Is it legal to work alone and is it safe?

Working alone is not, in itself, against the law and it will often be safe to do so. However, the law requires employers to consider carefully, and then deal with, any health and safety risks for people working alone.  You may need to consider different risks for lone workers compared to other employees.

Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.

Establishing a healthy and safe working environment for lone workers can be different from organising the health and safety of other employees. They should not be put at more risk than other people working for you.

Who are lone workers and what jobs do they do?

Lone workers are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision, for example: a person working alone in a small workshop; people who work from home other than in low-risk, office-type work (separate guidance covers homeworkers doing low-risk work) people working alone for long periods, eg in factories, warehouses, leisure centres or fairgrounds; people working on their own outside normal hours, eg cleaners and security, maintenance or repair staff; mobile workers working away from their fixed base involved in for example construction, maintenance and repair, plant installation and cleaning work.

Things you could consider to help ensure lone workers are not put at risk include:

• assessing areas of risk including violence, manual handling, the medical suitability of the individual to work alone and whether the workplace itself presents a risk to them;
• requirements for training, levels of experience and how best to monitor and supervise them;
• making sure you know what is happening, including having systems in place to keep in touch with them.
  
  

HSE Guidance Leaflet

The HSE have produced a leaflet providing guidance on how to keep lone workers healthy and safe. It is aimed at anyone who employs or engages lone workers, and also at self-employed people who work alone. Following the guidance in the leaflet is not compulsory, but it should help employers understand what they need to do to comply with their legal duties towards lone workers under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.