Lone Working
By the Riskora Editorial Team · Last reviewed
Lone working is any work carried out without close or direct supervision — not just literal solo work, but any situation where a worker cannot easily summon help.
There is no specific UK law banning lone work, but the general duty to ensure health, safety and welfare under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 still applies.
Some activities should never be carried out alone — confined space entry, work on live electrical systems above defined thresholds, and work at height where rescue cannot be self-performed.
A lone working risk assessment must consider the worker's competence, the work's hazards, the means of communication, regular check-in arrangements and the response if a check-in is missed.
Why it matters
The biggest lone-working failure is not the work itself — it is the missed check-in that no one acts on for hours.