Is a lone worker risk assessment legally required?

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, a PCBU must manage the risks of lone or isolated work. A documented risk assessment is the accepted way to demonstrate you have done that, and Safe Work Australia and your state WHS regulator will expect to see one after an incident.

How often should it be reviewed?

At least every 12 months, and immediately after an incident or near miss, a change to the task or client group, or when a worker raises a concern.

Who should complete it?

Someone with direct knowledge of the work, usually the line manager or WHS lead, with input from the workers who do the job alone.

What rating scale should I use?

A simple low, medium, high matrix on likelihood and consequence is enough. Consistency matters more than granularity. Use the same scale across all your assessments.

Lone worker risk assessment template (free download)

Lone worker risk assessment template

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, a PCBU must identify hazards and manage the risks of work carried out alone or in isolation. This template walks through the five standard steps and gives you a completed record you can show Safe Work Australia and your state WHS regulator if asked.

Who it's for: WHS managers, operations managers, and team leaders responsible for staff who work alone at any point in their shift.

Free to use and adapt · Last updated 2026-07-21 · No email required

Assessment details

Assessor name and role

Task or role being assessed e.g. community support worker conducting home visits

Location(s) Fixed site, client homes, vehicles, remote areas

Date of assessment

Scheduled review date At most 12 months out, or sooner after an incident or change

Step 1 - Identify the hazards

Tick every factor that applies to this task or role. Anything ticked must appear in the risk table at Step 3.

Works face-to-face with clients, patients or the public while alone
Handles cash, medication or valuables
Works in a remote or isolated location
Works at night or outside business hours
Drives alone between jobs or sites
Conducts home or site visits alone
Works in areas with poor or no mobile coverage
Performs manual handling or works at height alone
Client group has a known history of aggression or unpredictable behaviour
Exposed to environmental risks (heat, cold, terrain, animals)
Has a medical condition that could incapacitate them while alone

Step 2 - Who is at risk, and how much

Roles or workers affected List roles, not names, unless assessing a specific person

How often they work alone e.g. daily, 3 shifts per week, occasionally

Longest period without contact The maximum time before someone would notice a problem

Step 3 - Rate each risk and record controls

Rate likelihood and consequence as low, medium or high. Anything rated high after existing controls needs further controls and a named owner.

Hazard	Likelihood	Consequence	Rating	Existing controls	Further controls needed	Owner and due date

Step 4 - Choose controls, strongest first

Work down the hierarchy. A duress device is not a substitute for eliminating a task no one should do alone.

Eliminate: remove the need to do the highest-risk tasks alone (pair working, rescheduling)
Substitute: shift high-risk visits to a controlled site instead of a client's home
Engineering: duress alarm or wearable with 24/7 monitored response
Engineering: vehicle tracking and journey management for mobile workers
Administrative: scheduled check-ins with a documented escalation procedure
Administrative: pre-visit risk flags on client records
Administrative: de-escalation and situational awareness training
Review: incident and near-miss reporting that feeds back into this assessment

Step 5 - Sign off and review

This assessment was completed by [assessor] and approved by [manager] on [date]. It will be reviewed by [review date], or earlier if there is an incident or near miss involving lone work, the task or client group changes, a worker raises a concern, or new controls become available.

Keep the completed assessment with your WHS records. Safe Work Australia and your state WHS regulator can ask to see it.