Free lone working policy template (Word download)
A lone working policy sets out the rules for everyone in your business who works alone — out of hours, at customers' premises, at home or on the road. Edit it to match your business, share it with staff, and back it up with a risk assessment for each lone working task.
Download the lone working policy template (.docx)
[DISCLAIMER — DRAFT, FOR SOLICITOR REVIEW] This template is a starting point only. You are responsible for assessing the risks of your own work, and for making sure any document you produce from it is suitable and sufficient for the task, the site and the people involved. It is not health and safety advice.
What's in the template
- Purpose and scope
- Responsibilities — management, nominated contacts and lone workers
- Risk assessment
- Work that must not be done alone
- Check-in procedure — including what happens if a check-in is missed
- Emergencies and incidents
- Training
- Review record and employee acknowledgement
Policy or risk assessment?
| Lone working policy | Lone working risk assessment | |
|---|---|---|
| Covers | The rules for all lone working in the business | One specific lone working task or role |
| Says | Who is responsible, how check-ins work, what's never done alone | The hazards of that task and the controls in place |
Most businesses need both. Use the lone working risk assessment template for each task.
Is a lone working policy a legal requirement?
There is no specific law requiring a lone working policy, and no general ban on working alone. Employers must assess the risks to people who work alone and put controls in place, and a written policy is the clearest way to show how you do that.
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