Working alone · the UK
Is it legal to work alone in the UK?
Yes, it is legal to work alone in the UK. There is no law preventing lone working. But the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess and control the risks to lone workers - so it is legal only where the risks have been properly managed.
What the law actually says
Lone work in the UK is governed by the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. These place on employers a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of employees - which the HSE's lone-working guidance (INDG73) applies specifically to people who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.
What employers are expected to do
- Assess the risks of lone working, including violence and medical emergencies
- Provide a means for lone workers to summon help and to keep in contact
- Have arrangements to check on lone workers and respond if contact is lost
- Give extra consideration to higher-risk and out-of-hours work
The common thread: working alone is legal, but the employer's duty of care doesn't shrink because a worker is on their own - if anything it grows, because the usual safety net of nearby colleagues is gone. A reliable way to raise the alarm and a response that arrives is exactly what "reasonably practicable" has come to mean for lone work.
This is general information, not legal advice. Requirements are set by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). The HSE's INDG73 'Protecting lone workers' sets out what is expected - see it for the detail.