Course and certificate
Lone Working Awareness
For anyone in the UK who works alone or without close supervision, and for the managers who look after them: shop and petrol station staff, security and cleaning staff, carers and other home visitors, engineers, delivery drivers and home workers. Eight short lessons in plain English explain what lone working is and what the law says, risk assessment, work that should not be done alone, check-ins and alarm devices, violence and aggression, health and wellbeing, home, mobile and driving work, and emergencies, training and your own duties, followed by a 25-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Languages
- English, Български, Español, Italiano, Polski, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 3 years
- Content updated
- 29 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- £12.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Shop, petrol station, leisure centre and warehouse staff who work on their own
- Security staff, cleaners, caretakers and maintenance workers on early or late shifts
- Carers, nurses, engineers, estate agents and other staff who visit homes or sites alone
- Delivery drivers, couriers, gig-economy workers and other people who work on the road
- Home workers and people who work from home some or all of the week
- Managers and supervisors who are responsible for staff working alone
02Syllabus
- 01What lone working is and what the law says
- 02Assessing the risks of working alone
- 03Work that should not be done alone
- 04Keeping in touch: check-ins, devices and monitoring
- 05Violence and aggression towards lone workers
- 06Health, wellbeing and who can work alone
- 07Home workers, mobile workers and driving
- 08Emergencies, training and your own duties
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- HSE INDG73
- MHSWR 1999
- Confined Spaces Regs 1997
- GOV.UK mobile phone law
- Electricity at Work Regs 1989
- HSE driving at work
06Questions
Is lone working training a legal requirement?
The law does not name a particular course. The Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require employers to assess the risks to their workers, including lone workers, and to give the information, instruction, training and supervision they need. HSE's leaflet INDG73 explains what that means for people who work alone.
Is this certificate accredited?
No. It is a certificate of completion: it shows you finished this general lone working awareness course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification, and your employer decides whether this training meets their needs.
Does this course replace the training my employer must give me?
No. It teaches the general rules that apply in any UK workplace. Your employer must still carry out the risk assessment for your job, set up and test the check-in and emergency arrangements, train you on your workplace, equipment, alarm devices and first aid where needed, set the limits on what you may do alone and support you after any incident. This course also does not teach de-escalation or personal-safety techniques in practice, and it does not qualify you for work that the law sets special conditions for, such as entering a confined space or working near live electricity.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about an hour. You can stop and come back at any time on the same device.
What if I fail the test?
Nothing is charged. You see which lessons to read again and can retake the test as often as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: £12 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How does my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. Scanning it, or entering the number on our check page, shows your name, the course and the date you passed.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no expiry date. Refresher training about every three years is common practice, so the certificate shows a renewal date three years after you pass.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.