Toolbox talk · Environment and welfare · about 5 minutes
Lone working
Download the PDF with attendance sheet
Why it matters
Working alone isn't banned, but if something goes wrong, nobody may know. Lone work needs a plan.
The hazards
- No one to raise the alarm after an accident
- Higher-risk tasks done alone
- Sudden illness
- Violence or aggression
Stay safe
- Check whether the task is safe to do alone
- Some tasks must never be done alone, such as confined space entry or live electrical work
- Tell someone where you are and when you expect to finish
- Agree check-in times and what happens if you miss one
- Carry a charged phone
- Know how to get help and where first aid is
Ask the team
- Who does lone work on this job?
- How do you check in?
- Which tasks must never be done alone?
The law and guidance
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974; Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.
General guidance to help you give a toolbox talk. It doesn't replace your site's risk assessments, method statements, permits or training. Check it against your own site rules before you give it.