Lone Worker Safety Solution for Utility Workers

Utility workers spend many hours in hazardous environments and sometimes dangerous circumstances to keep our lights and water running, ensuring our utilities are in good shape no matter what is happening in the world. In many cases, utility workers who work alone, perform their work in environments where it may be difficult to call for help.

These people sometimes work in difficult and dangerous environments like tight, confined spaces or 40 feet up on an electrical pole. In these circumstances, the worker is often alone and more vulnerable. They also often work with electrical equipment, not to mention electrical powerlines and transformers, and face the increased risk of fatal electrocution and debilitating burns and shocks – serious injury can also result if the worker falls or collapses from electrical contact. Additionally, because they often work in public spaces, utility workers also face the risk of violence from the public, especially in high-traffic areas. 

Due to the essentiality of the work, employers and managers must exhaustively look at the different work safety hazards and risks these people face and mitigate or eliminate them to the best of their ability.

Working alone in the utility sector in the United States

There are nearly 700,000 people employed in the US utility industry, which includes several important services such as electric power generation and transmission, natural gas distribution, steam supply, water supply, and sewage removal. 

Like any industry in the United States, the utility sector must comply with the safety standards and safety policies of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Some of these include the 29 CFR 1910.132 Subpart I PPE standard, which addresses requirement for respiratory equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE). Standard 1910.120(a)(3) requires a “buddy system” in which employees are organized, so they are “designated to be observed by at least one other employee in the work group.” 

In 2002, the American Water Works Association published Safety Practices for Water Utilities, which provides general guidance on safety practices and management of safety programs for water utility workers. Additionally, the Utility Workers of America (UWUA) created a safety committee “dedicated to sharing resources and insights that empower UWUA members to protect themselves and their peers while on the job. The below information spotlights recent lone workers safety alerts, common injury causes, prevention strategies, and safety training background.” 

Working alone in the utility sector in Canada

The Canadian utility industry employs about 115,000 people, which the Canadian government designates into three categories: electric power generation, transmission, and distribution; natural gas distribution; and water, sewage, and other systems. 

The Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) created the Electrical Utility Safety Rules, a thorough list of 149 rules or points to protect electrical utility workers in every area that was identified as a safety risk, including providing a “means of communication shall be readily available at all times between the controlling authority and any work crews performing work” as well as eight circumstances where a worker must not work alone.

The Westray Law (formerly Bill C-45) 

In 2004, the Canadian Criminal Code was amended by the Westray bill (formerly Bill C-45) so that employers are more responsible for employee safety, making them criminally liable for failure to take reasonable measures to protect their people. The bill applies to everyone working in Canada according to provincial legislation. The Criminal Code has been updated, and working alone regulations must be followed, or the employer could face significant safety fines and jail time.