Working in isolation can be risky, especially if you are working with dangerous mate-rials. If working on your own is necessary, the risks involved need to be carefully considered before doing so.

Hazards

When working alone, assistance may take longer to arrive or be difficult to contact, particularly if you become injured and are unable to call for assistance on your own. For example, the University’s hazardous materials spill team may not be available after hours, so a contracted company would have to alerted and then travel from off campus to assist. If you are working alone and are incapacitated by chemical exposure or are entrapped in a piece of machinery,
no one will be around to help you, which could create a dangerous or fatal situation.

Considering the Risks

Consider the need to work alone

It is always better to work when other people are around, even if you are doing low-risk procedures. For example, if you have a medical-related emergency, such as a heart attack, the lack of witnesses and others to call for help will delay emergency responders, who may assume that you were exposed to chemicals, rather than having a personal medical emergency. Prior to starting a project, consider the time it would take and other commitments you have (e.g. teaching, family obligations, classes) and come up with a realistic timeline that does not require working after hours. As a PI or supervisor, encourage your staff and students to have a balanced schedule that does not encourage working alone. Working after hours is always discouraged, so try to keep your hours between 8:00am and 5:00pm. Look for ways to reschedule your work to a time when more people are around, or closer to standard working hours. Ask your lab mates if somebody would be able to come in and work at the same time, so neither one of you works alone.

Consider the materials and equipment involved

Some materials and equipment may be considered too hazardous to work with alone, depending on hazards or worker experience level. These include, but are not limited to:

• Energetically reactive materials, including pyrophorics, air, water or shock-sensitive materials, and large quantities of flammables
• Heavy machinery such as drill presses, mills, and lathes
• Highly toxic materials
• Work requiring fall protection

If your procedure requires any of these, consider rescheduling or finding a way to have others with you. Discuss the hazards involved with your PI or supervisor before starting to work alone – they may be able to help you think of a safer way to get the work done, and must provide approval if you do need to work alone.

Consider the procedure itself

Only established procedures with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) should be considered. You must also be specifically trained to perform the procedure while working alone as part of your lab-specific training. The SOP must include all relevant safety information, as well as how to handle a spill or other emergency. Think about what could happen as part of the procedure. If there is a spill, will you be able to handle it alone, or would you need the hazardous materials team? Is there a possibility of you needing assistance with any step of the procedure?

Consider your own experience level and personal circumstances

Only conduct procedures alone if you are well-trained and experienced in the particular process and your PI or supervisor has approved you to do that specific task while working alone. If you are not feeling well, are stressed, distracted by external circumstances, or tired, strongly consider doing the procedures later when others can be around – these can distract you from your work and potentially cause safety issues.

Consider the worst-case-scenario

What would be the worst consequence of something going wrong with your procedure? Would you be exposed to chemicals and faint, unable to rescue yourself? Would you get trapped in a piece of machinery, and be unable to call for help? If a fire, explosion, or severe acute health hazard such as toxic chemical exposure or mechanical harm, is possible, reconsider working alone, and reschedule if at all possible.

Approval and Training

• Discuss the risks of working alone and get your PI or supervisor’s approval before beginning. Make sure they know what work you will be doing and when you will be doing it, especially if it will be after-hours. Notify them about the times you will be working alone every time and where you will be working.
• Anybody who works alone in the lab must be trained and approved for working alone. This should be documented as part of lab-specific training, and include who is trained and allowed to work alone, and what procedures or tasks they are trained to do. Remember that minors are never allowed to work alone, even with training. Minors must always have somebody with them during work, even if they are undergraduate students.

Safe Ways to Work Alone

If you have considered the hazards, discussed the risks with your PI, and still have a need to work alone, there are various ways to ensure your safety. While working with others is always preferred, the methods below provide an increased level of safety if you must work alone.

"Buddy System"

• Ask somebody working nearby to check on you regularly.
• If you notice someone in a lab nearby is working alone as well, you could arrange with them to check in with each other at regular intervals.
• If you don’t check in at the expected time, they should come check on you to make sure you are okay, and you should check in on them at regular intervals, as well.

Phone Check-Ins

• Have a lab mate, your PI, or a friend check in with you by phone.
• Call them at regular intervals (or have them call you) to check in and make sure you are okay.
• If you don’t call or don’t answer when they call, they should provide assistance or call for help if needed.
• There are also some “panic button” or “lone worker” apps that can send alerts to others if the phone doesn’t detect movement or if a specific button isn’t pressed.

Post a Sign

• Signage should include your name, what you’re working with, when you began work, and who to call if there is a problem or emergency.
• In case of an incident, someone entering the area to help or investigate would need to know this information.

Questions?

If you have any questions about working alone or ways you can work alone more safely, contact your Department Safety Officer, your Safety Partner, or call the HSRM main office at (612) 626-6002. A safety professional will be able to provide guidance on working alone, safety measures, and other concerns.