{"id":15280,"date":"2026-04-27T07:51:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:51:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cardinus.com\/us\/?p=15280"},"modified":"2026-04-27T07:51:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T11:51:30","slug":"lone-worker-safety-what-is-lone-working-risks-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cardinus.com\/us\/lone-worker-safety-what-is-lone-working-risks-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Lone worker safety – What qualifies as \u201clone working\u201d and what are the risks?"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text margin_bottom=”0″ css=”.vc_custom_1777290342582{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Lone workers face elevated risk simply due to their being alone while carrying out their duties. Whether working from a home office, behind the wheel of a vehicle, or out in the field, without team members present to offer support before, during or after an incident, things can and often do<\/i> go very wrong. It\u2019s therefore crucial that orgnizations implement stringent lone worker protections.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, data shows that part of the reason lone working is currently so dangerous is that there is often a failure to realise or report when it is happening, and this applies to both employers <\/span>and <\/span><\/i>employees. This is why we feel it\u2019s important to cover the basics in this guide.<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we explain what a lone worker is, explore the risks typical of working alone, and assess the scale of lone worker safety issues across the US.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a lone worker?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A lone worker is an employee who carries out work-related duties in isolation from other colleagues, without direct or close support or supervision. This includes those who work at fixed sites, mobile workers, and those <\/span>working from home<\/span><\/a>, where they are unable to obtain immediate assistance from a colleague in the event of an emergency.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lone working is common in many sectors. Examples include security staff on isolated shifts, engineers and maintenance workers attending sites alone, delivery and transport workers, healthcare and social care staff undertaking home visits, and employees responsible for opening or closing business premises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How many lone workers are there in the U.S.?<\/span><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s estimated that there are 35 million lone workers in North America<\/span>1<\/sup><\/span>, but it\u2019s hard to confidently settle even on a rough estimate due to gaps in realised and\/or reported lone working.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conceptually, lone working couldn\u2019t be more simple, yet there is often still confusion as to when work is technically classed as lone working and, in turn, when employees are classed as lone workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recent research suggests that there could be up to 22 million \u201chidden\u201d lone workers in the US, where employees are working on their own but are not identified as lone workers by employers or simply do not realize or consider themselves lone workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those who do not realize that they are lone workers are those who do not fully understand the precarity of their working conditions. The resulting unpreparedness vastly increases their risk exposure.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s possible that part of the problem is that employers and employees assume that a \u201clone worker\u201d is someone who is alone for the entirety of their duties, when, in fact, someone who only performs certain tasks alone is still classed as a lone worker.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, lone working is likely significantly underreported, leaving millions of workers without the protections typically associated with formally recognised lone worker roles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lone worker risks – what employers and<\/i> employees need to know<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Lone working presents a unique set of risks, largely due to the absence of immediate support or supervision. In many cases, incidents that would be manageable in a team environment can become significantly more serious when a worker is alone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Common risks faced by lone workers include:<\/span><\/p>\n