Here is a short summary of Lone Worker Safety and everything you need to know in less than 3 mins!

1. Who is considered a lone worker?

 A lone worker is defined as someone who works alone without any direct supervision. Direct supervision means that a responsible person (the supervisor representing the employer) is observing, monitoring and improving the work performance and conditions of a dependent (the worker). Lone workers include both employees in remote locations and in areas of a workplace that are difficult to observe. The supervisor cannot rely on people outside the organization to ensure the safety of their workers. This means that an employee working alone in a retail store with customers, a real estate agent meeting a potential client or a utility worker fixing power cables near a busy road, fall into the category of a lone worker as the mere presence of people around the worker, doesn’t guarantee their safety and could even be a detriment to it.

2. What should you do to protect a lone worker?

Ensure that you implement a safety program that includes assessing the risks that your lone workers could be exposed to, using the hierarchy of controls to minimize the risks. OSHA requires you to “account for each employee throughout each shift at regular intervals appropriate to the job assignment to ensure the employee’s safety and health”. This means exercising some form of remote direct supervision is required. Fortunately current technology is available to monitor the safety status of your lone workers and alert you if safety becomes compromised or an incident occurs.

3. What could be the consequences of neglecting lone worker protection?

OSHA provides some good business cases on why you shouldn’t neglect lone worker protection. If an incident happens, depending on it’s type and severity, your employee might be off the job for a few days or even weeks. You will have to find a replacement, provide training and complete an incident report which demonstrates how it won’t happen again. Overall, workplace incidents often cause a company to experience decreased productivity, compensation costs and a negative reputation with the occupational health and safety authority. Moreover, your company will be less competitive, with higher costs and you could lose business and maybe even your job. Or worse, if the incident is highly serious the court could find you or your company’s negligence amounts to a wanton or reckless disregard for the lives and safety of others and could even be charged with a criminal offense.