Who counts as a lone worker, how to assess the risks, check-in procedures that work and what to put in a lone working policy.
Lone working is common in hourly and field roles. Examples include security guards on night patrol, cleaners and janitors working after hours, home care aides and nurses visiting clients, maintenance and HVAC technicians, delivery drivers, real estate agents showing properties, gas station and convenience store clerks on night shifts, farm workers and utility workers on remote sites. Someone can be a lone worker part of the time, for example a retail employee who closes the store alone.
Working alone is not dangerous in itself, but it changes the risk: if something goes wrong, there may be nobody to help, call for assistance or even notice.
Federal OSHA does not have a single general standard for lone workers. Employers are still covered by the general duty clause, which requires a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm, and by specific standards that apply to particular tasks, such as confined spaces or electrical work, some of which require a second person or an attendant. Some states with their own OSHA-approved plans and some industries have additional rules, for example for late-night retail or home care. Check the rules that apply to your industry and state. See OSHA.
| Risk | Examples | Typical controls |
|---|---|---|
| Violence or aggression | Night retail, security, home visits, cash handling | Cash limits, panic alarms, visit risk notes, two-person rules for high-risk visits |
| Medical emergency | Heart attack, diabetic episode, heat illness | Check-ins, first aid training, emergency contacts |
| Slips, falls and injuries | Ladders, wet floors, rough terrain | Task rules, equipment checks, no high-risk tasks alone |
| Vehicle incidents | Drivers and field technicians | Journey plans, vehicle checks, rest breaks |
| High-risk tasks | Confined spaces, electrical work, work at height | Second person required by rule or standard |
| Environment | Extreme heat or cold, remote sites without signal | Weather rules, satellite devices, fixed check-in points |
Talk to the people who do the work. They know which car park is badly lit and which client has a dog that bites.
Some tasks are too risky to do alone, whatever the procedure: entering confined spaces, live electrical work, work at height without fall protection checks, handling large amounts of cash late at night, or visiting a client with a known history of violence. List these in your policy and schedule a second person. Use a dynamic risk assessment for situations that change on the day.
A check-in system is the core of most lone working procedures. It answers one question: if this person gets hurt, how soon will we know?
The most common failure is a missed check-in that nobody notices because the monitor went home. Make sure every lone shift has a named monitor for its whole duration.
A cleaning company sends single cleaners to office buildings in the evening. Each cleaner clocks in on arrival using the mobile app, which records the site. The evening supervisor monitors arrivals against the schedule. Cleaners send a quick check-in message every two hours and clock out when they leave. If a cleaner has not clocked in within 20 minutes of the scheduled start, or misses a check-in by 15 minutes, the supervisor calls them, then calls the building’s security desk, then drives to the site or calls emergency services, in that order. Cleaners do not use ladders above a set height when alone, and they are told they may leave a building at once if they feel unsafe, then call the supervisor.
Review the policy after any incident or near miss, and at least once a year.
EZTime shows managers who is on shift, where they clocked in if you enable GPS location, and who has not clocked in when scheduled. Employees clock in and out from the mobile app at each site, managers can reach them through announcements and digital forms can be used for check-ins and risk assessments. EZTime is not an emergency alarm system; use dedicated lone worker devices or services where your risk assessment calls for them. See EZTime for security services and cleaning services.
Adjust the timings to the risk of the work. High-risk work may need much shorter intervals. Our GPS time tracking page explains how location data can support check-ins, with notice to employees.
| Industry | Typical lone work | Key control |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Night cleaning in empty offices | Check-in at start, midpoint and end |
| Security | Patrols and overnight posts | Scheduled patrol check-ins and panic options |
| Home care | Visits to clients’ homes | Visit schedule shared with the office, check-in after each visit |
| Retail | Opening and closing alone | Two-person opening or closing for cash handling |
| Field service | Repairs at customer sites | Job start and finish updates |
See security guard duties and night shift work.
Tick each control your business already has.
0 of 6. Lone workers may be at risk. Start by listing who works alone and setting check-ins.
Generally yes. Federal OSHA has no general ban on working alone, but employers must address recognized hazards, and some tasks and standards require a second person.
It depends on the risk. Every one to two hours is common for routine work, with more frequent check-ins for higher-risk tasks.
Follow a written escalation plan: try to contact them, contact the site, send someone and call emergency services if needed.
Security, cleaning, home care, maintenance, delivery, night retail, real estate and remote field work are common examples.
They should be trained on the risks, the check-in procedure, emergency steps and their right to stop unsafe work.
It can show who is on site and who has not clocked in when scheduled, but it is not a substitute for a dedicated alarm or monitoring system where risks are high.
EZTime’s digital employee file keeps documents such as certificates and sends reminders before they expire. For a team of 15, EZTime starts at about $30 a month ($2 per employee).