Understanding Canadian Work Alone Monitoring Legislation

In Canada, lone worker legislation isn’t consistent from coast to coast. Not all provinces have enacted legislation regarding an employer’s responsibility toward their lone workers, and the ones that did put measures in place have slightly different regulations. To add to the confusion, work alone monitoring regulations also exist on a federal level — but only in the more general “duty of care” sense.

Confused? You’re not alone. Many employers are unaware of their lone worker legal responsibilities, so to help you navigate the complex rules and regulations, here’s a basic breakdown:

Provincial Legislation

The following provinces have specific provisions regulating lone workers. Their individual regulations vary, but in general, each of these jurisdictions requires employers to a) conduct a hazard assessment and b) take measures to either eliminate the hazards or minimize the risks associated with them.

• British Columbia
• Alberta
• Saskatchewan (see section 35)
• Manitoba
• Quebec (see section 322)
• Newfoundland / Labrador (see section 15)
• New Brunswick
• PEI
• Northwest Territories/Nunavut

The jurisdictions that don’t have specific laws pertaining to working alone (Ontario, Nova Scotia, Yukon) do specify a legal minimum number of workers for some hazardous working situations. For example, when people are working on live electrical conductors, using a self-contained breathing apparatus, operating a chainsaw, or where an employee might become trapped by material.

Beyond that, from Part II of the Canada Labour Code we have a very significant piece of Canadian legislation: The General Duty Clause. This general duty clause along with their respective Health and Safety Acts that require employers to ensure the health and safety of their workers.

Federal Legislation

In Canada, while there are no specific federal laws mandating lone worker monitoring, The Westray Bill (Bill C-45) addresses employer responsibilities and applies to the Code of Liabilities for Corporations. Introduced in 2004, this amendment to the Canadian Criminal Code imposes strict penalties for workplace health and safety violations resulting in injury or death. Non-compliance with Work Alone Regulations may lead to higher WCB premiums, fines, legal actions, or even criminal charges for the responsible organization or individual. Another federal law is Part II of the Canada Labour Code. While both the Canada Labour Code and the Westray Bill are integral to Canada’s occupational health and safety framework, the Westray Bill tends to only be used in incidents of gross negligence. It is the Canada Labour Code that is more frequently referenced and utilized in legal proceedings related to workplace incidents in a federal jurisdiction.

What happens if you don’t comply with lone worker regulations?

The financial and legal repercussions of not having lone worker monitoring systems in place can be enormous. In addition to the moral repercussions of having placed their employees in harm’s way, employers could face increased WCB premiums, hefty fines, legal action, or even criminal charges.

How does OK Alone’s work alone monitoring service meet lone worker regulations?

OK Alone’s simple (yet extensive) monitoring and reporting systems meet even the most stringent lone worker regulations:

• Templates and guides that ensure your safety procedures are written down and followed.
• Detailed alerts with important contact information and step-by-step instructions for what to do.
• Flexible check-in procedures ranging from 10 minutes to 24 hours.
• Unique escalation procedures for each member of your team.
• Optional 24/7/365 live monitoring to ensure your staff members are always protected.

Want to experience how Ok Alone’s work alone safety monitoring system can protect your workers and your business? Sign up for a free 7-day trial.  

Wondering how much a professional work alone monitoring system costs?  Get your personalised quote here