Working Alone in Quebec: What the Act and the RSST Require

In Quebec, working alone is allowed, but the employer must protect the worker and, in isolated places, organize an effective way of monitoring them. This guide explains which texts apply and what employers should put in place.

Which rules apply in Quebec?

Employers under provincial jurisdiction follow the Act respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1, known in French as the LSST) and the Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1, r. 13, known as the RSST). The regulator is the CNESST. Federally regulated businesses in Quebec follow the Canada Labour Code instead.

Is working alone allowed?

Yes. Working alone is not prohibited in general. Under section 51 of the Act, however, the employer must take the necessary measures to protect the health and ensure the safety and physical and psychological well-being of workers. This includes, among other things, organizing work and procedures safely, using methods to identify, control and eliminate risks, informing workers about the risks, and protecting workers exposed to physical or psychological violence.

Section 322 of the RSST: monitoring isolated lone workers

Section 322 of the RSST, in the division on high-risk tasks, deals with lone work. It requires an effective surveillance method when a worker performs work alone in an isolated place. Note that this rule is in the regulation (RSST), not in the Act itself.

In practice, the employer must define how the worker will be monitored: who checks, how often, by what means, and what happens if the worker does not respond.

Prevention program

Sections 58 and 59 of the Act require a prevention program whose purpose is to eliminate risks at the source. Lone work situations, and the measures chosen to control them, belong in that program.

Can a worker refuse dangerous work?

Section 12 of the Act gives workers the right to refuse work if they have reasonable grounds to believe it exposes them, or another person, to danger. Under section 13, the right cannot be exercised if the refusal puts another person in immediate danger, or if the conditions are normal for that kind of work.

How to organize surveillance

• list the jobs and situations where people work alone in an isolated place;
• assess the risks of each situation and rule out tasks that should never be done alone;
• choose a means of communication suited to the site (cellular coverage, radio, satellite);
• set a check-in interval matched to the risk, and a check at the end of the shift;
• define the escalation steps when a worker does not respond;
• train workers and supervisors, and review the procedure regularly.

How a lone worker app helps

A lone worker app does not make you compliant on its own, but it helps you implement your surveillance procedure reliably. With VigieApp, Neovigie's lone worker safety app:

• timed check-ins raise an alarm if the worker does not respond, even if the phone is broken or out of coverage, because the countdown is enforced by the server;
• missed check-ins escalate automatically to your supervisors, up to 10 per level across 5 levels, by SMS, email, call and push;
• fall and no-movement detection raise the alarm when the worker cannot;
• every alarm is time-stamped, so you keep a record of your procedure.

Sources

• Act respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1)
• Regulation respecting occupational health and safety (chapter S-2.1, r. 13)
• CNESST

Disclaimer: this article is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Neovigie is not a law firm and does not provide legal or regulatory compliance advice. Regulations change over time: always refer to the current legislation, and consult a qualified legal or occupational health and safety professional before making decisions for your organization.