Maintaining Your Lone Worker Safety and OSHA Regulations
Table of Contents
Maintaining Your Lone Worker Safety and OSHA Regulations
What is OSHA?
Key OSHA regulations
Beyond OHSA regulations: Duty of care
How do you satisfy duty of care?
Who is covered by OSHA and the OSH Act?
Where does OSHA operate?
Lone worker safety
Looking for Canadian lone worker legislation?
Since President Nixon signed the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act on December 29, 1970, and created the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as a result, the agency has helped protect millions of US workers over more than 50 years of its operations.
What is OSHA?
OSHA is a federal agency with about 2,000 inspectors responsible for the health and safety of roughly 130 million workers at more than 8 million worksites across the US Why is there an OSHA?
OSHA’s mission is “to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.” They enforce such safety standards and regulations “by conducting inspections based on priority such as an imminent danger situation, fatality, or a worker complaint.”
Looking to connect with OHSA? Call 800-321-6742 (OSHA)
Key OSHA regulations
Not only do employers and companies have a moral obligation to protect their workers and employees, but they also have a legal one. For example, provisions 1915.84 address the hazards associated with employees working alone in shipyards. While this regulation may not be applicable to all industries, it remains crucial to consider the safety and well-being of solitary employees across all work environments. OSHA regulations regarding lone worker safety in shipyards are predominantly guided by two core standards:
OSHA 1915.84: Working alone.
1915.84(a) Except as provided in § 1915.51(c)(3) of this part, whenever an employee is working alone, such as in a confined space or isolated location, the employer shall account for each employee:
1915.84(a)(1) Throughout each work shift at regular intervals appropriate to the job assignment to ensure the employee’s safety and health; and
1915.84(a)(2) At the end of the job assignment or at the end of the work shift, whichever occurs first.
1915.84(b) The employer shall account for each employee by sight or verbal communication; maintaining lone worker safety is an important employer responsibility to protect lone workers properly; organizational leadership must consider OSHA regulations, lone worker safety best practices, and employee needs and expectations.
This standard is important as it requires employers to ensure that their lone team members are accounted for by sight or verbal communication, including safety check-ins or accessible means to connect with their manager, monitor, or office. The key takeaway is that the lone worker must have a quick way to request immediate help in the case of an emergency.
Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1915/1915.84
OSHA Section 5(a)(1): General Duty Clause
(a) Each employer --
• (1) shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment that are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees;
• (2) shall comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.
(b) Each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.
The General Duty Clause is notable as it states that employers must provide work environments and conditions free of dangerous work hazards. In order to identify and document these hazards, employers must conduct regular safety hazard assessments of the environment.
Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/section5-duties
Beyond OHSA regulations: Duty of care
Beyond federal OSHA regulations, employers must also practice a duty of care, which, according to tort law, is a legal obligation that requires their compliance to safety practices and protocols that will keep others safe, such as their hard-working employees.
While the term “duty of care” and what it entails is pretty universal no matter where you are in the world, there are variations in different countries as far as how duty of care is applied in particular cases.
How do you satisfy duty of care?
First of all, and most importantly, duty of care includes strict adherence to the OHSA standards mentioned above. Ensure you exhaustively research, monitor, and execute your local occupational health and safety standards, as well as any mandatory or recommended industry-specific practices. But in the meantime, as you’ll read further, there are steps the employer can take, regardless of what professional area they’re in.
Hazard assessments
In order to keep a close eye on existing and potential workplace safety hazards, conduct safety hazard assessments not only when there is a change in the job or employee but on a regular basis. Hazard assessments should be a somewhat regular item in your calendar.
Automated check-ins
The well-being of lone workers can also be monitored with an automated check-in system. The employee can confirm their safety by checking in before and after their shift, or whichever time allotment is determined beforehand, depending on how much safety risk they are facing.
Location-tracking technology
We know it may not be financially feasible at the time; however, if their lone workers spend their work time in remote locations, employers should look at providing the best location-tracking technology, such as advanced satellite devices.
Health and wellness fund
If possible, have an allocated health and wellness fund available for expenses that benefit the employees’ well-being and safety such as new exercise equipment, extra massage therapy, or anything that will boost wellness – it’s different for everyone.
Who is covered by OSHA and the OSH Act?
The OSH Act and OSHA cover a majority of private-sector employers and their workers, as well as some public-sector employers and workers in the 50 states, certain territories, and jurisdictions under federal authority.
The Act does not cover the self-employed, immediate family members of farm employers, or workplace hazards regulated by another federal agency such as the Mine Safety and Health Administration or Coast Guard.
Where does OSHA operate?
Well, its rules and regulations exist within most businesses and workplaces in each of the 50 United States of America, however, it also has about 100 regional and area offices around the country.
But regardless of OSHA regulations or duty of care apply to your business or industry, as an employer, it is an ethical responsibility to do everything within your means to protect your people so that they can go home at the end of the day.
Lone worker safety
Because lone and remote workers perform their jobs in somewhat more unique and vulnerable work conditions, unique considerations must be made to protect these people in the such special occupational circumstances.
In addition to abiding by OHSA regulations as well as the duty of care we discussed, the specific safety hazards for each lone worker must be measured and assessed so the proper accommodations can be made. If this doesn’t happen, the lone workers – and therefore the entire company – are at serious risk.
Looking for Canadian lone worker legislation?
Federal Legislation for Lone Workers in Canada: Could you be breaking the law and not realizing it? Visit our previous blog here: https://safetylineloneworker.com/blog/work-alone-legislation-canada
Maintaining lone worker safety in compliance with OSHA regulations is crucial for a secure work environment. Utilize our Lone Worker Safety Solution App to enhance safety measures, and explore our pricing options to find the right plan for your organization. Learn more about Workplace Hazards and visit our FAQ page for further information. Discover the benefits of our solutions and the latest lone worker safety devices to keep your team protected.