Safety Precautions for Solo Workers

At a minimum, safety policies and procedures for solo workers should include the following issues:

• Safe work procedure. Employers should develop a standard safety awareness checklist so workers can evaluate their own risk. The evaluation should take into consideration client behavior, location, and the presence of dangerous items.

• Safe visit plan. A safe visit plan should be made if workers are entering a potentially unsafe situation. The plan should outline control measures chosen to help the employer track the safety of workers working at the client’s premises. Control measures include using an active communication system.

• Equipment safety. Employers must ensure that workers use equipment as intended and according to the manufacturer’s specification. All equipment used in a remote workplace must be maintained in good working condition, whether or not it is being used in a "working alone" situation.

• Equipment and supplies. In addition to proper equipment, appropriate first aid and emergency supplies must be provided to workers who are working alone at a remote or third-party worksite.

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Additional Considerations

According to attorney Adele Abrams, who specializes in safety law, holding employers responsible for the safety of off-site workers is consistent with the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act), which states: "Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees."

Abrams also points out that injuries/illnesses at off-site locations are recordable/reportable to OSHA in the same manner as if they occurred in the employer’s establishment. Under 29 CFR 1904.5(b)(1), OSHA considers an off-site location as an "establishment and any other location where one or more employees are working or are present as a condition of their employment."

A case is work-related if events or exposures in the work environment caused or contributed to the resulting condition or significantly aggravated a preexisting condition. For example:

• A delivery driver who injures her back while loading boxes at an off-site location or while transporting materials into a customer’s building.
• An employee who has an auto accident while running errands for the company or while traveling to make a speech.

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Systematic Training for All Employees

Whether you’re training employees who work on-site or off-site, the OSHA Training System can help you ensure that they learn what they need to know to protect their safety wherever they work.

As its name implies, this is a complete system to meet your full training needs. All the materials are prepared in advance, so no prep time is required. All you do is reproduce what you need and put it to use. Materials include:

• 32 complete safety units, meeting every key OSHA standard. Each includes full background for trainers, a ready-to-use safety meeting, and follow-up handouts. View a Table of Contents.
• Quizzes, handouts, and copies of employee booklets, coordinated to the safety meetings. (Additional booklets can be bought in any quantity at a discount.)
• A complete training recordkeeping and tracking system that tells you which employees need what training, and then tracks your program to ensure they get it.
• Quarterly updates, included with the program. You receive at least 4 new safety units every 90 days, covering new OSHA standards and training needs.

If you share the common problem of never having enough time or the right materials for training, we’d suggest you examine the OSHA Training System program. We’ve arranged for you to do so for up to 30 days at no cost or risk. Just let us know and we’ll be happy to make all the arrangements.