To wonder about lone working in this environment?

[WhoWants2Know]

I don't want to give too much info here, but I have a job that involves lone working with individuals in their homes. There is generally a contract in place with the individual around particular behaviours to minimise risk to us as employees. So, for example, if the individual were drinking or under the influence of drugs, we would leave the premises.

In the case of one particular individual, there has always been a pervasive smell of cannabis around the house, but it's being used by another member of the household who has no contract with us. On one occasion, I could smell it as soon as I opened my car door, at the bottom of the drive. At that point I wondered if someone might actually be growing cannabis in the house, but didn't see anything in the areas of the house that I access.

The individual that I am visiting is vulnerable and unable to communicate if something is wrong.

I have communicated the situation back to management, but they say there's nothing to be done about it.

I guess my question is, is it ok for employees to be in a position where they lone work in an environment where someone is actively using drugs?

Anyone? Beuller?

I think it is a difficult one, the client is vulnerable and so I am assuming needs your help (or at least help from someone).
Cannabis on its own is unlikely to make someone a danger to you, but these days it is often grown to be much stronger or mixed with other things.
I don't think I would feel particularly safe there.

It does feel awkward for a work environment. It's not even that I think cannabis would necessarily make the person violent- it's that if someone is smoking week to that extent, what else might they be doing?

When people I support expect a visit from NHS personnel, they receive a letter that asks them to refrain from smoking cigarettes prior to the visit and to put all pets away. So I guess it's the contrast that seems off to me.

I think its quite common. When my father has carers he always has to have a man or two women because my brother (who lives with him) can be violent/agressive (drugs/alcohol/mh).

Unless the cannabis user is known to be violent I wouldnt think theyd do this though.

My first thought is that it's the vulnerable person who may be at risk rather than you, and that your management is not taking steps to see if they need further help. Obviously I am commenting without knowing the full situation.

Your company should have a Lone Worker risk policy, it might be worth checking it to see if there is any relevant guidance in it?

Is there a risk assessment for the individual you are supporting?

You can ask your employer to do a lone worker risk asessment, have a nose round on the HSE website for more info. Also ask your union for advice if they refuse, I would hate working like this.

I understand your nerves. I recently ran some workshops which my city paid me to do...I was alone in an annex off a little-used museum for days at a time...open to the public though.

I did think "What would I do if some crack addict came in?"

It sounds wrong that you're alone.

There are risk assessments for the individual, but they don't mention cannabis.

It's true that the vulnerable individual is more at risk than me. That's been properly raised with the safeguarding team by a previous visitor who observed interactions in the house. But the safeguarding team can't act unless the vulnerable person allows them to, so nothing happened.

Do you feel able to ask for the visit to change to a two person one ?
That’s what my workplace would do if staff felt uncomfortable.

Do you feel threatened or unsafe?

Do you ever see the drug user?

I don't think anyone should have to go into a situation where they feel unsafe or threatened. However I don't necessarily think smelling cannabis and believing it is smoked in the house by someone who you never see or speak to would automatically make you feel unsafe. Only you know that.

I do see the person who smokes, and it does happen while I'm on the premises.

And it's not that I feel unsafe. It's more that I don't like having to breathe in the second hand smoke when I'm working.

WhoWants2Know in that case it's not lone working that's the issue, because you'd be breathing it in even if you went with a colleague.

The working conditions are possibly unsafe if you have to breathe second hand cannabis smoke - your clothes will smell of it too I assume. It doesn't sound good but it's a working conditions issue separate to lone working. I don't know the answer.

im surprised that no one has yet talked about your rights as an individual not to be exposed to a class B illegal drug which is noxious and which presumably you do not wish to inhale? Would it be ok if they were smoking heroin from some foil and you were exposed to the vapours? What about crack cocaine?

Actually, I am being unreasonable in linking the cannabis smoking to safety or lone working. I'm not unsafe.

I'm just bitching because I don't like leaving work smelling like it, and it seems weird to me. But that's my problem.

Arnold that is really what is bothering me. It's feeling like I can't choose not to be exposed to it, or my company would be in breach of contract with the individual.

You have a right not to have to breathe this in and as you say it's more about that than lone working so doubling up on visits wouldn't solve the issue.

I'm assuming that you need to support this person in their home , not the kind of support where you could meet them in the community?

Also, Safeguarding Alerts with the local Safeguarding Team can be raised without the person's permission....I've done it on at least one occasion.

I would simply email your line manager ,state that you have a write not to be exposed to Class B drugs/noxious substances and that they have a duty under the HASWA to afford you protection and you will therefore not be attending at the address as from X date. It is not an emergency/imperative that you attend. Even the emergency services ie the FB, use BA to enter noxious or potentially noxious atmospheres so why should you be expected to endure it.