Working alone in tree work: what the regulators say

This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. It sets out what regulators say about tree workers working alone or in isolation, and how they describe contact and check-in systems. The descriptions are in our own words and only the type of system a regulator names is given. All pages were read on October 8, 2026.

Great Britain

The HSE lone working page for tree work says many people in forestry spend part or all of the day working alone or at a distance from others, and that keeping in contact matters, especially if urgent help is needed. It says that if someone is injured and cannot call for help, there should be a "robust system" to maintain contact throughout the working day. It adds that the tree work sector has traditionally relied on informal contact with colleagues or family, often with no contact until the end of the day. The page lists five steps: define and identify lone working staff, define their risks, control the risks, write policy and guidelines around the controls, and implement and maintain the policy.

The HSE aerial work page separately says at least two people must be present during all aerial work, and that one of the ground team must be available, competent and equipped to do an aerial rescue without delay.

New South Wales, Australia

The SafeWork NSW code of practice Tree works, which commenced on March 27, 2026, speaks to working alone in three places. Its section on emergency planning says emergency plans should ensure tree workers do not work alone. Its chainsaw part says chainsaw use should be avoided when working alone wherever reasonably practicable, and that if working alone is unavoidable a communication system should be in place, with regular check-in calls, radios or alarms given as examples, and the worker should have access to first aid. Its section 13.3 on remote or isolated work, tied to section 48 of the WHS Regulation, says businesses must manage the risks of remote or isolated work. It describes isolated work as a worker physically separated from the team who may have limited access to help. It says communication methods are agreed before work starts and chosen for site conditions such as noise and weather, that workers on isolated tasks do not work alone wherever reasonably practicable, and that where risks cannot be eliminated they are minimised through continuous communication, communication equipment such as radios and phones, and clear protocols for routine check-ins and emergency contact.

Credit: the code states that it is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence except for material it marks otherwise. Our text above is a restatement.

British Columbia and Alberta, Canada

The WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation Part 4 defines working alone or in isolation as work where assistance would not be readily available in an emergency or if the worker is injured or ill. Section 4.20.2 has the employer identify the hazards to that worker first, eliminate them, and where that is not practicable minimise the risk with engineering or administrative controls. Section 4.21 requires a written procedure for checking the worker's well-being. The procedure includes the time interval between checks and what to do if the worker cannot be contacted, including emergency rescue. A person is designated to make contact at set intervals and record the result, and there is a check at the end of the shift. Intervals are set in consultation with the worker and the joint committee or worker representative. A note on that section says high-risk activities need shorter intervals, that visual or two-way voice contact is preferred, and that a one-way system is acceptable where nothing better is practicable: a worker can call or signal for help, and the system sends a call for help if the worker does not reset the device after a set interval. Section 4.22 says the worker and anyone assigned to check on the worker are trained in the procedure.

Alberta's OHS Code Part 28 applies when a worker works alone and help is not readily available in an emergency or if the worker is hurt or ill, and treats working alone as a hazard for the hazard assessment rules. Section 394 has the employer provide an effective communication system, by radio, landline or cellular telephone, or other electronic means, with regular contact by the employer or a designate at intervals suited to the hazard. If electronic communication is not practicable, the employer or designate visits the worker, or the worker contacts the employer or designate at those intervals.

New Zealand

WorkSafe New Zealand's Approved Code of Practice for Safety and Health in Arboriculture says tree work requiring an arborist to climb above three metres has a second person on site trained in aerial rescue with rescue equipment and procedures in place. It says no person should work alone aloft or with a chainsaw, and that visual or voice contact is kept with another person able to assist or get help in an emergency. For a worker on their own in other circumstances, it says the employer manages the worker's presence and welfare so the worker has access to suitable communication at all times. WorkSafe's page says the code has not been updated for the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.

United States and Ireland

The OSHA tree care standards page lists no standard on working alone. The line-clearance standard, 29 CFR 1910.269 on OSHA's site, speaks to first aid for field work with two or more employees at a location: at least two trained persons are available, though for line-clearance trimmers who are not qualified employees one trained person is enough if all new employees are trained in first aid within 3 months of hire.

The Health and Safety Authority in Ireland has a lone workers page on its site. It names agricultural and forestry workers among lone workers and says nothing in general legislation prohibits a person from working alone. It says section 19 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires the employer to do a risk assessment, and that the assessment determines whether an employee may work alone. If the assessment shows the work cannot be done safely by a lone worker, the page says arrangements for providing help or backup should be put in place. The page sets out no rule written for tree work, so none is reported for Ireland here.

At a glance

Where	What the text names
Great Britain, HSE	A robust system to maintain contact through the day; two people for aerial work
New South Wales, code of practice	Check-in calls, radios or alarms; avoid chainsaw use alone where reasonably practicable
British Columbia	Written check procedure with set intervals, a designated person, an end-of-shift check
Alberta	Radio, telephone or other electronic contact at intervals, or visits
New Zealand	No one alone aloft or with a chainsaw; visual or voice contact with a person able to help