What does PET mean in lone working?

PET is a simple model used to categorise the risks lone workers face, standing for People, Environment, and Task.

• People risk - aggression or unpredictable behaviour from members of the public, clients, or patients.
• Environment risk - isolated locations, poor mobile signal, unfamiliar buildings, or unsafe physical conditions.
• Task risk - the specific activity itself, such as manual handling, travelling between sites, or working with equipment alone.

Employers use the PET model to structure a lone worker risk assessment, making sure all three angles are covered rather than focusing on just one - and a lone working risk assessment is a legal requirement, not simply good practice. Our lone worker training covers this framework in full, with a dedicated version for housing and community teams carrying out lone home visits.