The Working Alone provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation were enacted in February 2008 and amended in 2011 to protect the health and safety of workers who work alone or in isolation. WorkSafeBC has developed comprehensive implementation strategies for each of the new requirements.
The OHS Regulation applies to all workers in the province. As a result, if you own or manage a restaurant, coffee shop, fast-food outlet, hotel, pub, bar, private liquor store or any other hospitality business, you should sharpen your knowledge of the amendments to ensure compliance. Two regulations that are most relevant to the tourism and hospitality industry relate to working alone or in isolation, and working late at night (between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.), particularly on retail premises.
Effective February 1, 2011, the "late night hours" definition has been amended to the hours between 11:00pm and 6:00am; a late night retail premise is defined as a retail location that is open to the public during these hours.
The following occupations frequently require employees to work alone or in isolation:
- Retail employees
- Delivery drivers
- Ski hill groomers
- Cleaning and housekeeping staff
- Maintenance staff and custodians
- Security guards
- Bartenders
- Night Auditors
- Late night quick-serve attendants
The provisions included a requirement that, during late-night hours in a retail setting, you must ensure that your workers are protected against the hazard of violence either by assigning two workers or by ensuring that a lone worker is physically separated from the public by a locked door or a barrier. WorkSafeBC's Board of Directors has approved amendments to Part 4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, regarding a third option to protect workers assigned to work alone in late night retail premises. The amendments become effective April 15, 2012.
WorkSafeBC Regulations
WorkSafeBC defines the circumstances in which an employee is considered to be working alone or in isolation in the OHS Regulation:
4.20.1 Definition
In sections 4.20.2 to 4.23, "to work alone or in isolation" means to work in circumstances where assistance would not be readily available to the worker
(a) in case of an emergency, or
(b) in case the worker is injured or in ill health.
[Enacted by B.C. Reg. 318/2007, effective February 1, 2008.]
Source: http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part4.asp#SectionNumber:4.20.1
This section describes how an employer must understand all of the hazards associated with each position to ensure they can be reduced or controlled. This includes both the working environment and work procedures.
4.20.2 Hazard identification, elimination and control
(1) Before a worker is assigned to work alone or in isolation, the employer must identify any hazards to that worker.
(2) Before a worker starts a work assignment with a hazard identified under subsection (1), the employer must take measures
(a) to eliminate the hazard, and
(b) if it is not practicable to eliminate the hazard, to minimize the risk from the hazard.
(3) For purposes of subsection (2) (b), the employer must minimize the risk from the hazard to the lowest level practicable using engineering controls, administrative controls or a combination of engineering and administrative controls.
[Enacted by B.C. Reg. 318/2007, effective February 1, 2008.]
Source: http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part4.asp#SectionNumber:4.20.2
The OHS Regulation outlines the procedures you should follow for checking on the well-being of a worker who is working alone or in isolation:
4.21 Procedures for checking well-being of worker
(1) The employer must develop and implement a written procedure for checking the well-being of a worker assigned to work alone or in isolation.
(2) The procedure for checking a worker's well-being must include the time interval between checks and the procedure to follow in case the worker cannot be contacted, including provisions for emergency rescue.
(3) A person must be designated to establish contact with the worker at predetermined intervals and the results must be recorded by the person.
(4) In addition to checks at regular intervals, a check at the end of the work shift must be done.
(5) The procedure for checking a worker's well-being, including time intervals between the checks, must be developed in consultation with the joint committee or the worker health and safety representative, as applicable.
(6) Time intervals for checking a worker's well-being must be developed in consultation with the worker assigned to work alone or in isolation.
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 318/2007, effective February 1, 2008.]
Note: High risk activities require shorter time intervals between checks. The preferred method for checking is visual or two-way voice contact, but where such a system is not practicable, a one-way system which allows the worker to call or signal for help and which will send a call for help if the worker does not reset the device after a predetermined interval is acceptable.
Source: http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part4.asp#SectionNumber:4.21
The OHS Regulation also outlines the training requirement for staff who are working alone:
4.22 Training
A worker described in section 4.21(1) and any person assigned to check on the worker must be trained in the written procedure for checking the worker's well-being.
[Amended by B.C. Reg. 318/2007, effective February 1, 2008.]
Source: http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part4.asp#SectionNumber:4.22
The OHS Regulation specifies safety procedures and requirements for employees working alone at a late night retail premise:
Proposed amendmants for part 4.22.1 Working alone or in isolation
Source: http://www.worksafebc.com/regulation_and_policy/public_hearings/assets/pdf/2011PublicHearing/Part4.pdf
The OHS Regulation also outlines the training requirement for staff who are working alone:
4.23 Annual reviews of procedures
(a) a change in work arrangements which could adversely affect a worker's well-being or safety, or
(b) a report that the procedures are not working effectively.
[Enacted by B.C. Reg. 318/2007, effective February 1, 2008.]
Source: http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/OHSRegulation/Part4.asp#SectionNumber:4.23
Common-sense advice
In general, the following steps can help your business provide a safe environment for employees working alone or in isolation.
- Identify all positions that require staff to work alone.
- Understand all the hazards associated with each position to ensure they can be reduced or controlled. This includes both the working environment and work procedures.
- Repeat this hazard assessment on a regular basis, as hazards can change over time.
- Communicate this assessment to both management and employees.
- Train staff to be aware of their surroundings.
- In high-risk jobs, consider a mandatory policy that employees must work in pairs.
- Establish check-in procedures; employees can stay in touch through cell phones, radio, panic buttons or buddy systems. The frequency of checks will depend upon the hazards and risks identified.
To assist you in complying with the Working Alone provisions of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Regulation, click here for some explanatory guides and tools.
