What BS 8484 is
BS 8484 is the British Standard code of practice for the provision of lone worker services. The current edition, BS 8484:2022, was published on 31 March 2022 and supersedes the 2016 edition. BSI describes it as giving recommendations for lone worker services, covering lone worker devices and applications, monitoring, training, management information and response options. As a code of practice it is a set of recommendations, not a law. No statute requires you to buy a BS 8484 service, though some customers, insurers and tenders ask for one.
The standard is aimed at the people who provide services: the supplier is assessed by a certification body against it, and an employer buying a certified service gets an independent check on how that supplier operates.
How ARCs, BS 9518, BS 5979 and EN 50518 relate
An alarm receiving centre (ARC) is a staffed centre that receives alarm signals and decides what to do about them. In the 2009 and 2016 editions of BS 8484, ARC requirements sat in the standard itself. In the 2022 edition, according to the certification body NSI, all monitoring for lone worker services must be done by an ARC conforming to BS 9518, together with a conforming ARC standard such as BS 5979 or BS EN 50518.
In short: BS 8484 says what a lone worker service should do; BS 9518 deals with how the ARC handles the alarm signals; BS 5979 and EN 50518 are the standards the ARC building and operation are certified against. Suppliers' own accreditation pages list the combination they hold.
How police response works
Police attendance to a lone worker alarm does not usually come from an ordinary 999 call by the employer. Under the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) security systems policy, accredited ARCs can be granted a unique reference number (URN) by police forces, so that a verified urgent alarm can be passed on for police response. Eligibility depends on the service being independently certified to BS 8484. The policy is published on the Secured by Design and Police Security Systems sites, and it is revised regularly, so check the current version for the conditions and fees.
NALW does not hold, apply for or use a URN and cannot ask police to attend.
Side by side
| Feature | Check-in and escalation software (NALW) | Monitored alarm service (device or app + ARC) |
|---|---|---|
| Monitoring approach | Scheduled welfare checks. Silence triggers follow-up. SOS and HELP keywords for immediate alerts. | Worker raises an alarm (button, or detected event on some devices); the ARC receives it. |
| Who responds | The contacts your organisation nominates, in your chosen order, then the account owner. | ARC operators, who contact the worker and your named contacts and, where permitted, the emergency services. |
| Devices | None. Works on ordinary mobiles. | Dedicated device, or a smartphone app, depending on supplier. |
| App needed | No. SMS, email or web link. | Often yes for app-based services; none for some devices. |
| Accreditation | None claimed. Not BS 8484, not an ARC. | Certified BS 8484 services exist, using ARCs certified to the related standards. |
| Escalation | Reminder, AI voice call from Zoe, then your contacts and the account owner. Fixed intervals. | ARC procedures agreed with the customer; supplier-defined. |
| Emergency response | Does not contact emergency services. Your contacts decide; 999 for emergencies. | Can pass urgent alarms to police under a URN where the service qualifies. |
| What triggers it | Missed check, SOS or HELP, overdue shift, distress reply. | Worker action or device event. |
| Location | Last-known position at check-in or SOS. Not live tracking. | Varies: many devices report live position when an alarm is raised. |
| Record | Full log of messages, calls, acknowledgements. | Supplier-held call and incident records. |
| Price model | Fixed monthly plans: Lite from £49 a month for up to 3 workers. See pricing. | Suppliers we checked do not publish prices and quote on request. |
We have not published typical price ranges for alarm services because the providers we checked give none on their public sites.
When each fits
A device and ARC service is usually the first thing to consider when:
- the work carries a realistic risk of violence, abduction or sudden serious injury;
- a worker may be unable to respond to a message or call, so an immediate, human-handled alarm matters;
- a fast emergency-service response is the main control you are relying on;
- a client, contract or insurer asks for a BS 8484 service.
Check-in software tends to fit when:
- the concern is that a worker falls ill, has an accident, is delayed or goes missing and nobody notices;
- there are managers or colleagues who can act when called;
- you have many lone workers on lower-risk work and need something simple to roll out;
- you want a clear audit trail of welfare checks and follow-up.
Both together
Both together can be reasonable: devices for the few roles flagged high risk, check-ins for everything else. HSE's guidance is that supervision should follow the risk assessment: the higher the risk, the more supervision is needed.
A different model, not the same for less
It would be easy to say NALW does the same job for a lower price. It does not. An ARC provides a continuously staffed point that receives alarms and can pass them on to the police. NALW provides automation: it ensures a missed check is followed up in a consistent order, quickly, and recorded. For many teams that is exactly what is missing. For others it is not enough. The standards page sets out what NALW does and does not provide, and the BS 8484 explainer goes further into the standard.
Whichever you choose, your organisation remains responsible for the risk assessment, for choosing and briefing contacts, and for telling workers what the system does. 999 is the number for an emergency. See How it works, the monitoring overview and the lone-working policy template.
Frequently asked questions
Is check-in software compliant with BS 8484?
No. BS 8484 is a standard for lone worker services including devices, applications and ARC monitoring. NALW does not claim it and is not an ARC.
Is BS 8484 a legal requirement?
No. It is a code of practice. The legal duty is to assess and manage the risk. Some customers and insurers may require it.
Can NALW get police to attend?
No. Contacts you nominate decide what to do, and anyone who believes someone is in danger should call 999.
Can I use both a device service and NALW?
Yes. Some employers use alarms for higher-risk roles and scheduled check-ins for routine welfare.
Which is cheaper?
NALW plans are published and fixed. Device and ARC services quote on request, so compare the full cost including devices and airtime, and what each control would do for your actual risks.
Sources
- BSI, BS 8484:2022 Provision of lone worker services. Code of practice
- NSI, Publication of BS 8484:2022
- NPCC security systems policy, via Secured by Design and Police Security Systems; NSI summary, 2024 NPCC release
- HSE, Training, supervision and monitoring