Property agencies are being urged to review their lone-working procedures as last month’s 40th anniversary of estate agent Suzy Lamplugh’s disappearance highlighted the risks faced by staff working alone.
Propertymark has refreshed its personal safety and lone-working guidance for agents, covering measures including risk assessments, staff training, check-in systems and procedures for reporting incidents.
Lamplugh disappeared on 28 July 1986 after leaving her London office for a work appointment. Her parents, Diana and Paul Lamplugh, subsequently established the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to raise awareness of personal safety and stalking.
Propertymark said lone working remains a routine part of agency life, with professionals working across sales, lettings, commercial property, auctions and inventories regularly carrying out viewings, valuations, inspections and other appointments alone.
The guidance calls on employers to assess risks according to the work being undertaken, its location and individual circumstances, with staff involved in developing and reviewing procedures.
Risk assessments should consider factors including previous threats or disputes, isolated locations, poor mobile coverage, out-of-hours appointments, unexpected attendees and known hazards at properties.
Staff should also be trained to recognise warning signs, respond to changing situations, manage conflict and leave safely where necessary. Propertymark said workers should be empowered to end or rearrange appointments if they believe they are unsafe.
Agencies are also advised to have systems recording where lone workers are, who they are meeting and when they are expected to check in.
Procedures should establish what action will be taken if a check-in is missed or an alarm is raised, while equipment and emergency arrangements should be regularly tested and alternatives put in place for situations where devices fail or mobile coverage is unavailable.
Propertymark also called for structured procedures allowing staff to report violence, threats, stalking, harassment and near misses, alongside appropriate practical and wellbeing support following an incident.
Kim Lidbury, ARLA Propertymark president, said: “Suzy’s disappearance shocked the nation and remains an event that, to this day, weighs heavily on the minds of those working within property.
“Raising awareness and tackling issues surrounding lone working and harassment extends far beyond the boundaries of the property sector and must remain at the forefront of people’s minds.
“It is a profoundly important issue that must never be overlooked or forgotten, and one that everyone has a collective responsibility to understand.”
