BS 8484:2022 is the British Standard code of practice for the provision of lone worker services. It sets the requirements a supplier of lone worker devices, apps and monitoring must meet, and it is the benchmark that lets an alarm receiving centre request a fast-tracked police response to a lone worker alarm. The 2022 edition took effect on 31 March 2022.
What the standard covers
BS 8484 audits the whole service, from the company behind it to the way an alarm reaches a human who can act. A supplier cannot pass by having good hardware alone.
| Area | What is checked |
|---|---|
| Supplier organisation | Financial standing, insurance and staff screening to BS 7858 |
| Device or app | How alerts are raised and delivered, over data connections as well as voice calls |
| Monitoring | A 24/7 alarm receiving centre (ARC) operating to BS 9518 |
| Scope of protection | Lone workers, pairs, small groups and home workers |
The solutions guide covers what each part of a service looks like in practice, from dedicated devices to smartphone apps and the monitoring centres behind them.
Why it matters
The practical consequence of the standard is police response. An ARC audited to the standards above holds unique reference numbers (URNs) issued by police forces. When an operator confirms a genuine emergency, they contact the force control room directly, quote the URN, and request a Level 1 response, the highest priority. Alarms from unaudited services take the ordinary route: a 999 call in a queue with every other caller.
That difference is why the standard has become the default procurement requirement for lone worker services in the UK, in the public sector and beyond. It is also a shortcut for buyers. An audit that covers the supplier's finances, its people and its monitoring capability answers most of the due diligence questions a tender would otherwise ask one by one. Who has passed it is a matter of record: see the accredited companies directory.
Editions of BS 8484
The standard has been revised as the technology and the market matured. The first edition appeared in 2009, when lone worker services meant dedicated hardware and voice calls. Revisions followed in 2011 and 2016, and the current edition, BS 8484:2022, took effect on 31 March 2022, superseding both earlier versions. Anything written against the 2016 edition should be read with care, because the 2022 revision moved some significant furniture.
What changed in 2022
Four changes matter for anyone comparing services today:
- Alerts may travel as data calls as well as traditional voice calls. This is what lets modern app-based services and data-first devices qualify.
- The detailed ARC requirements moved out of BS 8484 into BS 9518, the standard for alarm receiving centres handling police-response alarms. A compliant service now points at two standards where older guides mention one.
- The scope widened beyond people who are strictly alone. Pairs, small groups and home workers are now explicitly covered.
- Staff screening for the supplier's own people aligns with BS 7858, the security screening standard.
Is BS 8484 a legal requirement?
No. The standard is voluntary. The legal duties around lone working come from elsewhere: the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, covered on the legal responsibilities page. An employer can meet those duties without ever buying an audited service.
Note: Voluntary does not mean optional in practice. Where a risk assessment concludes that workers need a monitored alarm, only a BS 8484-audited service brings the URN police response with it. Most buyers treat the standard as a requirement for that reason, and many tenders state it outright.
How suppliers are audited
Suppliers are audited against the standard by independent certification bodies, including BSI, the National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and SSAIB. The audit examines the areas in the table above, and accreditation applies to the specific services audited rather than to everything a company sells. When comparing suppliers, check which parts of the offer the accreditation covers: the device, the app, the monitoring, or all of them. Who needs the certification, and for which roles, is covered in who needs BS 8484 certification.
In this guide
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What is lone working
The definition, who counts as a lone worker, and employers' duties.
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Lone worker solutions
Devices, apps and alarm monitoring compared.
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Who needs certification
Industries, roles and what buyers should ask for.
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Risk assessment
The five-step HSE method applied to lone working.
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Lone worker policy
What to write down, with a free template.
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Accredited companies
The directory of suppliers audited under the standard.