

2. The Framework Directive 89/391/EEC is one of the cornerstone regulations in the EU for workplace health and safety is the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC. This directive sets out the general principles for the protection of workers, mandating that employers are responsible for evaluating risks, implementing preventive measures, and informing workers about potential hazards. The directive emphasizes the importance of a proactive approach to workplace safety, requiring employers to take all necessary steps to prevent workplace accidents and diseases. In addition to the Framework Directive, the EU has established several specific directives that address particular aspects of workplace safety and health. Among these, Directive 2009/104/EC is particularly relevant and covers the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers. This directive also requires that any incidents, near misses, or accidents involving work equipment are thoroughly documented and reported to the relevant authorities. The aim is to ensure that employers take immediate action to address any safety concerns and prevent future occurrences. A critical aspect of these directives is the requirement for timely reporting and documentation of workplace incidents. Similar to RIDDOR in the UK, the EU mandates that all incidents, including near misses and accidents, must be reported to the relevant authorities. This systematic reporting helps in identifying trends, improving preventive measures, and ultimately reducing workplace hazards.

3. FAST acknowledges its obligation under the Framework Directive 89/391/EEC for the health, safety and welfare at work of its volunteers.

4. FAST considers that any violence or abuse towards volunteers is completely unacceptable and the aims and objectives of this policy are to protect volunteers, so far as is reasonably practicable, from the risks associated with, or exacerbated by, lone working.

5. FAST recognises that with the introduction of solo Level 4 qualifications some responders are required to work by themselves for periods of time without close or direct supervision in the community, or in isolated work areas throughout the 8am-8pm period, seven days a week.

6. This policy seeks to set out the additional risks identified when carrying out a solo FAST shift and the measures to be taken to ensure that any risks are reduced as far as possible.

ADDITIONAL RISKS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN RESPONDING AS A LONE WORKER

1. Lone working environments present unique health and safety challenges.

2. Added vulnerability to risk of violence or abuse whilst carrying out duties particularly when visiting patients in their home.

3. FAST recognises that vulnerability and isolation when lone working can affect people at a personal level.

4. Emergency moving and handling: Emergency moving and handling tasks may pose more risk to an individual volunteer member.

5. Isolated areas: Undertaking work within isolated areas where help is not available.

6. High risk area: Undertaking work within known high risk areas. Violence and/ or aggression Working with people who may threaten volunteers.

7. Carrying Equipment or valuables.

8. Vulnerable people: volunteers with disabilities or pre-existing medical conditions.

9. Vulnerability to false allegations about their conduct and behaviour.

10. For FAST volunteers working alone the risks can be of consequence. They are more vulnerable to assault, and less able to call for assistance.

MEASURES TO BE TAKEN TO REDUCE THE IDENTIFIED RISKS:

1. FAST policy stipulates that only Level 4 trained volunteers are permitted to work alone and only during the period 8am-8pm (night shifts should also be undertaken in pairs). Solo shifts are not permitted during the 8pm-8am period.

2. FAST will ensure that any risk of working alone is assessed in a systematic and on-going manner, and that safe systems and methods of work are put in place to eliminate risks to volunteers working alone or to reduce those risks to the lowest practicable level.

3. The Policy is designed to assist FAST committee to ensure that appropriate support is available to responders who choose to qualify to Level 4 and therefore potentially work alone.

4. FAST considers protecting volunteers against violence a priority and will act against those who abuse or assault them. FAST will ensure that acts of violence be they verbal or physical will be reported to the Police directly by the volunteer involved, supported by the President of FAST within 48 hours of the incident occurring. These will also be logged in the accident and near miss books.

5. Volunteers have a responsibility themselves, and to their colleagues, not to place themselves or others at risk of injury or harm

6. FAST will ensure working practices and systems are in place for all volunteers (including themselves).

7. FAST will account for the whereabouts of all lone working volunteers by use of the call system, WhatsApp urgent group and where possible responders prior to leaving for a call leave the responding address with a member of their household.

8. Working Environments: FAST must make sure work is properly planned and carried out by competent people. Dynamic risk assessment is paramount to any situation FAST volunteers enter.

9. FAST Training Team will carry out risk assessments, or refer to ones already in existence, via the processes defined in the Risk Management Strategy Policy and Procedure for the specific risks faced by lone workers.

10. FAST Training Team must include lone working risks through the appraisal process and should conduct an annual review updating the risk assessment to ensure it is suitable and sufficient. If circumstances or risks change, this assessment must be reviewed with immediate effect.

11. Dynamic Risk Assessments are the basis that ALL volunteers must use in addition to all other documented risk assessments to make informed decisions for entering or removing themselves from any substantiated and credible threats. These assessments will be specifically addressed with training module(s) aimed at lone workers. Lone workers must be trained to always consider all aspects of their safety, in conjunction with an awareness of their increased vulnerability as lone workers.

12. FAST responders need to manage the calls and if they feel that a response in person is not deemed to be safe, they must make the decision not to attend.

13. If circumstances arise where the call is progressing to conflict FAST responders must withdraw from the scene and call for the Police if persons on scene (including the Responder) may be harmed.

14. Appropriate training will be provided regarding withdrawing from possible violent situations, to include conflict resolution awareness training.

15. FAST will provide accident and near miss books for relevant incidents to be logged to include

a. work-related accidents which cause deaths

b. work-related accidents which cause certain serious injuries (reportable injuries)

c. diagnosed cases of certain industrial diseases; and

d. certain 'dangerous occurrences' (incidents with the potential to cause harm)

The books are in Car 1, Car 2 and at the Cultural Centre.

16. Manual handling; the most common accidental injury at work is manual handling and for lone workers, particularly those working in a patient’s home, the risk is even higher. FAST has a limited manual handling policy as a direct result of limitations set by Civil Protection and Murcia Health. FAST however understands the need for some persons to be positioned in a way that will facilitate CPR or maintain an airway and will therefore provide volunteers with information and training that is geared to the manual handling problems they face in the community, including how to make on the spot evaluations of the risk and call for help.

17. Hazardous substances. Lone workers will be instructed in infection control and know the hazards, precautions needed, and what to do in an emergency be trained in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and have access to adequate first aid facilities.

18. Driving: Lone working responders will drive FAST vehicles. To reduce the risk of a break-down and the obvious associated dangers it is vital that any vehicles used for FAST purposes are properly maintained. FAST vehicles must be maintained following the vehicle maintenance checks or when vehicles develop a fault.

Records must be maintained and be the responsibility of the FAST Head of Operations. Vehicle check sheets need to be completed by the Responder at the start of every shift to ensure vehicles are in a drive worthy condition.

19. It is FAST policy that no FAST volunteer will convey patients in the vehicle and that vehicles do not leave the area of Camposol.

20. Welfare checks will be carried out on lone working volunteers including, but not limited to, distressing circumstances, near misses, injury or violence.

21. All lone workers will have a means of raising assistance or calling for help eg mobile telephone. Whilst these devices will not prevent incidents from occuring they will provide a means of calling for assistance and obtaining aid to minimise the severity of incidents.

22. FAST Managers will ensure that all adverse incidents involving Lone Workers are recorded and investigated where appropriate and if necessary, reported to the appropriate statutory authority.

This policy applies to all volunteers of FAST and will be reviewed at least annually.

Lone Worker Policy

Date July 2025

Review Date July 2026