Working Alone in Yukon: Employer Duties and Best Practices

Long distances, remote sites and areas with no cell coverage make working alone a common situation in Yukon. This guide explains the employer's duties and how to organize lone work safely.

Which rules apply?

Yukon employers follow the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations, administered by the Workers' Safety and Compensation Board (WSCB). In September 2021, amendments to the OHS Regulations on hazard assessment came into force, along with a new Violence and Harassment Prevention Regulation.

What employers should do

Working alone is a hazard that must be covered by the employer's hazard assessment. In practice:

• identify who works alone, when and where, including travel between sites;
• assess the hazards of each situation and rule out tasks that should never be done alone;
• provide a means of communication that works on site: cellular where there is coverage, otherwise radio or satellite;
• set a check-in interval matched to the risk, and a check at the end of the shift;
• define what happens when a worker does not respond: who calls, after how long, and when to send help;
• train workers and supervisors, and review the procedure regularly.

Violence and harassment

The Violence and Harassment Prevention Regulation requires employers to address the risk of violence. Working alone, at night or in contact with the public, is a factor to consider.

Check the current text

Before writing or updating your procedure, check the current OHS Regulations on the Yukon laws website and the WSCB's guidance on working alone.

How a lone worker app helps

A lone worker app does not make you compliant on its own, but it helps you implement your 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 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.

Need a written procedure? Download our free working alone policy template for Canadian employers, with a check-in procedure, a hazard assessment form and notes for every province and territory.

Sources

• Government of Yukon, changes to the OHS Regulations (2021)

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.