Working Alone in Canada: What Safety Professionals Need to Apply Every Day
Working alone is more common than many people realize; a truck driver on an overnight route, a janitor cleaning after hours, or a retail clerk in a quiet shop all fit the definition of a lone worker. What makes this group unique are not their work tasks, but the absence of someone nearby who can help if things go wrong. In those moments, response time is everything.
This isn’t about fear, it’s about foresight. Lone worker safety requires employers and employees to analyze risks, evaluate controls, and apply procedures that make isolation less potentially dangerous.
Defining Lone Work: It’s More Than Just “By Yourself”
Canadian legislation frames lone workers as anyone in a situation where they cannot be seen or heard, cannot easily access help, or cannot expect help in a reasonable time frame.
That means lone workers aren’t limited to remote oilfield technicians or forest surveyors. They also include daycare staff working without other adults, receptionists in empty lobbies, or delivery drivers outside of regular hours. By applying this lens, employers can properly evaluate and implement the best policies and procedures to keep lone workers safe.
Legal Requirements Across Canada
Canada does not have specific federal laws that apply to lone workers. Instead, the duty of care and Bill C-45 applies nationwide, holding organizations responsible if safety is neglected. Most provinces except Ontario and Nova Scotia have specific lone worker regulations beyond the bare minimum duty of care.
Employers must apply provincial rules while also evaluating federal limits, such as prohibitions on working alone around live electrical equipment, confined spaces, or drowning hazards.
For safety professionals, this means comparing jurisdictional requirements, evaluating tasks against both federal and provincial restrictions, and creating systems that exceed these minimums.
Building the Safety Net: Roles and Responsibilities
Even if someone is physically alone, their employer cannot leave them unsupported. Safety programs must designate primary lone workers and secondary contacts who can respond if something goes wrong.
- Employees apply safe work procedures, use communication devices, and report hazards
- Supervisors monitor hazard controls, investigate incidents, and assign check-in intervals
- Managers develop emergency plans, test systems, and review incident reports
- Employers evaluate whether a job can safely be done alone at all
By clearly defining these roles, organizations create a structure where every check-in, device, and hazard report has accountability built-in.
Risk Assessment: From Theory to the Field
Working alone has the potential to magnify everyday hazards. A slip or sudden illness suddenly become more dangerous without immediate help. That’s why employers must go beyond hazard identification, they must evaluate severity, probability, and frequency using matrices such as those from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.
Field-level hazard assessments are especially critical. These on-site evaluations let workers interpret evolving risks in real time and apply appropriate controls, such as:
- Elimination: Assigning two workers for high-risk tasks instead of one
- Engineering Controls: Installing call buttons or physical barriers in retail settings
- Administrative Controls: Developing and testing lone worker check-in procedures
- PPE: Maintaining the last line of defence, but never treating it as the only one
Communication: The Lifeline
A robust communication plan is the backbone of lone worker safety. At minimum, workers must check in when changing locations, but higher-risk jobs require check-ins every two hours. Employers should analyze risk levels, then create written communication plans that specify:
- Contact intervals
- Primary and backup contacts
- Devices used (from smartphones to GPS-enabled automated systems)
- Emergency codes and response actions
The key is not just designing a plan but applying it consistently. A procedure ignored is no better than having none at all.
Personal Safety Practices
Best practices shift depending on the industry. In remote locations, satellite devices are non-negotiable. In retail, visibility and cash control reduce robbery risk. For home-based workers, employers should still provide check-in systems and hazard checklists.
Across all sectors, workers and supervisors must evaluate whether specific tasks are appropriate for a lone worker. Some activities such as confined space entry or working with high-voltage equipment simply cannot be made safe for one person.
Closing the Gap
Working alone doesn’t have to mean working unprotected. By analyzing risks, applying the hierarchy of controls, and creating structured communication systems, employers can meet their legal obligations while workers gain tools to act with confidence.
Lone worker safety isn’t just a policy, it’s a lifeline.
Ready to strengthen your lone worker program?
Equip your team with training that goes beyond compliance. Our Working Alone Canada course gives supervisors, managers, and workers the tools to evaluate hazards, apply controls, and communicate effectively, no matter where the job takes them.
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