Lone Working Risk Assessment

A lone working risk assessment identifies the specific hazards faced by a person working without close or direct supervision.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient assessment for lone workers.
The assessment must consider the work activity, the location, the person's competence, and the means of communication available.
High-risk activities including confined space entry, work at height, and heavy lifting must never be carried out by lone workers.
The assessment must identify how a lone worker will summon help in an emergency, including first aid and rescue arrangements.
Remote or isolated locations may have limited mobile phone signal — alternative communication methods must be planned.
The risk of violence or aggression must be assessed for lone workers in public-facing or community-based roles.
Control measures include check-in schedules, lone worker devices, buddy systems, and GPS tracking where appropriate.
The assessment must be reviewed regularly and updated when the work activity, location, or circumstances change.
Lone workers must be consulted during the assessment — they understand the practical challenges better than anyone.

Delayed rescue	Without an assessment, there is no plan for how help reaches a lone worker who is injured — delays can be fatal.
Identify what cannot be done alone	The assessment identifies tasks too dangerous for one person — this boundary prevents lone workers attempting high-risk activities.
Legal requirement	The Management Regulations 1999 require a specific assessment — a general site risk assessment does not cover lone working adequately.

Do

Don't

Complete a specific lone working risk assessment before any lone working activity.
Identify all hazards the lone worker will face at the specific location and task.
Confirm the lone worker is competent, experienced, and medically fit for the work.
Establish reliable communication using phones, radios, or lone worker devices.
Set agreed check-in times and escalation procedures if contact is lost.
Identify which tasks must never be carried out alone due to the risk level.
Plan how emergency services will reach the lone worker at the specific location.
Assess the risk of violence and provide personal safety measures where needed.
Review the assessment regularly and after any incident or change in circumstances.
Consult the lone worker during the assessment for practical insight.

DON'T allow lone working without a specific risk assessment completed first.
DON'T overlook hazards that are worsened by working alone without nearby help.
DON'T send inexperienced or unfit workers to carry out lone working tasks.
DON'T rely on mobile phones in areas with poor or no signal coverage.
DON'T skip check-in times — a missed check-in must trigger the escalation procedure.
DON'T allow lone workers to attempt confined space entry or work at height.
DON'T assume emergency services can find a remote location without directions prepared.
DON'T ignore violence risk for lone workers visiting occupied sites or public areas.
DON'T leave the assessment unchanged when the task or location changes significantly.
DON'T write the assessment without speaking to the person who will be working alone.

See also: Lone Working Awareness | Communication & Check-In Procedures

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