Health and Safety Legislation vary from country to country however the consistent factor across the world is the legal right to be protected from work related risks.
Legislation is legally enforceable and heavy maximum penalties apply for a breach of an Act. A company can breach an act by not taking adequate care of their workers, particularly those who work alone.
There are various terms and definitions for working alone, these include:
- ‘Lone Workers’ are those who work by themselves without close or direct supervision.
- ‘Isolated Worker’ is the person performing on-site or off-site work, during or outside of normal work hours, or any isolated area in which the worker cannot seek the assistance of any co-worker or supervisor
- ‘Remote Worker’ performs work that is carried out in areas that are separate from the company premises in which access to communications and travel arrangements are difficult to come by.
Lone working, or remote and isolated work, also applies to those who travel. Due to the risks involved when lone working, risk mitigation strategies are essential for protecting your people. Ensure an effective lone worker and remote and isolated worker journey management plan is implemented.
The latest legislation throughout the world can be found below.
Legislation
- Australia – Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act
- Australia – Code of Practice (remote and isolated workers – page 23)
- New Zealand – Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- United States – Occupational Safety & Health Act of 1970
- Canada (each jurisdiction in Canada is responsible for its own OSH legislation – Federal, provincial and territorial areas)
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- Federal Legislation – Canada Labor Code
- Provincial Legislation
- Alberta – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- British Columbia – Workers Compensation Act
- Manitoba – The Workplace Safety and Health Act
- New Brunswick – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Newfoundland and Labrador – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Nova Scotia – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Ontario – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Prince Edward Island – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Quebec – An Act Representing Occupational Health and Safety
- Saskatchewan – The Saskatchewan Employment Act
- Territorial Legislation
- Northwest Territories – Safety Act
- Nunavut – Safety Act
- Yukon – Occupational Health and Safety Act
- United Kingdom – Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974