Regulatory Services

Environmental Health

HEALTH AND SAFETY - WORKING SAFELY ALONE

There is no absolute prohibition on working alone, but in some circumstances the law requires that at least two people must be present and specifies the safe systems of work to be followed.

Employers are responsible for the health, safety and welfare of their employees when they are at work and the health and safety of those affected by the work. It is the employers' duty to organise and control solitary workers.

Employees have responsibilities to take reasonable care of themselves and other people affected by their work and to co-operate with their employers in the discharge of their legal obligations.

People working from a fixed base where:

• only one person works on the premises: e.g. in small workshops, petrol stations, kiosks and shops
• people work separately from others: e.g. in agriculture and forestry, factories, warehouses, some research and training establishments, leisure centres or fairgrounds
• people work outside normal hours: e.g. cleaners, security, special production, maintenance or repair staff

• on construction, plant installation, maintenance and cleaning work, electrical repairs, lift repairs, painting and decorating
• service workers: e.g. rent collectors, postal staff, social workers, home helps, district nurses, pest control workers, drivers, engineers, architects, and similar professionals visiting domestic and commercial premises.