Lone working in public services – what are the employer’s responsibilities?

2025-03-19

Lone working is common across public services – in home care, social work, facilities management and street services. Here we explain what the law requires of public sector employers, what unions say and how to meet those obligations in practice.

What is lone working under UK law?

The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 (HASAWA) and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to ensure the safety of all employees, including those working alone. The HSE defines lone working as work carried out in circumstances where the person cannot be seen or heard by another person who could intervene in an emergency [1][2].

Common public sector roles involving lone working:

  • Home care workers visiting service users
  • Social workers conducting home visits
  • Facilities management and cleaning staff in council buildings
  • Parking enforcement officers in public environments

The risk assessment for lone workers is the starting point for managing these situations safely.

What do unions say?

UNISON and GMB – the two largest public sector unions – have long campaigned for safer lone working conditions. Their guidance emphasises:

  • Risk assessment – employers must assess and prevent risks before lone working begins
  • Technical safeguards – workers must have a reliable means of raising an alarm quickly
  • Conflict management training – where threatening situations may arise, training is essential
  • Reduction of lone working – in certain roles, unions recommend avoiding lone working entirely

Where lone working cannot be avoided, unions expect employers to provide technical solutions – such as a lone worker alarm – to ensure workers can get help quickly.

Employer duties for lone working in public services

Under HASAWA and the Management Regulations, employers have a legal duty to safeguard lone workers [1][2]:

Risk assessment – a suitable and sufficient risk assessment must be carried out and kept up to date. Safety at the workplace for HR managers sets out the practical requirements.

Control measures – identified risks must be followed up with concrete measures to reduce them.

Means of raising an alarm – lone workers must be able to call for help immediately. This is an organisational responsibility, not just a matter of policy.

Review – employers must regularly check that measures are working and update the risk assessment when circumstances change.

Failure to comply can lead to HSE improvement or prohibition notices, prosecution and unlimited fines. Read more about the consequences of breaching lone working rules.

Personal alarm – a solution that meets employer obligations

One of the most effective measures for improving lone worker safety in public services is a personal alarm. With an alarm, the worker can quickly call for help in a threatening or emergency situation – without needing to reach for a mobile phone.

Benefits of a personal alarm for public sector lone workers:

  • Immediate alert to colleagues or an alarm centre at the press of a button
  • Automatic man-down alert if an accident occurs and the worker cannot raise the alarm themselves
  • GPS positioning so that help can be directed to the right location
  • Two-way communication via a built-in speakerphone

A personal alarm with man-down alert increases workplace safety

Sensorem’s personal alarm is designed specifically to increase safety for lone workers. The alarm has an automatic man-down alert that calls alarm recipients via the watch’s built-in speakerphone with two-way communication. If no recipient answers, the call is forwarded to Sensorem’s alarm centre. The alarm works outdoors and has built-in GPS positioning so that recipients can see the user’s location on a map in the Sensorem app.

 

 

READ ABOUT SENSOREM’S PERSONAL ALARM FOR LONE WORKERS

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