Lone worker check-in & escalation procedures
A check-in arrangement answers one question: if a lone worker needs help and can't raise it themselves, how does anyone find out in time? Here is what a good procedure covers.
What a good procedure covers
A check-in and escalation procedure sets out, before the work starts:
- •How the worker keeps in contact, call, message, app, or a buddy who expects them.
- •How often, an interval matched to the risk from the assessment, not a one-size-fits-all number.
- •Who is responsible for expecting each check-in, a named person, not "someone in the office".
- •What happens if contact is missed, the escalation steps, who to call, and when to raise the alarm.
Match the frequency to the risk
There is no legal check-in interval. Higher-risk work justifies more frequent contact; lower-risk work may need only a start-and-end confirmation. The interval, and the response to a missed check-in, should follow from your lone-working risk assessment.
Devices sit alongside the procedure, they don't replace it
Personal alarms, GPS trackers and man-down devices can support your controls, but they are not a legal requirement in themselves and they do not remove the need for a clear procedure. The device is one option for raising the alarm; the procedure is what defines who responds and how. Choose controls that fit the risk, for lower-risk work an agreed check-in or buddy system may be enough.
Keep the arrangements on file, not in someone's head
Complys records each lone worker's check-in and escalation arrangements, who is responsible, the training behind them and the review dates, the evidence that lone working is managed. It is not a personal-alarm, GPS or real-time monitoring device; any such devices you use sit alongside the record Complys keeps.
Lone worker software →FAQs
What is a lone-worker check-in procedure?
An agreed arrangement for how a lone worker keeps in contact, how often, who is responsible for expecting that contact, and what that person does if contact is not made, including how and when to escalate to raise help. It is one of the main controls that comes out of a lone-working risk assessment.
How often should lone workers check in?
There is no fixed legal interval. The frequency should match the level of risk from the assessment, higher-risk work justifies more frequent contact. What matters is that the interval is agreed, someone is responsible for expecting it, and there is a defined response if a check-in is missed.
Do I need a lone-worker alarm or GPS device?
Not necessarily. Devices such as personal alarms or GPS trackers can be part of your controls, but they are not a legal requirement in themselves, the right controls come from your risk assessment. A well-run check-in arrangement, or a buddy system, may be enough for lower-risk work.
Related: is lone working legal, lone-working risk assessment, and lone worker software. General information, not legal advice.