Lone working isn’t unusual anymore. It’s become part of how many businesses operate across the UK, whether it’s delivery drivers navigating remote roads, engineers doing late-night callouts, or someone quietly working from home.
All of them have one thing in common: they work by themselves without close supervision. And that introduces risk.
The risk to lone workers isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it’s subtle. It creeps in when no one’s around to help if something goes wrong.
The question is, what happens when they can’t raise the alarm? When there’s no one nearby to step in during an emergency?
That’s where a lone working risk assessment earns its keep. It’s not a tick-box exercise. It’s a blueprint that helps protect lone workers before things go sideways.
Done right, it covers everything from job role hazards to communication gaps. More than that, it shows that an employer has taken the time to consider the very real risks and put control measures in place.
And let’s be clear, this isn’t optional. Under the Health and Safety Executive’s guidance and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, UK employers are legally expected to assess and manage those risks.
Understanding Lone Working
Lone working isn’t limited to night-shift security or remote engineers. It’s broader than that. It includes anyone who has to work by themselves without close supervision, whether that’s delivery drivers on their rounds, tradespeople attending call-outs, or staff working from home.
There’s no single setting. Lone working can happen in a warehouse, on the road, inside residential homes, or through a laptop screen at someone’s kitchen table.
That variation brings different risks. A lone plumber might face physical injury. A remote office worker might deal with stress or isolation. Either way, both need to be considered.
And yes, even staff working from home count. If they can’t get help easily during an incident or health emergency, they fall under the same concerns.
A one-size-fits-all policy doesn’t cut it. Each job role, location, and risk profile needs its own lens. Which is why the lone worker risk assessment has to be more than generic, it must be personal to the situation.
Legal Responsibilities Of UK Employers
When it comes to lone working, employers can’t afford to get it wrong. The legal framework in the UK is clear. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers must assess risks to workers, including those working alone.
The Health and Safety Executive doesn’t mince words here. If someone is expected to carry out a task solo, the employer needs to make sure the risks are managed. And if something goes wrong? There could be liability for accident or injury.
There are also specific regulations that might kick in depending on the task. Working at height? COSHH exposure? Manual handling? Each brings its own responsibilities.
And it doesn’t end with paperwork. There must be evidence that the employer put appropriate control measures in place.
That they’ve trained, supervised, and monitored those workers. Especially when those workers are out of sight. The expectation is simple: protect lone workers as thoroughly as anyone else.
Miss that standard, and it’s not just the staff who pay the price. It’s the employer, too.
Why Risk Assessment Matters
What makes a lone working risk assessment so crucial? It’s the unpredictability. Lone workers don’t have a colleague nearby to offer backup when the unexpected happens. That could mean a fall, a confrontation, a health issue, or simply being stranded with no signal.
Every job role has risks. But when someone has to navigate those risks alone, even minor hazards can snowball.
And that’s exactly why a tailored assessment matters. It helps identify where the dangers are and what’s needed to reduce them.
For delivery drivers, that might mean real-time gps tracking and a communication check-in system. For home workers, it might involve ergonomic workstation checks and mental health support. Either way, the goal is the same: to make sure workers aren’t left to fend for themselves.
Without a proper lone worker risk assessment, it’s easy to overlook those gaps. And the cost of doing nothing? That shows up in missed alarms, delayed emergency response, and far too often, serious harm.
Step-By-Step: How To Assess The Risks
Not every risk assessment looks the same, but every effective one shares a core approach. Here’s what that usually involves:
- Identify the lone working tasks. Start by mapping out all roles where staff are expected to work by themselves without close supervision. Think delivery drivers, remote surveyors, mobile technicians, and yes, even people working from home.
- Spot the hazards. Consider physical risks, falls, trips, equipment failures. Then expand. Are there environmental hazards? Is there a risk of violence or confrontation? Are there medical concerns?
- Consider who’s at risk, and how. Is this person new to the role? Do they have a medical condition? Are they dealing with a high-pressure job solo? Each factor influences the overall risk.
- Evaluate and decide on control measures. This is the meat of it. What will you put in place to protect them? Will there be gps tracking? Panic alarms? A regular check system? Will there be close or direct supervision at specific points?
- Record everything. Document what you’ve found and what steps you’re taking. This isn’t just for compliance, it helps track improvements.
- Review. Regularly. Situations change. A new route. A new role. A recent near-miss. If you’re not revisiting your lone working risk assessment, you’re playing catch-up.
You can’t seal what you can’t stick to. Dry the area thoroughly with a cloth. Use sandpaper to smooth the pipe surface so your materials (putty or tape) adhere properly.
Practical Controls To Protect Lone Workers
Control measures aren’t about overkill. They’re about balance. What’s proportionate? What makes sense for the task and the environment?
Let’s say someone’s working in an empty building after hours. A regular check-in system could be enough.
If they’re entering high-risk areas, closer supervision might be needed. Delivery drivers might benefit from gps tracking, while mobile engineers might carry lone worker alarms that let them raise the alarm with one press.
It’s also about planning. What happens if someone stops responding? Is there a process for emergency response? Have team members been told what to do if a colleague doesn’t check in?
Training supervision and monitoring aren’t just buzzwords. They’re the backbone. Workers need to know what to look out for and how to handle trouble when it shows up.
Sometimes, the simplest measures are the most effective. Clear instructions. Working phones. Assigned contacts. Other times, technology fills the gaps. What matters is that it’s done with intention. Because the moment things go wrong, hindsight isn’t much use.
Building A Lone Working Policy That Works
A lone working policy shouldn’t live in a drawer. It should be active, used, and known. At its core, it outlines who’s allowed to work alone, under what conditions, and what support systems are in place.
This isn’t just about rules, it’s about clarity. When staff understand the boundaries, the check-ins, the escalation routes, it creates confidence. It also creates accountability.
The policy should include regular check schedules, escalation procedures, training expectations, and details about monitoring tools like gps tracking or panic alarms. It should align with broader health and safety protocols.
According to the Health and Safety Executive, policies must be reviewed and kept up-to-date. Especially if roles evolve.
A good policy reflects current reality, not past assumptions. It should work just as well for someone working from home as it does for a tradesperson on the road.
A policy that lives in practice, not just on paper, protects lone workers and supports everyone involved.
The Construction Angle
Construction brings a unique twist to lone working. The risks are higher. The environments are less forgiving. And the pace of change, from site to site is constant.
Think about tradespeople inspecting scaffolding alone or electricians attending a fault without backup. These aren’t hypothetical risks. These are real scenarios playing out across the UK daily.
In construction, supervision matters. If direct oversight isn’t possible, then dynamic risk assessments are a must. Conditions change quickly. One hour the site is stable. The next, something’s shifted.
Contractors and subcontractors must be aligned. Communication lines need to be clear. And policies must match CDM Regulations. Lone working is one area where small oversights can lead to big consequences.
The same applies to mobile trades. For plumbers, electricians, and others, having simulated training environments, like those available through https://tradefoxapps.sitepreview.me, can massively reduce risks before they even get to site.
It’s all about preparation. Because when things go wrong in construction, they rarely go wrong gently.
Technology & Lone Worker Safety
Technology’s not the answer to everything, but it helps. A lot.
GPS tracking, lone worker apps, wearable panic buttons, all these tools help monitor lone workers in real time. Some systems even trigger an emergency response automatically if no movement is detected.
It’s not just about tracking. It’s about support. The ability to raise the alarm without fumbling for a phone. To check in without stopping work. To escalate fast when needed.
Used well, tech isn’t a burden, it’s a silent partner. And it doesn’t replace training or human judgment. It enhances them.
Monitoring tools are only as effective as the systems behind them. When combined with proper control measures and solid policy, they become powerful safety nets, not just fancy add-ons.
Mistakes To Watch Out For
Some employers fall into a trap. They assume if someone’s experienced, they don’t need as much support. Or that remote roles, like working from home, are low-risk by default. Not true.
Others create policies but don’t follow them. Or they build risk assessments that never evolve. The job role changes, the risks shift, but the document stays frozen.
Worse still, many don’t train, supervise and monitor properly. And when something does happen? The gaps become glaring.
Avoid the checklist mentality. A lone working risk assessment should be a live document, updated, challenged, adjusted. Not static.
Because in this space, what you don’t see can hurt you. Or your people. And that’s a cost no business wants to pay.
Final Thoughts
Every employer has a duty to protect lone workers. It’s a responsibility, but also a commitment. To safety. To readiness. To care.
Here’s a quick check:
- Have lone working roles been clearly identified?
- Are the risks unique to each job role considered?
- Is there a system to monitor lone workers?
- Can every lone worker raise the alarm if needed?
- Are regular checks and reviews taking place?
- Is there compliance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999?
If not? Start there.
Risk assessment isn’t about fear, it’s about foresight. It’s about knowing that when someone steps out to work alone, they’re not actually unprotected. They’ve got a system behind them.
And when that system works, people stay safe.
