Going it alone

The cliché tells us there is safety in numbers, but for many solo workers, travelling in a pack simply isn’t an option.

Supervising staff that undertake remote or isolated work poses a unique set of challenges for field service managers. Bound by a duty of care, employers need to manage risks to health and safety of those workers, which may involve more than you think.

One is the loneliest number

According to the WorkCover Authority of NSW, remote or isolated work is defined as “work that is isolated from the assistance of other people because of the location, time or nature of the work being done”. Assistance from other people in this scenario includes rescue, medial assistance and emergency services.

An employee can be considered isolated even if there are other people close by. Anyone carrying out tasks alone is, by strict definition, isolated from others and that separation exposes individuals to a range of risks and hazards that are not as prevalent when working with an offsider or in a group.

Size up the situation

Safe Work Australia (SWA) published a code of practice late 2011 titled ‘Managing the Work Environment and Facilities’, which incorporates a section specifically for remote or isolated work. It suggests that a number of factors must be considered when assessing employee risks and makes a useful starting point for risk identification by managers and business owners with a responsibility for lone workers:

• The length of time and time of day. How long will a person need to be alone to finalise a job and is there more risk at certain times of day?
• Communication. Can the worker access communication systems and are there procedures for regular communication? Will any existing emergency communication systems work properly in all situations and, if they are vehicle based, what arrangements are in place if the case of a worker being away from their vehicle?
• Location. What will happen in the event of a vehicle breakdown and is the work in a remote location, making immediate rescue difficult?
• Nature of the work. What type of machinery or tools are required, are high-risk activities involved, is fatigue likely to increase risk? Is the worker exposed to adverse environmental conditions including weather and animals such as reptiles or insects? Is there the possibility of violence or aggression when dealing with clients?
• Skills and capabilities. Does the individual’s level of work experience and training equip them to make sound judgements with respect to their own safety? Do they have any pre-existing medical conditions that may put them at risk?

Put protection in place

Once you’ve grasped the nature and extent of risks, processes and procedures need to be implemented to guarantee worker safety. For some industries and professions, the assessment process may uncover risks too high to allow workers to continue alone. SWA recommends a buddy system in cases such as these. It also suggests that workplace layout and design can be adjusted to diminish risk, but the focus in the remote or isolated section of the code of practice is fixed on communication.

SWA advises that the most suitable type of communication system will be determined by the worker’s ultimate distance from their home base, as well as the environment through which they will have to travel. They suggest that both expert advice and local knowledge will assist in selection of the most appropriate form.

In situations whereby a worker does not have access to a fixed line phone, or would be unable to reach one in the event of an emergency, SWA offers the following options:

• Personal security systems - are an ideal solution for workers on the move in usually isolated places. Many are capable of automatic alarm transmission in the event of an absence of movement.
• Radio communications systems - are suited to situations where multiple mobile workers need to contact one another, or a home base. The effectiveness of this solution is likely to be dependent on factors including frequency, power and distance between broadcasters.
• Satellite communications systems - are most useful when dealing with geographically remote locations, although they can be susceptible to damage to aerials, vehicle power supply failure or vehicle damage.
• Distress beacons - where the threat to life is substantial. The technology employed in emergency position indication radio beacons (IPIRBs) used in marine environments, emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) used in aircraft and personal locator beacons (PLBs) for personal use, provides accurate location information and can communicate the event of an emergency through simple activation.
• Mobile phones - although the most obvious and prevalent of communications devices, there is potential for mobile phones to become inoperable in areas of no or limited coverage. Given the susceptibility of mobile phone service with respect to geographical features, SWA suggests an additional communication device be made available to workers.

The guide also recommends the use of movement recording, including simple systems such as regular call-ins, through to more advanced technology such as satellite tracking, which can initiate distress or alert functions if required.

Of course, common sense will prevail in many situations, but workers will need to be adequately educated with respect to working alone, including instruction in the use of available communications systems and how to obtain assistance in the event of an emergency.

For more information on employer obligations, contact your local WorkCover office. A copy of the full code is available from the publications section of Safe Work Australia website: www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.

Image credit: ©iStockphoto.com/Skip ODonnell