Emergency Response for Lone Workers

Lone workers who suffer an injury, illness, or emergency have no immediate colleague to assist them.
The emergency response plan for lone workers must be specific, tested, and understood before work starts.
Response times are longer for lone workers — every minute of delay reduces the chance of survival.
The plan must define how the alarm is raised, who responds, and how the lone worker is located.
GPS-enabled lone worker devices automatically alert a monitoring centre if the worker is incapacitated.
Man-down detection triggers an alarm if no movement is detected for a set period.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require effective emergency arrangements.
Emergency services must be able to find the lone worker — grid references or what3words addresses help.
Lone workers must carry a first aid kit appropriate to the risks of their specific task.
Regular testing of the emergency response procedure ensures it works when it is needed.

Delayed rescue	Without an effective plan, an injured lone worker may not be found for hours.
Incapacitation risk	If the lone worker is unconscious, they cannot raise the alarm themselves.
Legal duty	MHSWR requires employers to provide emergency arrangements specific to lone workers.
Location challenges	Lone workers on large or remote sites are difficult to find without GPS tracking.

Do

Don't

Prepare a specific emergency response plan for every lone working assignment.
Carry a lone worker device with GPS tracking and man-down detection.
Provide the monitoring centre or supervisor with your exact work location.
Test the emergency response procedure regularly to confirm it works.
Carry a first aid kit appropriate to the risks of your task.
Know your location in a format emergency services can use — grid reference or postcode.
Ensure your supervisor knows your planned finish time and check-in schedule.
Programme emergency contacts into your phone and lone worker device.
Charge all communication devices fully before starting a lone working shift.
Brief yourself on the nearest emergency access route for ambulances.

DON'T start lone work without a specific emergency response plan in place.
DON'T rely solely on your ability to call for help — you may be unconscious.
DON'T work in a location you cannot describe to emergency services.
DON'T skip regular testing of the lone worker emergency alarm system.
DON'T leave your communication devices in your vehicle while working on site.
DON'T carry out high-risk tasks alone where immediate assistance would be needed.
DON'T assume emergency services know where you are — give them precise directions.
DON'T ignore low battery warnings on your phone or lone worker device.
DON'T change location without updating your supervisor or monitoring centre.
DON'T treat the emergency plan as a formality — it is your lifeline.

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

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