Lone worker

Key takeaways

Lone worker belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Lone worker to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Lone worker from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A lone worker (LW) is an employee who performs an activity that is carried out in isolation from other workers without close or direct supervision. Such staff may be exposed to risk because there is no-one to assist them and so a risk assessment may be required. Lone workers are now often supported by cloud-based automated monitoring systems and specialised monitoring call centres - often referred to as an 'Alarm Receiving Centre' or 'ARC' in the UK, or 'Emergency Dispatch Center' or 'EDC' in the US.

Examples of lone workers There are different types of lone workers including:

People working at home such as remote workers, affiliated marketers, writers Workers in the energy industry or oil and gas Industry including upstream workers like surveyors, land managers, drillers, and midstream or downstream workers such as refinery workers and drivers Construction workers Mobile workers such as Door-to-door salesmen, truck drivers, health visitors, repair technicians People who work in any type of manufacturing facility People working outside normal hours such as security guards, cleaners Utility workers such as meter readers or technicians Self-employed people People who work apart from their colleagues such as receptionists, retail clerks, service station attendants Real estate agents, Home care nurses

Countries with lone worker legislation The following countries have enacted lone worker legislation:

Australia Canada (Provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan) France Germany Ireland New Zealand Spain United Kingdom

In Australia Australia has legislation regarding lone workers and their employers. As of 1 January 2014, it has become compulsory for employers to monitor the health and well being of any of their employees working remotely or in isolated conditions. Control measures are now in place to ensure effective communication and worker monitoring are in place as well as access to assistance of emergency services for isolated or remote workers. Regulation 48 from the Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice 2011 outlines definitions of isolated and remote workers as well as possible control measures and should be read for more information in regard to this law.'

Guidance Note, Working Alone 2009

In Canada The definition of a Lone Worker in Canada is someone who is alone at work or when they are on their own; when they cannot be seen or heard by another person. Lone worker regulations are complicated by the fact that there are fourteen jurisdictions – one federal, ten provincial and three territorial. Some of the provinces in Canada have enacted legislation regarding employer’s responsibility towards Lone Workers by having their governments create health and safety legislation. The legislations outline the general rights and responsibilities of the employer, the supervisor and the worker. Ontario, Nova Scotia and Yukon have no lone worker specific regulations.

Alberta Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code: An Explanation of the "Working Alone" Requirements 2009 Working Alone (Part 28 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code) 2009 Additional Province-issued documents include:

Working Alone Safely – A Guide for Employers and Employees 2000

British Columbia Working Alone or in Isolation Regulation 2011 WorkSafeBC OHS Regulations General Conditions Part 4 2009

Manitoba Code of Practice for Workers Working Alone or in Isolation 2006 Workplace Health and Safety Regulation Part 9

Saskatchewan The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 1996

In France France has enacted laws protecting lone workers.

Code du travail - Article R4512-13 2008

In Germany Germany has codified laws mandating when it is legal to work alone and how those workers must be protected.

§ 5 Arbeitsschutzgesetz

In Ireland The Health and Safety Authority of Ireland identifies lone workers as those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision. Anybody who works alone, including contractors, self-employed people and employee, is classed as a lone worker. Legislation relevant to the safety of lone workers in Ireland:

Section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Extractive Industries) Reglulations 1997

In New Zealand Employment New Zealand defines working alone as ‘Working alone is when work is done in a location where the employee can’t physically see or talk to other staff.’ The Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 requires employers to maintain regular contact with employees working alone or in isolation, if this is not possible, they should check in with a designated person at regular intervals. The employer must also provide an effective means of getting help quickly in an emergency.

In Spain Spain has codified laws governing the protection of lone workers.

Ley 31/1995 de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales 1995

In the United Kingdom The UK has a Code of practice relating to the 'Provision of lone worker services' via the British Standard, BS 8484. In August 2016, the standard was republished, and BS 8484:2016 was introduced (superseding BS 8484:2011, which was withdrawn on 28 February 2017). The standard was updated again in March 2022, and republished as BS 8484:2022. Other UK legislation relevant to the safety of lone workers:

Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 The Management of made Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 Safety Representatives and Safety Committees Regulations 1977(a) The Health and Safety (Consultation with Employees) Regulations 1996(b) Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 Fire Act 2005 In November 2015, the Sentencing Council introduced a 'Definitive Guideline for Health and Safety Offences, Corporate Manslaughter and Food Safety and Hygiene Offences', effective in sentencing from 1 February 2016. Fines imposed are considered in accordance with several factors:

the culpability of an organisation or individual; the likelihood of harm; financial information relating to an organisation - i.e. fines can now be directly linked to the turnover of a business or the earnings of an individual

Russia Per various governmental decrees it's prohibited to use lone workers if they work at height, with electrical equipment, or in very tight or constrained conditions.

Managing lone workers Common practices used by companies to manage the personal safety of their Lone Workers are:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lone worker

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lone worker claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lone worker before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lone worker ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lone worker

In research: Lone worker appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Lone worker in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Lone worker is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Employment classifications, Safety, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Lone worker outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Lone worker in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Lone worker means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Lone worker out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lone worker in simple terms?

A lone worker (LW) is an employee who performs an activity that is carried out in isolation from other workers without close or direct supervision. Such staff may be exposed to risk because there is no-one to assist them and so a risk assessment may be required.

Why does Lone worker matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lone worker?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lone worker.