Working Alone in the Northwest Territories: Rules and Employer Duties

In the Northwest Territories, working alone is covered by section 33 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-039-2015), under the Safety Act. The Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC), shared with Nunavut, also publishes a code of practice on working alone.

When is a worker working alone?

Section 33 covers a worker who is the only worker at a work site, in circumstances where assistance is not readily available in the event of injury or emergency. Check the current text of section 33(1) for the exact wording.

What employers must do

1. Identify the hazards of working alone or at an isolated work site, in consultation with the committee or representative, or with the workers if there is neither (section 33(2)).
2. Take reasonable measures to eliminate or reduce the risks, including an effective communication system: radio, telephone or cellular phone, or another effective means (section 33(3)).

The regulation does not set a check-in interval. According to the WSCC code of practice, the level of risk determines how often the worker should be contacted.

Violence

Section 35 requires a written policy on violence where violence may reasonably be expected, for example in financial services, premises selling alcohol, taxis, transit and security. The WSCC code of practice also covers training for workers who handle money alone.

How a lone worker app helps

A lone worker app does not make you compliant on its own, but it can be part of the effective communication system the regulation requires. 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 up to 10 supervisors 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.

Where there is no cell signal, Neovigie works with satellite messengers connected to the same platform, and alarms can be routed to a professional 24/7 monitoring centre.

Sources

• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (R-039-2015)
• WSCC, Code of Practice: Working Alone (NT and NU)

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.