Published on: May 17, 2019

Earlier this month, a hotel worker in Victoria was assaulted, tied up, and robbed in the early hours of the morning. This disturbing event is an example of the risks of working alone. WorkSafeBC is reminding employers that you are responsible for the health and safety of your workers, including having a system in place to ensure your workers are safe when they are working alone.

If you’re an employer, you must identify and eliminate, or if that is not possible minimize, hazards to anyone who is working alone. As part of this, you’re required to develop working alone policies and procedures, including a system to check the well-being of workers at predetermined intervals.

Your obligations related to working alone and preventing workplace violence are detailed in the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, under section 4.20.1, Working Alone or in Isolation and section 4.27, Violence in the Workplace.

WorkSafeBC resources

• Working Alone: A Handbook for Small Business
• Your Retail Business: Working Alone

Go2HR resources

Go2HR offers customized health and safety resources for the tourism and hospitality industry and is a certifying partner in our certification of recognition program.  

• Security in your workplace
• Tips to mitigate and manage workplace violence