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Organisation nameWho works alone?Check-in frequencyFirst response (who is alerted first)Second response (if no answer)Emergency routeReview frequency

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LONE WORKING POLICY
[your organisation]

Last reviewed: 28 October 2026    Next review: 28 October 2027

1. PURPOSE
This policy sets out how [your organisation] protects employees and others who work alone, and how it meets its duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

2. SCOPE
This policy applies to all staff who work alone. A lone worker is anyone who works by themselves without close or direct supervision, whether at a fixed site, out in the community, in a vehicle or from home.

3. RESPONSIBILITIES
[your organisation] will assess the risks of lone working, provide suitable controls and equipment, and keep this policy under review.
Managers will ensure a risk assessment is in place for each lone-working task, that staff are trained, and that the arrangements below are followed.
Lone workers will follow the agreed check-in and alarm procedures, raise concerns promptly, and may withdraw from any situation they judge to be unsafe, without penalty.

4. RISK ASSESSMENT
A documented risk assessment is completed for lone-working roles and tasks, covering the specific hazards of working without immediate support. It is reviewed after any incident or near miss, when the work changes, and at least annually.

5. STAYING IN CONTACT: CHECK-INS
Lone workers check in every two hours. A missed check-in triggers the escalation procedure in section 7. For a higher-risk task, a specific check-in and expected finish time are agreed before the task begins.

6. RAISING THE ALARM
Lone workers are provided with a means to raise the alarm quickly, and discreetly where the role requires it, supported by automatic fall and man-down detection where the hazard warrants it. The system provides one-tap and automatic alerts with the worker's location.

7. ESCALATION
When an alarm is raised or a check-in is missed, the response runs as follows:
  First response: the worker's line manager.
  If there is no response: the duty manager.
  Emergency: the emergency services on 999.
The escalation chain is contactable whenever lone working takes place, including out of hours, and is tested before it is relied upon.

8. TRAINING
All lone workers are trained in this policy, in the risk assessment for their role, and in the use of their alarm and check-in tools before they first work alone, with periodic refreshers.

9. INCIDENTS AND REPORTING
All incidents, near misses and alarm activations are recorded and reviewed, and improvements are fed back into the risk assessment. Reportable incidents are notified under RIDDOR as required.

10. REVIEW
This policy is reviewed annually, and after any significant incident or change to the work.

Approved by: ____________________        Date: ____________

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