Remote and isolated work

If you’re a PCBU, you have a duty to ensure the health and safety of workers, whether they are isolated or working remotely for a short time or a lengthy period.

The first step to manage the risk of harm to workers is to identify the hazards related to work tasks and the environment. For example:

• park rangers doing fieldwork in remote locations can’t easily access help such as emergency or medical services
• service-station attendants who work alone at night could be exposed to work-related violence or aggression
• long-distance truck drivers could suffer psychological stress because of loneliness or disrupted family relationships.

Identify these risks by:

• inspecting your business and reviewing processes— consider the location where the work is being done. For example, think about environmental conditions and distance to facilities and resources. Identify the work and work processes that require workers to be remote or isolated
• talking to your workers—talk to your workers to get their ideas about potential risks and hazards at work. You could also use a confidential survey, so workers feel safe to report issues and make suggestions. Also think about ways to include workers who are less likely to speak up in a group meeting or who might have language or reading and writing barriers
• considering the worker and any individual factors, like their experience and training, that may affect their ability to work remotely and manage the environment
• reviewing available information—look at:
  • information from a range of sources and gather ideas about how other places of work are managing remote or isolated work
  • information from your own records (including workers’ compensation claims, recorded incidents, sick leave and worker complaints) as well as workers’ compensation data for your organisation and industry
  • guidelines and advice in publications like the Managing the work environment and facilities code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.57 MB)  (PDF, 0.57 MB) and the  How to manage work health and safety risks code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.65 MB).

A risk assessment involves thinking about:

• what could happen if someone is exposed to a hazard
• the likelihood of it happening.

This can help you decide how serious the risk is, and what you should do about it.

You can read more about what factors to consider in the Managing the work environment and facilities code of practice 2021 (PDF, 0.57 MB). These factors include the:

• length of time and time of day when the person may be working alone
• available forms of communication and how often there is contact with the worker
• where the work is being done, for example, in a high-crime area or far from medical help
• nature of the work and whether it involves high-risk activities, such as working at heights or operating a forklift
• skills, training, and experience of the worker, as well as their physical and psychological health.

Once you’ve identified and assessed the risks, you can decide on control measures.

The most effective control measure is to remove the risk completely. Is it possible to do the work in way that does not require workers to work in remote areas, or in isolation? For example, could processes be automated or done online, or could technology such as drones or aerial photography be used?

If it’s not reasonably practicable to eliminate the need for remote or isolated work, consult your workers and decide on ways to minimise the risks. You can, for example, consider:

• buddy systems—some jobs are so high risk (for example, where there’s a risk of violence) that workers should always be accompanied by another person
• workplace layout and design—workplaces can be designed to reduce the likelihood of violence, for example, you can install physical barriers, increase visibility, and install a CCTV system monitored in real time to enable a quick response to an emergency situation
• communication systems—the type of system will depend on the environment and location of the work. In some cases, you might need expert advice or local knowledge to select the best system. Communication systems can include:
  • personal security systems, such as non-movement sensors that automatically activate an alarm transmission if the transmitter or transceiver has not moved within a certain time. This alarm should then trigger a process for an emergency response
  • radio communication systems
  • satellite communication systems
  • distress beacons, for example emergency position indication radio beacons (EPIRB) used in ships and boats, emergency locator transmitters (ELT) used in aircraft, and person locator beacons (PLB) for personal use
  • mobile phones,— in locations which have mobile coverage. If there is any doubt about coverage, you should consult with the provider or have a backup system

Watch a video about communication options for workers in remote or isolated areas

• movement records—keeping track of workers can help control the risks. This can be done with:
  • systems for calling in with supervisors or colleagues
  • satellite tracking systems or devices
• training, information, and instruction—workers should be given training before working alone or remotely. Examples of topics to include in training (depending on the work being done) are:
  • dealing with aggressive people
  • using communications systems
  • administering first aid
  • getting help in an emergency
  • driving off-road vehicles
  • bush survival
• monitoring and supervision—for example, random checks to ensure workers are following procedures. If you identify an issue, address it by, for example, giving the worker more training and start a process to manage performance before implementing these controls.

Risk management is an ongoing process. Circumstances can change and you need to regularly review the work environment, work processes, equipment, and any other relevant factors to identify any new hazards and risks. According to work health and safety laws, you’re required to review your control measures when:

• you become aware that a control measure isn’t working
• there’s been a change that might give rise to a new risk
• you identify a new hazard or risk
• workers indicate a review is needed
• a supervisor or health and safety representative requests a review
• the dynamic and complexity of your business changes
• a work health and safety incident has occurred.