Working Alone

Working Alone

Legislation: The Occupational Health and Safety Act, Ch. 0-2, RSA 2000

Camrose Public Library is required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act to ensure that employees required for working alone can do so safely.  The following policy outlines how the library will take steps to make staff working alone as safe as possible.

Definition

The Library considers an employee to be working alone if the employee is by himself or herself at a work site in circumstances where assistance is not readily available when needed. Examples of those who could be at risk from working alone include those who: work in sites isolated from public view, work by themselves without close or direct contact with co-workers,  travel alone or do hazardous work with no routine interaction with the public, travel away from base offices to meet clients, or handle cash.

Guidelines

  • The Library will identify, as part of a hazard assessment, the potential hazards of working alone and will take practical steps to eliminate or control the hazards.
  • The Library will, where practical, establish an effective means of communication appropriate to the hazards involved for employees to contact other people who can respond to the employee’s need. Alternatively, the employee will be visited by and will contact a competent worker or their employer at intervals appropriate to the nature of the hazards.
  • The Library will ensure employees are trained and made aware of the hazards of working alone and the preventative steps that can be taken to reduce or eliminate potential risks so they can perform their jobs safely.

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    Approval Date:  October 2013

    Amended: November 2016

    Revision/Review Date: November 2019

    Approval Signature: ______Elizabeth Luck________________________________________________

                                                            Original Signed by Camrose Public Library Board Chair