15 Personal Safety Tips for Lone Workers, Remote Employees & Office Teams

Workplace Personal Safety Tips for Lone, Remote, and On-Site Workers

Whether you're a lone worker, remote employee, or office-based team member, maintaining personal safety at work is essential. At SoloProtect, we’ve spent nearly 20 years helping organisations reduce risk and improve safety through lone worker safety technology and training. In this guide, we share 15 practical personal safety tips to help protect yourself and your team across different work environments.

But first, to add some context, it's worth considering the question: "What is personal safety?"...

What Does Personal Safety at Work Really Mean?

Personal safety has been defined by Suzy Lamplugh Trust as: "An individual’s ability to go about their everyday life free from the threat or fear of psychological, emotional or physical harm from others."

But, in a practical sense, it's an awareness (and proactive avoidance) of situations or people that could cause you harm.

Personal Safety Tips: Behavioural Awareness for Lone Workers

1. Trust your instincts

Remember your dynamic risk assessments and trust your instincts. If you feel uneasy about entering a building or carrying out a specific task, there’s probably a valid reason why. Either remove yourself from the situation or ensure you have personal safety support available should something happen.

2. Watch and listen

It’s important to always be aware of what’s going on around you. Try to avoid wearing headphones or walking along while looking at your phone. If you identify a potential risk early, you can take steps to avoid it.

3. Stay alert when meeting people alone

If you’re meeting someone alone, particularly if you haven’t met them before or they’re known to be high-risk, make sure someone knows where you are and place yourself between them and the door. This will give you an easier exit route if you need it.

4. Be theft aware

Try to avoid carrying valuables with you. If you do need to carry valuables, make sure they’re stored out of sight and if someone tries to grab your bag or your mobile phone, just let it go. Your personal safety is more important.

5. Slow down!

We all rush to get things done which can result in an increased risk of slips, trips, falls, car accidents or substandard dynamic risk assessments. Slow down and contact a colleague if you’re struggling.

Travel Safety Tips for Remote and Lone Workers

1. Have a plan

If you’re travelling between locations, make sure you’ve planned your route and think about any potential risks. You should also make sure you’re fully aware of your organisation’s health and safety policies and procedures they’re there to keep you safe.

2. Use well-lit routes

If you’re walking or cycling, stick to well-lit, popular routes even if they take longer and make sure you have appropriate reflective clothing for when it's dark.

3. Stay near to others

When travelling by public transport, it can sometimes be tempting to sit in the quietest spot. Sit in a place where there are other people around and know where the exits are.

4. Park wisely

Always try to park in a well-lit, accessible area, have your keys to hand when returning to your car and lock your car doors once inside.

5. Know where you are

Download an app such as what3words to your phone to ensure you can always pinpoint and communicate your exact location.

You can find more personal safety tips for travelling in our article: Tips for a safe, stress-free commute.

General Workplace Safety Tips for All Employees

1. Communicate

Make sure a colleague or family member knows what time you’re expected at work and what time you’re due home so they can raise an emergency alarm if you don’t turn up.

2. Be prepared

Ensure you are appropriately prepared for unpredictable weather conditions e.g. carry a torch when it’s dark, wear warm clothing in winter. Why not take a look at our article: Staying Safe When Working Alone at Night: Tips and Legal Responsibilities

3. Use a lone worker device or safety app

Use a SoloProtect lone worker device or personal safety application to ensure you can quickly call for help in an emergency. Our lone worker app and wearable devices let you raise a discreet alarm, access 24/7 monitoring, and share your location in real-time.

4. Display ICE details

Save In Case of Emergency contact details to your phone under "ICE". You could also display ICE details on your lock screen. This is particularly helpful for home workers, field staff, and anyone working without direct supervision.

5. Report incidents

Report any incidents to the police using 101 or use 999 for emergencies.

How Lone Worker Devices and Safety Apps Can Keep You Safe

Using a lone worker device or personal safety app is one of the most effective ways to protect yourself while working alone, remotely, or in high-risk environments. These tools provide a discreet, reliable way to call for help when a situation becomes unsafe.

SoloProtect’s range of lone worker safety devices includes features such as the Red Alert panic button, Man Down detection, and real-time GPS tracking. When activated, these features connect you to a 24/7 Monitoring Centre, where trained operators assess the situation and coordinate an emergency response — bypassing 999 queues to reach the relevant authorities faster.

A lone worker safety app, like the SoloProtect Mobile App, offers the same functionality via your smartphone, making it ideal for flexible workforces or those using BYOD (bring your own device) policies. These solutions empower workers to feel safer, respond faster in emergencies, and stay connected no matter where their job takes them.

How to Prevent Incidents with Risk Assessments and Safety Devices

Preventing workplace incidents starts with identifying and mitigating potential risks. A thorough lone worker risk assessment should evaluate job roles, environments, and the likelihood of harm, considering factors like working in isolation, exposure to the public, or dangerous equipment.

Once risks are identified, control measures should be implemented — and that’s where technology plays a key role. Equipping your team with lone worker alarms, dynamic risk assessment tools, and real-time communication apps ensures employees can recognise evolving hazards and respond proactively.

For example, SoloProtect’s Check-In feature allows users to record their location and planned activity, which supports dynamic risk assessments throughout the day. Combined with incident reporting and escalation protocols, this helps employers meet their duty of care while empowering staff to work with confidence.

Investing in safety technology doesn’t just reduce accidents — it enhances wellbeing, increases retention, and strengthens your organisation’s safety culture.

Safety Tips for Lone Workers Fact Sheet

You can also access Safety Tips for Lone Workers as a downloadable fact sheet. Just click the link and the pdf will download automatically. 

Learn More About Lone Worker Safety from SoloProtect

If you're looking to improve personal safety for your team, book a demo to explore how our lone worker safety solutions can help. From mobile apps to wearable personal alarms, we support safety across every job role.