Night shift working (working alone)

Gilly

Gilly

Gilly

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Is there anything that says you have to have multiple people on nights at any one time?

When our night shift rota was started we were told that two people needed to be on through the night in case something happened to one of us, but on weekends and afternoons we usually only have one person in the office with an overlap for handover.

All I can find is this and it doesn't specify working alone anywhere that I can see.

Is there anyone here that regularly works nightshifts alone?
 
I don't think there is, all the guards at various places always work alone on night shifts.Never worked alone myself on nightshifts though.
 
I think it's on a job by job basis, depending on the nature of your work. Working in a hanger at night with my old job you couldn't work alone. It was a manual job and a higher risk of geting injured. Therefore you weren't allowed to work alone.

I imagine each company is free to make it's own rulings based on risk and how badly they would get sued for having you work alone.
 
We deal with dangerous chemicals and equipment so lone worker alarms are provided for after hours work. Basically a panic button you can clip to yourself in the event things go **** up.
 
Ask to see the lone working risk assessment the company carried out before they decided it was acceptable for you to work alone at night.

If one has not been done, refuse to work until its done failing that, make sure its recorded that you are working under protest until its done.
 
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we have always been told that if there is only one person then some sort of personal panic alarm is needed
 
I want us to go to lone working rather than in pairs. Means less nights :)

The job is purely desk based.
 
Gilly said:
I want us to go to lone working rather than in pairs. Means less nights :)

The job is purely desk based.
Click to expand...

Thats not the point.
You have some kind of fit at work, at night, how long is it before you will be found?
You go for a whizz, trip on the way back and break your pelvis or something, how long is it till you are found?

Thats the kind of thing they need to be looking at for their own sakes.
 
At the moment we have lone working on afternoons (about 5/6 onwards til 10) and lone working on weekend shifts for around 6 hours.

So we already have times we're on our own, just not through the night.
 
Is this why all the pictures of you in work there is no one else around.



Next time / if some one is in with you, cut your hair again and see what they say.


Tell them you are doing it for the internets people. :D
 
No, I work with people on nights already. I had someone sat 5 foot away from me whilst becoming Mr T.
 
I'm assuming you and the team have to physicaly be in the office for some reason?

The assumption being you're not just forums mods, which could be done from home.
 
I used to love working in the office on my own. It was great fun. I still do it now, but I have my own office so it's not quite as enjoyable.

I often used to imagine ridiculous situations where being on my own would be considerably hazardous. alas, nothing ever happened. I'm more likely to suffer driving home down country lanes than doing somethign in work.
 
mcast123 said:
I'm assuming you and the team have to physicaly be in the office for some reason?

The assumption being you're not just forums mods, which could be done from home.
Click to expand...

I don't work for OcUK :)

Yes, we do need to have a presence in the office.
 
I used to work 12 hours in our offices on my own. There was a security guard onsite but he was based across the other side of the building. It was a big building, he was suppose to ring up every hour to check on you but that gradually stopped.

I used to complain about it as if something happened to me or if you suddenly fainted then there would be nobody around to know until the 12hours were up.
 
warehouse or lifting or using machinery would normaly have written into the insurance a clause abotu night shift having two in case one is injured and you need to get help. At least it was when i did warehouse jobs 11+ years a go.

Saw it in the insurance for Excel Logistics as the full timers where moaning about it so the boss of the shift showed them...

Only time ive seen it.

<ColiN>
 
atpbx is right

We have to have a loan worker risk assessment for every individual where iam and if we have a contractor on site they need to be contacted every half an hour
 
My office night staff are lone workers, it's only the day shift (when me and my manager are there) that has extra staff.

However, until 2am then the office staff are in constant radio contact with the teams which are on the road (who are in pairs due to the nature of the work).

I'd agree that getting a risk assessment carried out is the way to go about things as that's what we had to do :)

Hurrah for less night shifts for you if it works out lad :D
 
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