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Risk Assessment Template: Tailored for Remote Lone Workers

Download our lone worker risk assessment, specifically remote lone workers such as rural surveyors, field services technicians and more.

What's inside?

Remote lone workers face conditions far more demanding than standard remote employees. These are individuals who operate far from urban centers and traditional workspaces—such as land surveyors, field technicians, environmental researchers, and others who routinely travel to isolated or unpredictable environments. Unlike work-from-home professionals, remote lone workers confront elevated risks including hazardous travel routes, isolation, extreme terrain, wildlife exposure, limited communication coverage, and persistent fatigue from long, demanding shifts.

This checklist was designed to help organizations proactively protect their remote workforce by addressing the realities of field-based work. It provides comprehensive environmental risk considerations, strategies for safer travel and isolation protocols, and practical guidance for preventing fatigue in remote settings. With this assessment template, you’ll equip teams with a structured way to identify hazards, strengthen decision-making, and ensure safer operations—no matter how far from headquarters the work takes place.

Worker wearing safety glasses and an orange vest wiping sweat from his forehead while looking tired.

Is Lone Working Suitable for Everyone?

Not all employees are suited for lone working. Some individuals may have medical conditions, vulnerabilities, or limited experience that make solo work unsafe. Employers should consider each person’s health, training, capability, and personal circumstances before approving them for lone working or determining whether additional support is needed.

How Often Should a Lone Worker Risk Assessment Be Reviewed?

Review frequency depends on the nature of the work, the level of risk, and any operational changes. As a general rule, assessments should be reviewed at least annually—or immediately when work environments, processes, or regulations change.

Are Lone Worker Risk Assessments a Legal Requirement?

In many regions, yes. Employers are legally required to identify and manage the risks associated with lone working to ensure employee health, safety, and well-being. Requirements may vary by jurisdiction, but risk assessments are considered a fundamental obligation.

Why Use SafetyIQ?

SafetyIQ’s Lone Worker Module replaces manual, reactive safety processes with a streamlined, automated, and proactive system—ensuring your workforce stays protected even in high-risk, isolated environments.

How SafetyIQ Protects Lone Workers

Users create a Lone Worker Activity with scheduled check-ins and an optional risk assessment. The automated approval workflow calculates the risk score, auto-approves low-risk activities, and escalates high-risk submissions to a supervisor.

Once approved, workers receive SMS and email reminders to check in at set intervals. If a check-in is missed, the escalation process immediately alerts managers so they can respond.

Benefits of Automated Approval

Real-time emergency response: Immediate escalation and notifications if a check-in is missed or an emergency occurs.
Satellite and GPS integration: Real-time location data ensures quick, accurate response during emergencies.
Data collection and reporting: Automatically captures check-ins, incidents, response times, and location data for compliance and continuous improvement.
Compliance and documentation: Provides reliable communication logs and incident records to meet regulatory requirements and support audits or investigations.