There is no specific legal prohibition on working alone, but the general legal duties of employers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004) still apply. Establishing safe working conditions for lone workers is no different from organising the safety of other employees.

What should you have by law if you lone work?

Employees should have access to first-aid equipment, and mobile workers should carry a small first-aid kit suitable for treating minor injuries. Risk assessment may also indicate the lone employees be given first aid training. Some employers will have in place systems to trigger emergency alarms.

Is it illegal to work alone in Ontario?

Does Ontario have a “working alone” regulation? Ontario does not have a specific regulation concerned with “working alone” although the Regulation for Industrial Establishments specifies a minimum number of workers for some hazardous work such as working on live electrical conductors.

Is it against the law to lone work?

There is no general legal prohibition on working alone. However, under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers have legal duties to assess all risks to health and safety, including the risk of lone working.

There is no specific legal prohibition on working alone, but the general legal duties of employers under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (2004) still apply. “An employer shall provide and maintain so far as is reasonably practicable for employees a working environment that is safe and without risks to health.” [Section 21 (1)]

When is it too dangerous to work alone?

Employers have a duty of care to protect their employees from harm. In some environments, no matter how stringent the risk assessment or safety measures put in place, the risk is too great to allow for lone working. So when is working alone not okay?

Is it safe for lone workers to work?

Establishing safe working conditions for lone workers is no different from organising the safety of other employees. Employers should identify the hazards of the work, assess the risks involved, and implement changes to the workplace and safe working arrangements to ensure the risks are either eliminated or adequately controlled.

Why are there regulations for working alone at night?

The requirements are aimed at improving safety for employees who work alone, in isolation, and during late night hours. The call for improved conditions for people working alone followed the tragic 2005 death in Maple Ridge of late night gas attendant Grant De Patie. The requirement applies to all workers in the province.