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.