Lone working in Germany: risk assessment, emergency calls and lone worker alarms
Night shift in the warehouse, maintenance in the plant room, a patrol across the site: anyone who works alone must get help quickly in an emergency. How employers assess and safeguard lone working.
Last updated on 7 min readAMS Go editorial team
Key points at a glance
- Lone working is not prohibited in principle. However, the employer must check in the risk assessment which hazards exist and how help arrives in an emergency (Sections 5 and 10 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act).
- If one person carries out dangerous work alone, Section 8(2) of DGUV Regulation 1 requires additional technical or organisational measures to protect that person.
- A proven approach is to classify work into the hazard levels low, increased and critical – depending on how severe injuries could be and whether the person can still act afterwards.
- Depending on the level, a phone and agreed checks are enough, or a lone worker alarm system under DGUV Rule 112-139 is needed. With critical hazards, it must be checked whether the work may be done alone at all.
What counts as lone working?
Lone working means that a person works out of sight and earshot of others – and therefore cannot expect anyone to notice and help in an emergency. This can be permanent, for example for a night watch, or temporary, for example during weekend maintenance. Typical examples:
- Shift and night work in warehouses, production or control rooms
- Maintenance and troubleshooting in remote parts of a plant
- Field service, work on the site or at customers' premises
- Caretaking, cleaning and patrols outside core hours
Is lone working allowed?
There is no general ban. However, under Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG) the employer must assess the hazards, and under Section 10 ensure that first aid and emergency measures work – even when nobody is nearby.
For dangerous work, DGUV Regulation 1 is more specific: if one person carries out dangerous work alone, the employer must provide suitable technical or organisational personal protection measures in addition to the general protective measures (Section 8(2)). Work is dangerous if there is an increased or critical hazard.
Hazard levels: low, increased, critical
DGUV Information 212-139 “Emergency call options for people working alone” recommends assigning tasks in the risk assessment to one of three levels:
Low
Possible injuriesminor injuries
In an emergencyThe person remains able to act and can get help themselves.
Increased
Possible injuriessignificant injuries
In an emergencyThe person is only partly able to act.
Critical
Possible injuriesparticularly severe injuries
In an emergencyThe person is no longer able to act.
Which level applies depends on the task, work equipment, environment and accessibility of the workplace. How quickly helpers can be on site is part of it too.
Risk assessments in AMS GoAssess lone working as a separate task, document the hazard level and emergency arrangements and track measures with deadlines in the action plan.How is lone working safeguarded?
First, the hazards themselves are reduced as far as possible – technical and organisational measures come first. Then it is defined how an emergency is detected and help is alerted:
- Organisational: schedule high-risk work for times when other people are present; agree fixed check-in calls or patrols
- Reporting devices: a phone or radio within reach that the person can use to call for help themselves – suitable for low hazards
- Lone worker alarm systems (Personen-Notsignal-Anlagen, PNA): devices that trigger an alarm even when the person can no longer react, for example on a change of position or lack of movement
- Second person: when the hazard is so high that help must be on hand immediately
Emergency chain: from alarm to help
An alarm signal is only useful if it is clear who receives it and what happens next. For every form of lone working, it should therefore be defined:
- 1
Who receives the alarm?
A permanently staffed point – such as the gatehouse, a control room or a contracted service provider.
- 2
How is the location determined?
Via work area, route or a location function, so helpers find the person quickly.
- 3
Who helps on site?
First aiders with access to the work area, keys and directions; the emergency services if needed.
- 4
How is it practised?
Test the alarm chain regularly and instruct employees.
Checklist: lone working
- Lone working places and times identified
- Hazard level defined for each task
- Work that must not be done alone excluded
- Emergency call option suitable for the level available
- Alarm reception and emergency chain defined
- Employees instructed, alarm devices tested
- Arrangements documented in the risk assessment
Free templates for this guide
As PDF and Excel, free – to use in your own company.
Frequently asked questions
Is lone working prohibited by law?
No. It is permitted if the risk assessment allows it and emergency measures are in place. For certain dangerous tasks, however, the rules require a second person.
What is a lone worker alarm system?
A system of a portable device and a receiving point that triggers an alarm deliberately at the push of a button or automatically – for example if the person stops moving or falls. The requirements are set out in DGUV Rule 112-139.
Is a mobile phone enough for lone working?
With low hazards, a phone can be enough as a reporting device if the person can still act afterwards and has reception. With increased hazards this is usually not enough, because the person may no longer be able to call in an emergency.
Who decides whether work may be done alone?
The employer, based on the risk assessment and advised by the occupational safety specialist and the company doctor. If there is a works council, it must be involved.
Terms from the glossary
This guide gives a general overview of German occupational safety law and does not replace legal advice. The regulations in force and the rules of the statutory accident insurance institutions are authoritative.
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