Working alone safely: training for lone workers

For lone workers and their managers: assess lone-work risk, set up check-ins that actually trigger help, and stay safe on visits, in the field and on the road.

For: Lone workers (home visits, security, cleaning, delivery, field service, real estate) and the managers who plan and monitor their work

  • 2 contact hours
  • 6 modules
  • 6 interactives
  • 5 job aids
  • Updated October 11, 2026

What you will be able to do

  • Identify who counts as a lone worker and the main hazards of lone work: violence, medical emergencies, accidents, environmental exposure and driving.
  • Explain how federal law applies to lone work, including the General Duty Clause, the confined space attendant requirement (29 CFR 1910.146), State Plans and worker rights.
  • Assess a lone-work task with a likelihood and severity rating adjusted for response time, and choose controls using the hierarchy of controls.
  • Set up and follow check-in procedures, buddy systems and lone-worker devices, including a written escalation plan for missed check-ins.
  • Use situational awareness, basic de-escalation, safe driving and environmental precautions to stay safe on visits and in the field.
  • Respond to lone-work emergencies without becoming a second victim, and report incidents and near misses without fear of retaliation.

Learn what makes working alone riskier, what the law actually requires (there is no general federal lone-worker standard, but the General Duty Clause and specific rules such as the confined space attendant requirement apply), and how to assess a lone task by asking the question that matters most: how long until help arrives?

Built for home visit staff, security officers, cleaners, delivery drivers, field technicians, real estate agents and the managers who monitor them. You will practice rating lone-work risk, choosing controls from the top of the hierarchy, building a check-in plan with a written escalation sequence, and making decisions on a home visit that turns tense.

The course is practical and honest: it treats lone-worker devices as useful but limited, gives you permission to leave unsafe situations, and shows how near-miss reporting fixes gaps before someone is hurt. Job aids include a lone-work JHA worksheet, a pre-visit checklist, an incident report and a monitor's escalation card.

What you’ll be able to do Monday morning

  1. Ask for your lone-work assessment and the list of tasks you must never do alone.
  2. Confirm who monitors your check-ins, who backs them up and what the written escalation steps are.
  3. Agree on a code word with your monitor.
  4. Test your phone, radio or device in every place you regularly work alone.
  5. Park facing out and note the exits at your next visit.
  6. Report your next near miss, even if nobody saw it.

Curriculum

6 modules · 24 lessons · about 2 contact hours

01What does working alone mean, and why is it riskier?Free preview13 min
  1. Who counts as a lone worker?
  2. Why does being alone raise the stakes?
  3. What kinds of harm do lone workers face most?
  4. What should you take from this module?
  • Self-assessment: Lone-work readiness check

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

02What does OSHA require when you work alone?13 min
  1. Is there a federal lone-worker standard?
  2. Which OSHA standards say you must not work alone?
  3. How do State Plans and employer policies fit in?
  4. What are your rights and responsibilities?
  • Decision tree: Can this task be done alone?

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

03How do you assess the risks of a lone-work task?14 min
  1. What makes a lone-work assessment different?
  2. How do you rate the risk?
  3. How do you choose controls for lone work?
  4. When should the assessment be reviewed?
  • Sort activity: Sort the lone-work controls

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

04How do check-ins, buddy systems and lone-worker devices work?14 min
  1. What makes a check-in system work?
  2. What should happen when a check-in is missed?
  3. How do buddy systems and lone-worker devices help?
  4. What is your part in making check-ins reliable?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the issues: a night-shift check-in log

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

05How do you stay safe on visits, in the field and on the road?15 min
  1. What does situational awareness look like in practice?
  2. How do you handle a tense situation when you are alone?
  3. How do you stay safe on the road?
  4. How do you manage heat, cold and other environmental hazards alone?
  • Branching scenario: A home visit that changes

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

06What do you do when something goes wrong, and how do you report it?14 min
  1. What should your emergency plan cover?
  2. How do you respond to common lone-work emergencies?
  3. Why report incidents and near misses, and what should the report say?
  4. What happens after an incident?
  • Spot the issue: Spot the issues: a field visit plan

Diagram · In practice checklist · 2-question knowledge check

Final assessment: 23 questions, 80% to pass, then your certificate

Try it now, no account needed

A home visit that changes

A branching scenario from this course. Your choices are not saved.

Free sample activity

A home visit that changes

You are a home health physical therapist assistant making a solo afternoon visit to a patient in an apartment complex. Your agency uses a phone app for check-ins and has a code word: 'Can you check the blue file?'

Inside the course

Practice activities

  • Self-assessment1
  • Decision tree1
  • Branching scenario1
  • Spot the issue2
  • Sort activity1

Job aids you keep

  • Lone-Work Hazard Assessment (JHA) WorksheetWorksheet
  • Lone-Worker Hazard Checklist (Before Each Shift or Visit)Checklist
  • Lone-Work Incident and Near-Miss ReportTemplate
  • Lone-Work Training Sign-Off RecordLog
  • Missed Check-In Pocket Card (for Monitors)Pocket card

Credit and approval status

Certificate of completion

This course awards a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. It has not been approved or accredited by OSHA, any OSHA State Plan, IACET or any other accreditor, and it is not OSHA Outreach Training Program (10- or 30-hour) training. It is awareness training: employers must still provide site-specific training on the hazards and standards in your workplace, such as confined space entry, and must decide which tasks may be done alone. Check with your employer whether this course can count toward your training needs.

Pathways we are pursuing or may pursue include continuing education units issued by a provider accredited under the IACET standard. No approval exists today; any approval will be shown on this page only after it is granted.

Our full approvals list

Questions about this course

Does federal OSHA have a working-alone rule?

No. Federal OSHA has no general lone-worker standard. Employers address lone-work hazards through the General Duty Clause, the standards that apply to each task, a few standards that prohibit certain tasks alone (such as permit-required confined space entry) and their own policies. Some OSHA State Plans have added rules for specific hazards.

Is this course approved for continuing education or accepted as required training?

No approval exists today. You receive a certificate of completion for 2 contact hours of instruction. This is awareness training, not OSHA Outreach (10- or 30-hour) training, and it does not replace site-specific training your employer must provide. Ask your employer whether it fits your training plan.

Who is this course for?

Anyone who works alone for all or part of a shift, including home visit staff, security officers, cleaners, delivery drivers, field service technicians and real estate agents, and the managers who plan and monitor their work.

Does it cover workplace violence prevention?

It covers the lone-worker side: assessing risk, situational awareness, basic de-escalation, leaving unsafe visits and check-in escalation. Our separate Workplace Violence Prevention course covers prevention programs, warning signs and active assailant response in depth.

How long does it take, and how do I get my certificate?

About 2 hours, including six modules, interactive practice, knowledge checks and a final assessment. Score 80% or higher on the 23-question final assessment to download your certificate of completion.

Will it tell me which lone-worker device to buy?

No. It explains the common features, limits and privacy considerations of lone-worker devices and apps so you can judge whether a product fits your hazard assessment. It does not endorse products.

This course is general education and training awareness from CE Courses Hub. It is not legal, medical or professional advice and does not replace your employer's policies, your licensing board's rules, or advice from a qualified professional. Completing it earns a certificate of completion for the stated contact hours; it is not approved or accredited by any licensing board, state agency or accreditor unless an approval is shown on the course page. Check with your board, employer or state agency whether this course meets your specific requirement.