By: John Shermack, OSSA Consultant, Thunder Bay
"Working Alone" is a workplace hazard in which an employee works on their own, can not be seen or heard by another person and can not expect regular visits from co-workers or the general public. It could be a worker isolated at a distant work site or someone located in a remote part of a large facility. It might be someone working after hours in a workplace that is normally very busy and in plain view. All of these situations must be considered carefully to ensure that employees are adequately protected.
Employees who work alone can be grouped into five broad categories.
Working alone is not, in itself, a dangerous activity. It depends on circumstances such as location, the type of work and the amount of interaction with the public. Each situation must be assessed individually to determine the level of risk.
Best practices for employees working alone are similar to those for any health and safety program.
Some best practices are common to all situations where an employee must work alone. Other situations may require specific and unique solutions such as rearranging work schedules or establishing check-in procedures. Assistance is readily available through trade associations and health and safety professionals in your area, local police stations and security companies.
The first step to make workplaces safer for employees working alone is to complete a hazard assessment. A work site hazard assessment is a common sense look at the workplace to identify existing and potential hazards. Employers need to review records of past incidents and identify corrective measures or actions to prevent recurrence. Factors to consider include emergency communication procedures, location of the work site, the nature of the job, and the length of time the worker will be alone.
There are other steps employers can take to protect employees such as conducing incident investigations, training and educating employees, developing and implementing effective policies and procedures, including emergency preparedness procedures. And, on occasion, it may even be possible to eliminate the need for working alone through creative scheduling and administrative controls.
Here are some useful resources from OSSA which will help you address this hazard in the workplace.
Additional information can be found at the following Web sites:
If you require assistance from a health and safety professional, contact your regional OSSA consultant. You can locate your regional consultant on this Web site. Just go to Find A Consultant.
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