Working Alone or in Isolation: Check-In Systems and Training Under OHSR Part 4

Implement lone-worker procedures and escalation systems aligned to BC requirements.

WorkSafeBC’s working alone guidance emphasizes employers must have procedures to ensure the well-being of workers working alone or in isolation, and workers must be able to get assistance if injured or in an emergency. OHSR Part 4 includes requirements for written procedures, check-in intervals, and escalation steps when contact fails.

A workable system is designed around failure scenarios: injury, medical emergency, violence threat. Define the check-in method (call/text/app), backup methods, who monitors, escalation steps, and response time expectations. Integrate with violence prevention (cash-handling decisions, staffing, barriers), and verify the check-in system through periodic tests and documented failures/corrective actions.

• Actionable takeaways

  Write lone-worker procedures with clear intervals and escalation; test check-in systems regularly; integrate lone work into violence and emergency response planning.