15.3 Situational Safety, Open Houses & Field Risk Mitigation
Key Takeaways
Confirm authorized access and assess the site, visitors, exit routes and availability of help before showing.
When Part 28 applies, the employer must provide effective communication and hazard-appropriate contact, or the specified alternative when electronic contact is impracticable.
Agree on check-ins and escalation with the brokerage. Change or postpone a visit if the plan does not work at the site.
Keep an exit route clear, secure the property as instructed and communicate hazards to visitors in plain language.
Leave an unsafe site and contact appropriate help from safety. Carbon monoxide is odourless and may be detected by an alarm or symptoms.
Plan for a safe showing
An associate may be the only worker at a vacant house or remote acreage. Before the appointment, consider who is expected, whether utilities and lighting work, whether the site is occupied or under construction, how to get out and whether help is available. Verify the appointment through the brokerage. Use proportionate identity checks in accordance with brokerage policy and privacy law. A brokerage may ask a prospect to meet at the office or arrange a second licensee for an isolated appointment. If the risk cannot be managed, change the time, location or format, or postpone the visit.
Alberta’s working-alone rules
Under sections 393–394 of the Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 28 applies when a worker is working alone at a work site and assistance is not readily available in case of injury, illness or emergency. Working alone is a hazard to address under Part 2. Employers must assess hazards and eliminate or control them as the Code requires. Duties also apply to self-employed people in the manner described by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Check actual work arrangements and coordinate the plan with the broker.
The employer must provide an effective electronic communication system and regular contact at intervals suited to the hazard. This can use a radio, telephone or other effective electronic method. If effective electronic communication is impracticable at that site, section 394(1.1) requires employer or designated visits or worker contacts with that person at hazard-appropriate intervals. For a remote site with no usable signal, arrange an effective alternative, bring a colleague or reschedule.
Agree on the address, itinerary, planned arrival and departure, contact intervals and what the contact person should do when a check-in is missed. A duress phrase or lone-worker device can support that plan if everyone knows how to respond. The appropriate escalation depends on the risk and circumstances. Part 7 separately requires an emergency response plan where an emergency may require rescue or evacuation. Discuss known risks with clients in plain language, confirm access arrangements in writing and call the broker promptly if the agreed safety measures cannot be met.
Identify hazards before admitting visitors
| Situation | Practical action |
|---|---|
| Vacant or unlit home | Confirm authorized access and occupancy. If there are unexpected signs of entry or occupation, stop outside and keep visitors away. Notify the broker and contact police if the circumstances suggest an intruder or crime. Use emergency services for immediate danger. |
| Ice, damaged stairs or a construction zone | Tell visitors what you observed and keep them away from unsafe areas. Arrange a safe route, any required protective equipment or a later visit. Confirm access conditions with the authorized person. |
| Remote acreage | Check weather, the route, cell coverage and vehicle access. Account for livestock, wells and equipment. Choose a contact plan that actually works on that site and park where you can leave without being blocked. |
| Open house or unfamiliar interior | Keep keys and phone accessible, stay near a clear exit and maintain enough distance to leave safely. Avoid going first into a dead end. Secure the premises in accordance with the owner’s authorized instructions. |
| Gas or carbon monoxide warning | A rotten-egg smell can signal odorized natural gas. Carbon monoxide has no odour. A CO alarm or symptoms such as dizziness or nausea can be warning signs. Move people out and seek appropriate emergency or utility help from safety. |
| Suspected hazardous material or illegal laboratory | Keep people away from the area, leave if unsafe and call the appropriate authority from safety. Record what you observed without diagnosing the condition. Report suspected clandestine drug activity to police. |
Alberta’s access requirements still apply when the risk is low. Confirm the owner’s or authorized representative’s permission, follow any lawful access conditions and keep visitors within approved areas. Discuss surveillance and how to keep confidential conversations private. If a client wants to enter a closed area or examine suspect wiring, stop and arrange qualified help through the broker.
Apply the plan at a winter acreage
You arrive at a vacant acreage with an unfamiliar buyer and notice taped-over windows and a strong solvent odour near an outbuilding. Those observations can have different explanations. End the visit, keep the buyer out of the structure, move to a safe location, and notify the broker and police. Give the address and observations from a safe place. Complete the check-out so the colleague tracking your itinerary knows you have left safely. The same planning habit applies to a less severe change such as discovering that the only walkway is iced over. Discuss the problem, choose another authorized route if safe, or reschedule.
Official sources
Outside a supposedly vacant home, an associate sees boot prints leading through a visibly forced door. Guests are due to arrive. What is the safest response?
Enter to confirm whether the intruder is still inside.
Remain at a safe distance, keep guests out and notify the brokerage and police as appropriate.
Open the house on time and direct guests to rooms away from the damaged door.
Ask the first visitor to check inside while the associate waits outside.
During a showing, an unfamiliar visitor asks to look into a mechanical room with a single narrow doorway. The room otherwise appears safe. What is the best positioning for the associate?
Go into the room first and stand beyond the visitor.
Lock the main exit to prevent anyone from entering during the showing.
Stay near the doorway with a clear exit path and keep the phone and keys accessible.
Leave the phone and keys upstairs so both hands are free.
At an acreage showing you notice covered outbuilding windows and a strong solvent smell near the entrance. What should you do?
End the visit, keep the buyer out, move to safety and report the observations to the broker and police.
Enter the building to see whether chemicals are being stored there.
Continue the showing if the buyer signs a waiver.
Tell the buyer that the property has been confirmed as an illegal laboratory.
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.