Health and Safety A-Z
Topic: Working Alone
Summary:
Working Alone is defined as working by oneself such that assistance is not readily available should an injury, illness, or emergency arise. Being alone is interpreted as being out of visual or verbal contact, and when contact cannot be expected from another person for more than an hour. It includes working in physical isolation, e.g., as the sole occupant of a building, a laboratory, or at a field work site, where no other person is in the vicinity (i.e., within limited range or earshot). It can occur during normal working hours as well as in the evening, overnight, or during weekends.
Working alone can increase the risk of injury and delay the response of emergency services should an incident occur, and as such should be eliminated whenever possible. Trent University acknowledges that there will be circumstances when working alone may occur to support operational activities and ongoing research, when it is safe to do so.
Some workplace activities are governed by laws and regulations which may prohibit working alone (i.e., confined space entry) and are expressly forbidden. However, for other activities where working alone does not pose a serious risk, cannot be avoided, and is required to support operational activities or ongoing research, the supervisor should conduct a risk assessment to determine the appropriateness of activities performed by workers when alone.
While it is not always hazardous to work alone, it can be when other circumstances are present. Whether a situation present a low, medium, or high risk will depend on the location, type of work, interaction with the public, or the consequences of an emergency, incident, injury, etc. This wide variety of circumstances makes it important to assess each situation individually.
Step 1: Review the Working Alone Safety Guidelines for a better understanding of the working alone program.
Step 2: Supervisors will conduct a risk assessment using the Working Alone Risk Assessment to identify any hazards involved and which safety protocols should be in place.
Step 3: Safe work practices for working alone should be developed and documented using the Working Alone Safety Plan. All individuals who are approved to work alone under low risk and moderate risk conditions must be trained on the safe work practices and check-in processes (if necessary), and sign an acknowledgement that they understand the Safety Plan and will follow the practices outlined within it.
Last Revised: April 4, 2025