Lone working in construction
Working alone is legal in most cases, but the employer must assess the extra risks and put controls in place, such as regular check-ins and a plan for emergencies. Some high-risk work, such as entering a confined space or working near exposed live conductors, should not be done alone at all.
What the law requires
There is no general ban on lone working. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management Regulations 1999 require you to assess risks, including those that come from working alone, and to control them. Specific rules require more than one person for some work, for example the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 in practice require rescue arrangements that a lone worker can’t provide.
Work that should not be done alone
- Entering a confined space
- Working on or near exposed live electrical conductors
- Hot work where a fire watch is needed (see hot works permit)
- Work at height where rescue would be needed after a fall arrest
- Lifting operations and work in deep excavations
Assessing lone working
| Question | Example control |
|---|---|
| Can one person do the job safely? | If not, send two |
| Is the person medically fit and trained? | Experienced operative only, first aid trained |
| How will they raise the alarm? | Charged phone, lone worker app or device with fall alert |
| Who checks on them, and how often? | Call-in every 2 hours and at end of shift |
| What happens if they don’t check in? | Named contact goes to site or calls the emergency services |
| Is there phone signal? | Check before work; use a radio or satellite device if not |
In your RAMS
Add lone working as a hazard with the check-in interval, the contact name and the escalation steps, and brief the worker on it. Review it if the job changes, for example if work at height or hot work is added.
Lone working, ready to add. RAMS Maker includes lone working as a hazard you can add to any job, with suggested controls and the risk score. Free to make and download, Pro for your logo and saved documents.
Make RAMS See ProQuestions
Can an apprentice work alone?
Young and inexperienced workers need closer supervision. The Management Regulations require you to consider their lack of experience; most firms do not let apprentices work alone on site.
Are self-employed tradespeople lone workers?
Often, yes. The same planning applies: tell someone where you are and when you expect to finish.
Is a lone worker device required?
Not by law. It is one way to raise the alarm; a check-in routine by phone can also be enough for lower-risk work.
Checked against HSE guidance INDG73 “Protecting lone workers”, the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997, November 2026. Related: dynamic risk assessment.