UK employers have a legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to assess the risks to lone workers and put in place suitable controls. A lone worker policy should set out who counts as a lone worker, the risk assessment process, communication and check-in procedures, training requirements, and what to do in emergencies. Lone working isn't illegal — but failing to assess or control the risks is. Sectors with the highest lone-worker risk include healthcare, social care, security, field engineering, and retail.
An estimated 6 million UK workers regularly work alone — without close or direct supervision. From district nurses to delivery drivers, security officers to engineers attending remote sites, lone working is a normal feature of UK working life. But it's also a setting where serious incidents are harder to prevent, harder to detect, and harder to respond to. This guide explains what UK employers need to do.
The HSE defines a lone worker as "someone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision." The definition is deliberately broad — it covers:
The defining feature is being out of sight and out of immediate help if something goes wrong — not necessarily being entirely alone for the whole shift.
Yes. There's no UK law that prohibits lone working in general. But certain specific tasks must never be done alone, including:
For everything else, the legal question isn't "is lone working allowed?" but "have we assessed the risks and put controls in place?" If yes, lone working is fine. If no, the employer is in breach.
| Source | What it requires |
|---|---|
| Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 | General duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all employees so far as reasonably practicable. |
| Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 | Specific duty to carry out a "suitable and sufficient" risk assessment of all work activities, including lone working. |
| Equality Act 2010 | Duty to consider how lone working affects employees with protected characteristics (e.g. pregnant workers, those with disabilities). |
| Sector-specific regulations | Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, Working at Height Regulations 2005, Manual Handling Regulations 1992 — all may impose additional restrictions on lone working in specific contexts. |
A good lone worker policy is short, specific to the organisation, and actually used. Generic templates downloaded from the internet rarely work. The core sections to include:
The risk assessment follows the HSE's standard 5-step approach, but with specific lone-working considerations:
Lone-working specific hazards include:
The lone worker themselves, but also potentially clients, service users or members of the public who may be affected by an incident.
Common lone-worker controls:
Required in writing for employers with 5+ employees. Document the assessment, the controls chosen, and the rationale.
After incidents, when work changes, when staff change, and on a regular schedule (annual minimum).
| Scenario | Specific concerns |
|---|---|
| Healthcare and care workers visiting client homes | Violence, aggression, infection control, manual handling without assistance, lone administration of medication |
| Field engineers and tradespeople | Working at height alone, electrical risks, remote sites, vehicle incidents |
| Security officers | Confrontation, fatigue from long shifts, isolated patrols, lone response to alarms |
| Retail and hospitality workers | Robbery during opening or closing, late-night transport home, lone cash handling |
| Estate agents and surveyors | Visiting properties alone with members of the public, isolated viewings, vacant properties |
| Cleaners and maintenance workers | Out-of-hours working in empty buildings, manual handling, contact with hazardous substances |
Downloaded from the internet, never customised, doesn't reflect actual operations. Inspectors and incident investigators see straight through these.
Policy exists, but no assessment of the actual lone-working risks. The policy is the framework; the risk assessment is the substance.
Workers required to check in, but no one monitors check-ins. Or escalation procedures unclear when a check-in is missed.
Lone workers trained on day one, never refreshed. Especially problematic when staff change roles, sites, or risk levels.
Daytime cover is well-organised, but evening, weekend and holiday lone working is uncovered or relies on goodwill.
Physical safety risks identified, but isolation and the cumulative mental health impact of sustained lone working not assessed.
No. Lone working is legal in most contexts. UK law requires employers to assess the risks of lone working and put suitable controls in place — but doesn't prohibit lone working in general. Some specific tasks (confined spaces, certain electrical work, some healthcare procedures) must not be done alone.
Scope and definitions, roles and responsibilities, risk assessment process, communication and check-in procedures, training requirements, equipment provided, emergency procedures, health considerations, and review schedule.
At least annually for stable arrangements, and additionally whenever circumstances change — new task, new client, new premises, after an incident, or when staff change.
From a safety perspective, yes — they're working without immediate supervision. The risks are different from typical lone workers (fewer violence concerns, more DSE and isolation issues), but employers still need to assess and manage them.
No. There's no specific requirement to use a lone worker app or device — but employers must put in place "suitable and sufficient" arrangements for monitoring and supporting lone workers. For higher-risk lone working, apps and devices are typically the most practical solution.
Often, yes — but the employer must specifically consider the lone-working risks for the pregnant worker (under the Equality Act 2010 and the Management Regulations 1999). Some lone-working roles may need to be modified during pregnancy.
For tailored advice on your lone worker arrangements, call us on +44 (0) 3300 569534.
