Is lone working illegal in the UK?

No - lone working is entirely legal in the UK. There's no law preventing staff from working alone.

What the law does require is that employers assess and manage the risks before allowing it, under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. A small number of high-risk tasks - such as confined-space entry or work near exposed live electricity - are restricted for solo workers regardless of the assessment. Outside those specific cases, lone working is lawful provided the employer has properly assessed and controlled the risk.

Our lone worker training courses help organisations meet that duty of care, including sector-specific guidance for transport staff working alone.