HSE ADVISOR CANADA

Working Alone Procedure Template

A written working alone procedure with the part most procedures leave out: what happens when a check-in is missed. Structured around the requirements common to Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with a per-worker schedule you can run a shift from.

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.
To print: Click "Print" below → select Portrait orientation → enable Background graphics in print settings → Print.
To fill in: Print and complete by hand, or use your browser's "Save as PDF" and fill the fields in any PDF editor.

Want your working alone procedure reviewed?

HSE Advisor Canada is CRSP Certified, COR & ISO 45001 Lead Auditors. We will review what you have written, confirm it lines up with the requirements in your province, and help you close the gaps. The first conversation is free.

✆ (647) 620-5278 ✉ info@hseadvisor.ca → hseadvisor.ca/contact

Want our most-requested checklists by email?

This resource is free to read, print and use right here — no sign-up. We can also email you our most-requested free checklists and templates. The full library is always at Free HSE Resources.

We send occasional Canadian OHS updates. Unsubscribe any time.

Working Alone Procedure

Written procedure · Canadian employers

HSE ADVISOR CANADA
hseadvisor.ca

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.

Provincial requirements differ in wording but converge on the same duties: assess the hazards, put an effective means of communication in place, and check on the worker at intervals appropriate to the risk. Confirm the exact wording of the regulation that applies to you — and note that some jurisdictions prohibit working alone entirely for specific high-risk tasks such as confined space entry or energised electrical work.

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

HSE ADVISOR CANADA
hseadvisor.ca

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

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