Working Alone: Check-In Procedures

Why it matters

A worker alone in a crawl space, on a service call, or closing a site is one slip, shock, or medical event away from lying somewhere nobody is looking. The injury is the same as with a crew around; the outcome is worse because help does not come. OSHA requires prompt access to medical attention, which is impossible if nobody knows you are down. Today we build the habit that finds you: the check-in.

Hazards

• ⚠ Injuries with nobody to call for help
• ⚠ Medical events (cardiac, diabetic, heat) while alone
• ⚠ High-hazard tasks done solo that require a second person
• ⚠ Dead phone, no signal, or phone out of reach after a fall
• ⚠ Nobody noticing an absence until hours later
• ⚠ After-hours and weekend work outside anyone’s schedule

Controls and safe practices

• ✓ Know which tasks are never solo: confined spaces, live electrical work, trenches, and others per our program.
• ✓ Set a check-in schedule for lone work: fixed times, named contact, and an action plan when a check-in is missed.
• ✓ Share your location: which site, which area, and update when it changes.
• ✓ Charged phone ON YOUR BODY, not in the truck; consider a lone worker app or device for remote sites.
• ✓ Missed check-in means someone goes or calls immediately, not at the end of the day.
• ✓ Tell the contact when you leave the site so the loop closes.
• ✓ Medical conditions that matter alone (allergies, diabetes, heart) should be known to your check-in contact.

Crew discussion questions

1. Who on this crew works alone, when, and where?
2. What is our check-in interval and who is the contact?
3. What exactly happens when a check-in is missed?
4. Which of our tasks should never be done alone, period?

Applicable OSHA standards

29 CFR 1926.50

More toolbox talks

• Ladder Safety
• Fall Protection Basics
• Heat Illness Prevention
• Lockout / Tagout: Controlling Energized Circuits
• Trench and Excavation Safety
• Silica Dust Control

Safety plans by trade

RoofingElectricalHVAC / MechanicalGeneral ContractorAll toolbox talks