Preparing for Outsiders

Visitors in the workplace can include customers, vendors, inspectors, delivery personnel, consultants, contractors, clients, maintenance technicians, or any other person who is not regularly assigned to work in the area. While their presence may seem routine, visitors can introduce new hazards, affect normal operations, and create additional safety and emergency planning considerations. Whether someone is onsite for five minutes or several days, workplaces must be prepared to manage their presence safely.

Know Who Is in the Workplace and Control Access

One of the most important parts of visitor safety is knowing who is onsite, why they are there, and where they are permitted to go. Visitor management is not just about signing people in. It is about maintaining awareness and control over everyone entering the workplace. Proper sign-in, sign-out, identification, and access control procedures help ensure visitors are authorized, monitored, and accounted for while onsite, especially in emergencies. Visitors should only access authorized areas and remain escorted where required. Any unknown, unauthorized, or unescorted individual in a restricted area should be reported immediately. Employees should also be informed when visitors will be onsite so they can plan work activities accordingly and remain alert to any temporary hazards created by their presence.

Visitors Do Not Know Workplace Hazards

Unlike regular employees, visitors may be unfamiliar with:

• Workplace hazards and restricted areas

• Vehicle and equipment traffic patterns

• Required PPE zones

• Alarm systems and emergency signals

• Evacuation routes and assembly points

• Hazardous processes or chemicals in use

• Site-specific rules and procedures

What may be obvious to regular employees may be completely unknown to someone visiting for the first time. Never assume a visitor knows where they can go, what they can touch, or what hazards may exist around them.

Visitor Orientation Matters

Visitor orientation should be proportionate to the hazards present and the nature of the visit. At minimum, visitors may need information regarding:

• Restricted areas

• Required PPE

• Emergency alarms and evacuation procedures

• Designated walkways/traffic routes

• Site-specific hazards

• Who to contact if assistance is needed

Contractors and extended visitors may require a more formal safety training before beginning work.

Contractors Can Introduce New Hazards

When contractors are onsite, they often bring their own equipment, tools, vehicles, materials, and work processes, all of which can create additional hazards:

• Hot work such as welding, grinding, or cutting

• Electrical installation or maintenance

• Excavation or trenching

• Work at heights

• Lockout/tagout activities

• Mobile equipment or cranes

• Hazardous substances, chemicals, or compressed gases

• Dust, fumes, noise, vibration, or airborne contaminants

Contractor activities can also disrupt normal operations by altering traffic routes, restricting access, creating temporary work zones, or requiring employees to operate around unfamiliar equipment. For this reason, coordination and communication are essential whenever contractors are working in shared spaces.

Plan for Accessibility and Assistance Needs

Some visitors may require additional assistance while onsite. This may include individuals with mobility limitations, temporary injuries, medical restrictions, language barriers, sensory impairments, or unfamiliarity with the workplace layout. Consider accessibility needs in advance where possible and ensure visitors can safely access the workplace, understand instructions, and receive assistance during emergencies if required.

Visitors Can Affect Employee Behaviour

The presence of visitors can also affect employee behaviour. They may become distracted, alter their normal routines, rush tasks, or focus more on assisting the visitor than on the work being performed. In some cases, employees may feel pressure to continue working in unsafe conditions to avoid inconveniencing a visitor or contractor.

Safety procedures must always remain the priority, regardless of who is present. No task should be rushed or performed unsafely because a visitor is watching or waiting.

Emergency Preparedness for Visitors

Visitors may not know what to do in the event of an alarm, evacuation, medical emergency, or other incident unless they are informed beforehand. Where applicable, visitors should be advised of emergency procedures, evacuation routes, assembly points, and who to follow during an emergency.

Special consideration may also be required for visitors who may need assistance during evacuation, such as individuals with mobility limitations or those unfamiliar with the building.

Contractor accountability should also be addressed before work begins. Determine in advance who is responsible for accounting for contractors during emergencies, where they are expected to report during evacuations, and how headcounts will be coordinated if they are supervised by an external contractor lead.

When visitors are onsite:

• Be aware of who is in the workplace and where they are located

• Follow visitor sign-in / sign-out procedures

• Ensure visitors receive required orientation or instructions

• Verify visitors have required PPE before entering hazard areas

• Escort visitors where required

• Ensure visitors remain within designated walkways or approved areas

• Report unauthorized or unescorted visitors immediately

• Coordinate with contractors before working in shared areas

• Adjust work activities if visitor presence creates new hazards

• Communicate hazards, restricted areas, and emergency procedures clearly

• Confirm who is responsible for visitor/contractor accountability during emergencies

An effective visitor management process helps organizations maintain control of their workplace, protect workers and visitors alike, and ensure emergency preparedness remains effective when non-workers are onsite. Every visitor should leave the workplace as safely as they entered.