📱

Best viewed in landscape & full screen

Rotate your phone sideways, then tap the button below for the best experience. You can also swipe left/right to navigate slides.

Continue without full screen

📋 Toolbox Talk · Health & Safety

Lone Working:
Safe When You're on Your Own

Risk assessment for lone workers, check-in procedures, personal safety devices, employer duty of care and what to do in an emergency.

✅ Verified July 2026📚 HSE · HSWA 1974 · Management Regs 1999🇬🇧 Applies across the UKukworkrights.co.uk

Who lone works

What counts as lone working?

Anyone working without close or direct supervision — either alone at a fixed location or in the field
Common examples: home workers, delivery drivers, community nurses, estate agents, cleaners, security guards, engineers, care workers
Around 6 million people in the UK lone work at some point in their working week
Lone workers face the same risks as other workers — plus the additional risk of having no immediate help available
Employers must carry out a specific risk assessment for lone working
Some jobs should never be done alone — where the risk is too high even with controls (e.g. confined space entry, live electrical work)

⚠ Your employer must assess the risk

A general risk assessment is not sufficient. Lone working must be specifically assessed — who, where, when, what could go wrong, and how will it be managed.

Controls

Keeping lone workers safe

Check-in system

Regular check-ins by phone, app or radio at agreed intervals. If a check-in is missed, a pre-agreed escalation procedure must kick in.

Personal safety devices

Lone worker devices with GPS tracking, panic button, man-down detection and automatic escalation to a monitoring centre.

Mobile phone with signal check

Confirm adequate mobile coverage at the work location before sending a lone worker. Provide a satellite phone or radio where coverage is poor.

Safe travel and location sharing

Workers should share their location and expected return time. A supervisor should always know where a lone worker is.

Training for violence and aggression

Lone workers in customer-facing or domiciliary roles face higher risks of violence. Training in de-escalation and safe exit is essential.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I refuse to lone work if I think it's unsafe?

Yes. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, you have the right to refuse work you believe poses a serious and imminent risk. If adequate controls for lone working are not in place, raise it with your supervisor or through your safety rep before refusing — but your right to refuse remains.

Is my employer responsible for my safety when I work from home?

Yes. Working from home is a form of lone working. Your employer must assess the risks of home working — including your workstation, electrical safety and stress — and take reasonable steps to control them. This applies even if the home working is informal.

Do I have to be contactable at all times when lone working?

You must be able to contact and be contacted in an emergency — this is a safety requirement. However, your employer cannot require you to be contactable 24/7 beyond reasonable working hours without additional working time protections in place.

Who pays for lone worker safety devices?

Your employer must provide them — a lone worker device is PPE for the purpose of personal safety. You should not be expected to fund your own lone worker protection.

Free H&S guidance

Lone Working
free guidance

Get plain-English guidance on your rights and your employer's legal duties.

HSE Infoline

0300 003 1747

hse.gov.uk

ACAS

0300 123 1100

acas.org.uk

Citizens Advice

0800 144 8848

citizensadvice.org.uk

UK Work Rights

Lone Working

ukworkrights.co.uk/toolbox-loneworking.html