Working Alone Safely

Talking points

1. Working alone creates risk because there is no one to summon help if you are injured, witness a hazard, or need assistance. Some tasks should never be done alone.
2. Tasks that prohibit solo work include: confined space entry, electrical work on energized systems, work at height without rescue capability, and any task where impairment could prevent self-rescue.
3. If you must work alone, establish a check-in schedule with a supervisor or co-worker. Agree on a frequency (every 30-60 minutes) and a method (radio, phone, in-person).
4. Carry a charged phone or radio at all times when working alone. Know your exact location — building, floor, grid line — so you can communicate it in an emergency.
5. Personal safety devices — man-down alarms, GPS-enabled lone worker monitors — provide an additional layer of protection by automatically alerting others if you stop moving.

Ask the crew

Is anyone working alone today — and do they have a check-in schedule and communication method established?

Standards this talk is built on

• Section 5(a)(1)

A toolbox talk is a short safety briefing. It supports the training a standard requires; it does not replace it.

Sign-in sheet

Print this page to collect signatures, or run the talk in Jobsite and workers sign in on their phones.

© Jobsite. Free to read aloud, print and use in your own crew's safety meetings. Republishing, reselling or bulk-copying these talks is not permitted.