HSE ADVISOR CANADA

Working Alone Procedure Template

This procedure sets out how to check on workers who are on their own where help is not readily available, including what happens when a check-in is missed. Alberta (OHS Code, Part 28, ss. 393–394) requires an effective communication system for a worker working alone, and British Columbia (OHSR, ss. 4.20.1–4.23) requires a written procedure for checking worker well-being. Saskatchewan (OHS Regulations, 2020, s. 3-24) and Manitoba (M.R. 217/2006, Part 9) also regulate working alone. Ontario has no general working-alone regulation.

How to use it. Complete Sections 1–6 once for your organisation, then use Section 7 daily. The escalation ladder in Section 4 is the part that saves someone — fill in real names and real timings, not placeholders.
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To fill in: Print and complete by hand, or use your browser's "Save as PDF" and fill the fields in any PDF editor.

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Working Alone Procedure

Written procedure · Canadian employers

HSE ADVISOR CANADA
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Employer / company:

Site or operation:

Prepared by:

Position:

Effective date:

Review date:

1. When this procedure applies

A worker is working alone when they are on their own at a work location and assistance is not readily available in the event of injury, ill health or emergency. This procedure applies to:

Common examples: after-hours or single-staff shifts, remote or field work, mobile service and delivery, night retail or reception, driving between sites, and work in areas with no cellular coverage.

Requirements differ by province. Confirm the current wording, including any task-specific rules, and record the provisions that apply to this operation:

Jurisdiction	Provision	Subject
Alberta	OHS Code, Part 28, ss. 393–394	Application; an effective communication system for any worker working alone.
British Columbia	OHSR, ss. 4.20.1–4.23	Written procedure for checking worker well-being (4.21), training (4.22), late-night retail (4.22.1), annual review (4.23).
Saskatchewan	OHS Regulations, 2020, s. 3-24	Working alone or at an isolated place of employment.
Manitoba	M.R. 217/2006, Part 9, ss. 9.1–9.3	Application, risk identification and safe work procedures.
Ontario	OHSA, s. 25(2)(h)	No general working-alone regulation; the employer’s general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances applies. Construction Projects, O. Reg. 213/91, ss. 225 and 246, require another worker above ground when work is done in a trench or in a shaft, tunnel, caisson or cofferdam.
Other jurisdiction

2. Hazard assessment

Complete one row per working-alone situation. The assessment drives the check-in interval — higher risk means shorter intervals.

Task / situation	Hazards present	Consequence if injured alone	Risk (L/M/H)	Controls	Check-in interval

Violence and public interaction assessed, including cash handling and late hours
Environmental exposure assessed — cold, heat, water, wildlife
Vehicle and travel risk assessed
Medical vulnerability considered where the worker has disclosed a relevant condition
Communication coverage confirmed for every location, not assumed
Tasks prohibited while alone identified and listed

3. Communication method

Requirement	What good looks like	Y / N / N-A	Evidence or gap
Primary method selected	Cell phone, satellite messenger, two-way radio, or monitored lone-worker device.
Coverage verified on site	Tested at the actual work location, not assumed from a coverage map.
Backup method available	A second method for when the primary fails or has no coverage.
Device charged and carried	On the person, not in the vehicle.
Panic or man-down function	Where the risk assessment calls for it, and tested.
Worker trained on the system	Including what to do if they cannot reach the contact.

Primary method: Backup:

Known no-coverage areas and the alternative used there:

4. Check-in system and escalation

Designated contact: Phone:

Backup contact: Phone:

Standard check-in interval: Final check-in at end of shift by:

Escalation when a check-in is missed — complete every row with a real name and a real elapsed time:

Step	Elapsed time	Action	Who does it
1		Attempt contact on primary method
2		Attempt backup method and any known site number
3		Contact supervisor and confirm last known location
4		Dispatch a person to the location
5		Contact emergency services with location and details

A check-in system with no escalation is not a check-in system. If nobody is required to act at a defined time after a missed call, a missed call means nothing. Name the person and the clock.

5. Before the shift starts

Worker knows the procedure and has been trained on the device
Itinerary or work location recorded with the designated contact
Expected finish time agreed
Vehicle checked and fuelled where travel is involved
First aid kit accessible and appropriate to the location
Weather and road conditions reviewed for remote or field work
Prohibited tasks confirmed — the worker knows what not to attempt alone

6. Training and review

Requirement	What good looks like	Y / N / N-A	Evidence or gap
Workers trained on this procedure	With dated records.
Designated contacts trained	Including the escalation ladder and how to reach emergency services with location detail.
System tested	Escalation tested periodically as a drill, not first used in a real event.
Procedure reviewed	At least annually and after any incident, near miss, or change in the work.
Worker consultation	JHSC or representative involved in the assessment and review.

7. Sign-off

Prepared by

Date

Reviewed by (management)

Date

Working Alone Procedure Template · HSE Advisor Canada · Free to use and adapt.

hseadvisor.ca · (647) 620-5278

Daily Working Alone Check-In Log

One sheet per shift · Keep with the designated contact

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Date:

Designated contact:

Backup contact:

Shift:

Workers alone this shift

Worker	Location / itinerary	Start	Interval	Expected finish	Contact method

Check-in record

Time due	Worker	Time received	By whom	Location update	Escalated? (Y/N)

Escalation events

Time	Worker	Step reached	Action taken	Outcome

Contact signature

Date

Supervisor signature

Date

Working Alone Check-In Log · HSE Advisor Canada · Free to use and adapt.

hseadvisor.ca · (647) 620-5278

Want help applying this?

Our consultants (CRSP Certified · COR & ISO 45001 Lead Auditors) can adapt this to your workplace or review your safety program with you.

(647) 620-5278 · info@hseadvisor.ca · hseadvisor.ca/contact

Working Alone Procedure Template · Version 1.1 · Reviewed October 2026 · HSE Advisor Canada. Free to use and adapt. General guidance, not legal advice.

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This resource is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm every requirement against the current regulation in your jurisdiction before relying on it.