A lineman on the job during our severe winter weather conditions, working atop a utility pole to restore electrical power while dealing with ice, sleet, slow, and frigid temperatures, is an obvious example of how lone workers here face special kinds of injury risk and bodily harm. For more, read Electrician Heroes in Illinois and Indiana: Dangers Facing Linemen on the Job in Winter Storms.
However, working alone on an industrial job site during the cold, intense winter months we are notorious for here in Illinois and Indiana, is more commonplace than many may realize. It’s not just the lineman or the trucker who deals with winter conditions all by themselves, and the risks that come with it.
All sorts of industrial workers in our part of the country are respected with the responsibility of getting tasks done without direct supervision or the help of a colleague. This happens year-round, of course. See, Industrial Lone Workers: Accident Dangers When Working Alone.
However, the dangers that come with our winter storms means that these lone workers may face greater risk of a work accident. With this comes greater duties of safety and care on the part of their employers, as well as others who may have possession, custody, or control of aspects of their jobsite.
Industrial Workers in Illinois and Indiana: Alone on the Job
In our part of the country, industrial work puts bread on the table for lots and lots of people. Illinois, for instance, employs thousands in manufacturing, from cars to pharmaceuticals to industrial equipment and processed food products. In Chicago alone, the manufacturing industry employs around 95,000 people. Indiana is also a national leader in the automotive; pharmaceutical; and steelmaking industries. Indianapolis ranks tenth in the nation for manufacturing jobs. For more, read “Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Illinois,” published by Industry Select on January 20, 2026; and “Top 10 Manufacturing Companies in Indiana,” published by Industry Select on May 16, 2025.
These industrial operations are prepared for bad weather conditions, like freezing temperatures: operations do not stop just because of a bad winter storm like this year’s Winter Storm Fern. And within this industrial sector, there are some types of work where the employee will likely be on the job all by themselves and at a greater risk of getting hurt on the job.
These include:
1. Crane Operator in Factory, Plant, Port, or Construction Site: While there may be other people going about their day in the greater workplace, this lone worker is separated and alone sitting in the cab or in a remote station. Things like load handling mistakes; failing and flawed mechanisms; or unstable work surfaces may cause serious harm as there are isolated from others, especially during winter weather. See, “What are the Common Causes of Crane Accidents?” written by John O’Connor and published by CICB on June 24, 2025; and “Seasonal Tips for Crane Operators: Preparing for Winter Challenges,” written by Kathy Morris and published by Essential Crane Training on December 2, 2025.
2. Boiler Operator: These workers are on the job in rooms where there may be no one around or only limited staff. They may be on the job, for example, in a Hoosier pharmaceutical facility or in a Chicago food processing plant. These operators are at risk of injury from all sorts of things, including leaking steam or undetected overpressure (think explosions). Cold weather has a big influence on boilers, pushing the limits on proper and safe operation. Read, “Why Winter is the True Test for Boiler Operators,” written by Dr. Luke Holter and published by Steam SOS.
3. Night Shift Process Operator: There are less people working on the night shift in most of our worksites, and some may be lone workers with responsibility to keep things humming in a specific control area. Think chemical plants, steel mills. Cold temperatures in their workspace are a recognized safety hazard. See, Matre, Dagfinn, et al. “Night work, season and alertness as occupational safety hazards in the Arctic: protocol for the Noralert observational crossover study among Norwegian process operators.” BMJ open 13.10 (2023): e075107.
Also read, Shift Work Accidents: Fatigue Dangers and Workplace Impairment.
4. Field Maintenance Technician: Working by themselves, these workers move from machine to machine, or various pieces of heavy equipment to make sure things are operating properly and to do what is needed to maintain or repair them. They can be found moving through places like automotive plants or machine shops, and they will be expert at lockout tagout operations and moving into confined spaces to do their work. Both are well-known risks of catastrophic or fatal work accidents, complicated by frigid conditions. See Lockout and Tagout (LOTO) Injuries on the Job: a Top Ten OSHA Safety Violation.
5. Tank / Terminal Operator: Working solo, these employees are critical for places where chemicals or fuel is stored as well as various hazardous materials or bulk liquids. They move through the place, checking stuff like valves and air quality (detecting escaping gas, for instance), and have the authority to order an emergency shutdown if necessary. All alone, they face dangers of falling; inhaling deadly fumes; or coming into contact with toxic spills. See, Safety Digest: Preparing Equipment and Instrumentation for Cold Weather Operations, published by the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board.
Responsibility to Keep Industrial Lone Worker Safe During Winter Weather
Winter brings additional safety concerns recognized not only by government regulators and safety agencies, but industrial boards and advocates for worker victims and their loved ones. Especially in Illinois and Indiana, winter weather means industrial equipment and machinery as well as motor vehicles on the site (including industrial trucks like forklifts) may fail simply due to the cold conditions. Seals can leak more now. Metals become brittle in the cold. Batteries can stop working. Hydraulics may be slow.
There is also a greater likelihood of workers slipping and falling; suffering cold stress injuries (like hypothermia) as well as potentially fatal exposure to things like diesel exhaust fumes or carbon monoxide.
There are safety regulations in place to protect workers on industrial sites, especially those alone on the job. These will vary according to the particular situations. See, 29 CFR §1915.84.
Responsibilities include:
- providing the right Personal Protective Equipment (“PPE”) as well as making sure it fits and is being used;
- having scheduled check-ins for the lone worker;
- having an established safety policy to deal with snow or ice;
- having practices in place to deal with cold temperatures in the specific work environment;
- having special time limits for the lone worker to be on the job in frigid conditions before a break;
- making sure there are proper warning labels and warning signs;
- making sure no one is being ask to work with, or near, something that is subject to recall for defect (either voluntarily or not);
- having heated shelters for workers with lone workers being required to visit them at set times;
- as practical, providing the lone worker with special protections like space heaters;
- providing all industrial lone workers with alerts and alarms to be used in the case of an accident;
- scheduled checking in with any workers working alone at the worksite;
- making sure all safety measures are in place before work begins for the industrial lone worker, such as technology intended to warn of escaping toxins or releasing of hazardous materials;
- training all workers to be alert to signs of cold stress symptoms;
- training all workers to be alert to the particular dangers facing co-workers working alone or in remote locations; and
- having emergency protocols in place and ready to be implemented in the event of a lone worker being hurt.
For more, see: “Lone Working in Manufacturing: A Brief Guide,” written by Phiona Del Birut and published by Safety Culture on September 17, 2025.
Any industrial lone worker hurt on the job in Illinois or Indiana has the right to investigate the work accident with the help of accident reconstruction experts working independently of the company investigators, regulatory authorities, law enforcement, or insurance adjusters.
The worker victim may be shocked to find out that one or more companies or individuals distinct from the employer breached a legal duty of safety or ignored an industrial standard for safety that contributed to the event.
There may be civil claims to be asserted based upon state laws including negligent supervision; negligent training; product liability; premises liability; and more. For instance, a lone worker unaware of the risks of a product because of a missing warning sign or label may have a sufficient basis to demand monetary damages from those responsible for placing that warning and for making sure the warning was present and legible.
For more, read:
- Are There Civil Claims for Damages Against Third-Parties for Your Work Accident?
- Accident Reconstruction Experts and Injury Claims
- Common & Severe Work Related Injuries: How Do Attorneys Protect Workers?
- Work Accident in Illinois or Indiana: Workers Compensation Claim vs. Personal Injury Damages.
Lone workers on industrial jobsites in the several, cold winters of Illinois or Indiana face great risks of being hurt in a work accident. They deserve protection which is all too often not provided by those with duties of care, resulting in a tragic, preventable accident. Please be careful out there!
