Friends of Jimmy Ray Wiebe, the Shell gas station employee murdered on the job last month, are campaigning for a change in Saskatchewan's law that they believe will help avoid similar incidents in the future.
"It hit home pretty close. I'm still shocked by it." says Aaron Nagy, who knew Wiebe for the last 25 years.
One thought about the tragedy continues to bother Nagy.
"I know this could have been prevented."
Nagy is the author of a petition now circulating through the region calling for "Jimmy's Law": legislation that prohibits retail employees in the province from working alone.
Such a law would protect workers not just from violence, believes Nagy, but from health risks such as choking and heart attacks.
"Then you have someone that can hit the panic button or make a phone call or something like that."
So far, the online petition (http://ipetitions.com/petition/jimmyslaw) has drawn more than 600 signatures.
Nagy is now working on a formal paper version of the petition to be spread by volunteers throughout the communities surrounding Yorkton. He will be meeting with political figures such as Yorkton MLA Greg Ottenbreit and provincial NDP leader Dwain Lingenfelter for advice on how to proceed.
Nagy is determined to see it through.
"I wanted to do something. It's the least that I could do."
No province in Canada prohibits working alone. The jurisdiction that comes closest is British Columbia, which in 2008 enacted controversial legislation giving employers the option of either staffing multiple workers for late-night shifts or separating lone employees from the public with a physical barrier or locked door. The province also requires all gasoline sales to be prepaid.
Saskatchewan is among the eight provinces and territories in Canada that regulate working alone, but its provisions are looser than some others. For example, while the province's Occupational Health & Safety regulations recommend that employers maintain regular contact at designated intervals with employees who work alone, it is not mandatory as it is in Alberta or BC.
Larry Hubich, president of the Saskatchewan Federation of Labour, says that in principle, his organization would support legislation similar to Jimmy's Law.
"In those 24-hour operations, people are in very vulnerable situations, particularly if they're handling cash or if they've got an inventory that's attractive to thieves, or just vulnerable to assault. There's too much of that going on.
"Maybe it's time we took a look at what we need to do to ensure that they were protected. Maybe it's time that no worker worked alone."
Both Hubich and Nagy say that BC-style legislation providing employers with multiple options to protect workers would be a fair compromise.
"Whether it's a barrier or two people working, those are steps in the right direction," Hubich says.
But Marilyn Braun-Pollon, vice president of prairie and agri-business with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, argues that this is the wrong approach.
"This is certainly a tragic event, and our thoughts are with the family at this time. We certainly empathize with those that believe someone shouldn't be working alone because it is dangerous, but I think we have to be mindful of creating kneejerk legislation that doesn't automatically provide a solution to the problem."
Baun-Pollon cites a recent study by the USA's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
"They said that there was no evidence of increased safety with two clerks over one clerk, and that increasing staffing could in fact increase the number of people who could get hurt."
Braun-Pollon calls for a discussion about alternative approaches to improving worker safety. As examples, she lists the Alberta government's check-in regulations and Working Alone Safely booklet, which is designed to help employers identify workplace hazards and establish safety plans.
"Those are practical ways of looking at it," says Braun-Pollon.
More information on the Jimmy's Law campaign can be found at http://facebook.com/jimmyslaw.
