Module 9 - Working alone

Module 9.1 - Learning objectives

• Understanding basic risks when working alone
• Basic knowledge of available tools

Module 9.2 - What is working alone?

A situation where a worker (or a graduate student) is working in isolation or cannot be seen or heard by another person, or where assistance may not be immediately and readily available to the individual if an emergency, an injury or an illness arises. The risk of work will naturally increase. There are fewer supports and resources after regular business hours, and what seems like a regular work activity suddenly becomes more dangerous.

Working alone is strongly discouraged. Nevertheless, the University recognizes that, in unique or special circumstances, persons may need to conduct work in isolation. If working alone is unavoidable or deemed necessary, the worker must obtain advance approval from their supervisor. Each request is considered unique and must involve advance consultation with the supervisor. It is recommended that the supervisor perform a hazard identification and risk assessment of the activity and formally approve the work activity in advance (e.g., via email). See the working alone procedures (PDF, 352KB).

Module 9.3 - Tools

No matter the situation, additional control measures are needed to ensure the health and safety of the individual working alone during their tasks. One recommended control measure is the SecurUO mobile application. The application allows a user to receive, and respond to, push notifications at pre‑determined times. Failure to respond to a push notification within five minutes will initiate a call to a designated emergency contact number. The feature is free of charge and available in the app stores for iOS and Android operating systems.

Additionally, persons working alone are encouraged to check in with Protection Services and let them know that you will be working in a particular area for a particular time.

How to activate the WorkAlone feature:

1. Download and launch the SecurUO application
2. Tap “Safety Toolbox”
3. Tap “WorkAlone”
4. Review the instructions: tap “Continue to WorkAlone”
5. Fill in the fields and tap “Register”. We recommend that you check with your emergency contact prior to entering their phone number.
6. You have successfully subscribed to notifications for the period you set. The feature will deactivate automatically after the set period.

If you fail to check-in and your emergency contact uses the application to try to reach you, the number calling will appear as 1-888-519-4933.

There are limitations to the application, notably:

• You can use Wi-Fi to check in, but you must have cellular service to accept calls.
• If you’re moving (between buildings, between floors), you may need to reset the physical location parameters.