Working alone

A buyer of a retail, convenience or cleaning business meets the term when staff work single-person shifts. Both provinces tie the rule to help not being readily available. The wider duties sit in What employment liabilities do I inherit when I buy a business?.

Alberta

Section 393 of the OHS Code applies if a worker is working alone at a work site and assistance is not readily available in an emergency or if the worker is injured or ill, and treats working alone as a hazard for Part 2. Section 394 requires the employer to provide an effective communication system with regular contact at intervals suited to the hazard, or, where that is not practicable, a visit or contact by the worker at such intervals.

British Columbia

Section 4.20.2 of the OHS Regulation requires the employer to identify hazards before assigning a worker to work alone or in isolation. Section 4.21 requires a written procedure for checking the worker’s well-being, including the interval between checks and what to do if the worker cannot be contacted. Section 4.22.1 adds provisions for late night retail premises. This entry covers Alberta and British Columbia only.

What to ask

• Which shifts or sites have one person
• The written check-in procedure and its records
• The hazard assessment for those shifts