Guidance · HSWA 1974

Lone working, never on your own

Working alone is legal and often perfectly safe. It just needs a little more planning, because if something goes wrong there's nobody nearby to help.

in most jobs, with the right controls
Legal
in most jobs, with the right controls
people needed for some high-risk work
2
people needed for some high-risk work
missed check-in should trigger a plan
1
missed check-in should trigger a plan
01

Is it allowed?

Yes, in most cases. There's no general ban on working alone, but your risk assessment needs to cover it, and some work should never be done alone.

“It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.”
Section 2(1)Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974

In plain EnglishThat duty doesn't stop when someone's working on their own. If anything, it needs more thought.

02

Plan it

Tick what applies to your lone workers and see what your plan needs.

Tick anything that applies:

Your lone working plan

  • Assess the risks of working alone, and write them down
  • A way to raise the alarm, and someone who'll respond
  • Regular check-ins, and a plan if one's missed
  • First aid kit and training for the job
  • Out of hours or at night: Agree check-in times, and what happens if someone misses one.
03

Staying in touch

  • Agree check-in times at the start and end of the job
  • Decide who acts if a check-in is missed, and what they do
  • Keep a record of where people are working
  • Consider a lone worker alarm or app with a panic button
  • Make sure there's signal, or a backup if there isn't
  • Test the system, don't just assume it works
The missed check-in
The plan is only as good as what happens when someone doesn't call. Decide in advance who rings them, and when to go and look.
04

Quick check

Quick check · 1 of 3

Is lone working legal?

05

How we help

As your competent person, this is part of your package or available as an add-on.

Lone working assessments

We assess your lone working and help you set up the right controls.

Check-in procedures

A simple system that works for your team and the way they work.

Violence and aggression

Practical controls for staff who deal with the public on their own.

Policies

A clear lone working policy, written for your business.

More guidance
Young workersApprentices and under-18s: assessments and working hours.Risk assessmentThe five steps, rating risk, and controls that work.Fire safetyFire risk assessment and the responsible person's duties.Reporting accidentsIs it reportable under RIDDOR? Find out in a few clicks.CDM 2015Who does what on construction work, and when to notify HSE.Working at heightAvoid, prevent, minimise, and getting ladders right.

Guidance reviewed October 2026. A plain-English summary of the law in England, Scotland and Wales, not legal advice. Always check the full text on legislation.gov.uk and the latest HSE guidance.

People working on their own?

Book a free compliance check and we'll make sure someone's always got their back.

Book your free compliance check hivissafetyltd@gmail.com
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