Safety for People Who Work Alone: A Practical Guide

The Scale of Lone Working

Lone working is far more common than most people realise. An estimated six million people in the UK work alone for some or all of their working time. This includes healthcare workers visiting patients at home, social workers, estate agents, delivery drivers, cleaners, construction workers in isolated locations, security guards, and a very large and growing number of people who work remotely from home. Each of these contexts carries different risks, but all share the common feature of reduced immediate access to help if something goes wrong.

Lone working risks fall broadly into two categories: physical risks from accidents, medical events, or violence; and the risks associated with delayed discovery if something goes wrong. Addressing both requires a combination of employer responsibility and individual preparation.

Employer Responsibilities

Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and associated regulations, employers have a duty of care to employees who work alone that is equivalent to their duty to all employees. This requires employers to assess the risks of lone working for each role, implement appropriate controls, provide training, and establish monitoring systems.

A suitable lone working risk assessment should identify the specific hazards in the role, who might be harmed and how, what controls are in place, and whether these are adequate. For roles involving home visits or customer-facing work, this assessment must consider the risk of violence and aggression as well as physical hazards.

Employers are not fulfilling their duty simply by telling lone workers to be careful or providing a phone. They must have systems in place to know where lone workers are, to be alerted if something goes wrong, and to respond appropriately. If your employer does not have adequate lone working arrangements in place, this is a health and safety issue you can raise with your line manager, HR, or (if not addressed internally) with the Health and Safety Executive.

Check-In Systems

The most fundamental protection for a lone worker is a regular check-in system that alerts someone if the worker fails to check in as expected. This can range from a simple scheduled call or text to a buddy, to a dedicated lone worker app that provides GPS tracking and automated alerts if a check-in is missed.

Whatever system you use, it only works if it is used consistently. A check-in protocol that is skipped when you are busy, when everything seems fine, or because it feels like unnecessary admin, provides no protection in the situations when you actually need it. Build the habit of checking in before every lone visit or period of isolated work, not just when something feels uncertain.

Lone worker apps and devices available in the UK include StaySafe, Peoplesafe, and the SoloProtect ID, which incorporates a monitored panic button and GPS tracking. These are particularly valuable for roles involving home visits, working at height, working with machinery, or other high-risk lone working contexts.

Personal Safety in Customer-Facing Lone Work

For lone workers who visit members of the public, the risk of verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, or physical assault is a genuine occupational hazard. NHS data shows that violence against healthcare workers, particularly community nurses and social workers, is unfortunately common.

Risk indicators that a visit may present elevated risk include a history of violence on the person's record, other warnings in the case file, the presence of weapons or references to weapons, intoxication with alcohol or drugs, signs of significant mental health crisis, and environmental factors such as an isolated location. Check case notes before every visit and do not dismiss red flags in favour of convenience.

Trust your instincts on arrival. If something feels wrong when you arrive at a location, you do not have to enter. You can make a phone call outside, delay the visit, or call your organisation for advice. Your safety is more important than completing the visit on schedule.

De-escalation skills are some of the most valuable tools for lone workers in customer-facing roles. Staying calm, using non-threatening body language, giving people space, listening actively, and avoiding actions that could be perceived as challenging or confrontational all reduce the likelihood of a situation escalating to violence. Many organisations provide conflict resolution and personal safety training for lone workers: if yours does, take it seriously.

Working from Home: A Different Set of Risks

Remote workers are lone workers in many senses. While the physical violence risk is lower, remote workers face other concerns. Ergonomic injuries from poor workstation setup are very common. Social isolation and the blurring of work and home boundaries can affect mental health. And the absence of a colleague who would ordinarily notice if something was wrong means that a medical event or other emergency could go unnoticed for longer.

Ensure your employer has a check-in system for remote workers, even if informal. Maintain regular contact with colleagues. Set up your workstation in line with HSE guidance on display screen equipment. Take breaks, move regularly, and maintain the social connections that office work provides naturally but remote work requires deliberate effort to sustain.