Working Alone or in Isolation

• Supervisors (e.g. chairs, academic directors, managers, faculty, principal investigator, supervising staff, etc.) are required to provide workers with best practices for working alone or in isolation when work, activities and tasks are considered low risk. 
• Workers are required to familiarize themselves with these best practices and seek support when necessary. 

Safety tips to follow 

• Locate available life-safety systems in your work area (e.g. fire alarm pull stations, emergency exits and stairwells, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, etc.). 
• Know your location at all times: In an emergency, no matter which phone you use to call for help, knowing your exact location is critical. In all likelihood, it will be one of the first questions emergency dispatchers will ask. Next time you’re in a new space, be it for a class, meeting or event, take the time to note
  • the building name;
  • room number; and
  • intersection you’re closest to.
• Learn what to do in case of an non-emergency: There are situations that do not pose an immediate threat to you, others or property, but are valid security matters that require immediate support. 
• Learn how to conduct safe meetings and work or study alone on campus after-hours.
• Familiarize with the people and processes in place to support you: 
  • Departmental Safety Officers (DSOs)
  • Fire Wardens 
  • First Aiders
  • Joint Health and Safety Committee

Services you can utilize 

• WalkSafe Program: This free service pairs you with a uniformed security crew member to escort you to various locations on campus, including the subway and nearby parking lots, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 
• Personal Safety Planning Sessions: This free service involves a discussion of your personal safety needs with a member of the Community Safety and Security department, providing you with scenario-based guidance, tools and resources so you can make informed decisions. Sessions can be general or in response to a particular incident/situation. 

Procedures and policies to familiarize yourself with 

• TMU’s emergency procedures, including what to do in case of an:
  • active attacker
  • fire or explosions
  • medical emergency or person in crisis
• TMU’s Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy
• How to report an incident or injury
• How to report a near-miss or hazard
• What to do in a building evacuation or drill

Proactive measures you may want to implement

• Learn about the notification systems that are in place for altering unauthorized or after-hours access to the work area (e.g. alarm system, door bell/announcer, etc.). You and your manager may want to set access restrictions to the work areas or establish a check-in system with your manager if you are working alone or in isolation in a physical location of concern or after-hours. 
• With your manager, develop a sign-in/sign-out procedure to provide information on start and end time of activities as well as travel plan with an estimated time of return. This should be communicated to your manager and/or Security.

Before undertaking any working alone or in isolation activity:

• Supervisors (e.g. chairs, academic directors, managers, faculty, principal investigator, supervising staff, etc.) are required to complete a Working Alone or in Isolation Risk Assessment to determine if working alone is strictly prohibited by law or if a safety plan is required.
• Workers are required to partake in this process to complete the Working Alone or in Isolation Risk Assessment.

In this case, the information provided on this page does not apply. Please contact Environmental Health and Safety at ehs@torontomu.ca or 416-979-5000, ext. 553770 for support in fulfilling the specific regulatory requirements.

• Use of a vehicle, crane or similar equipment near a live power line where it is possible for any part of the equipment or its load to make contact with live power lines.
• Working around unprotected edges (i.e. lack of barriers or guardrails).
• Working at heights greater than 3 metres.
• Working with motorized equipment with a limited field of view or high pedestrian traffic.
• Working near bodies of water where there is risk of drowning or electrical shock.
• Working with machinery where there is risk of entanglement or struck by
• Risk of obstructions, converging walls, small access points in areas with limited access or egress.
• Working with designated substances where there is a risk of exposure.
• Risk of fire or burns when working with explosive, flammable, or reactive materials.
• Working with toxic materials and there is risk of oxygen displacement from liquids or gases (i.e. asphyxiants).
• Risk of impaction from pneumatic, hydraulic, and compressed dry air system OR other contents under pressure.
• Working at heights with a ladder less than 3 metres.
• Other tasks which, based on the risk assessment conducted by the supervisor in consultation with the affected individual and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), is deemed to require more than one person. 

Before undertaking any working alone or in isolation activity

• Supervisors (e.g. chairs, academic directors, managers, faculty, principal investigator, supervising staff, etc.) are required to:
  • complete a safety plan using the Working Alone or In Isolation Safety Plan template to establish:

• provide training to employees in accordance with the criteria outlined in the plan. Records of such instruction or training must be documented and retained on file within the respective faculty or department.
  • programs and procedures;
  • critical safety systems and equipment in the areas;
  • emergency measures;
  • communication methodologies;
  • check in procedures and buddy systems;
  • restricted access and notification systems;
  • necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and 
  • required review of Safety Data Sheets (SDS).

Workers are required to partake in this process to complete the Working Alone or In Isolation Safety Plan.