National Safe Work Month – Safety a priority when working alone

Working in agriculture often means working alone or in remote, isolated locations, and while the nature of the job brings its rewards, it also comes with unique risks.

This Safe Work Month (1-31 October) consider how you are managing the risk of remote or isolated workers in your business, and ensuring they stay safe.

Remote or isolated work can cause a stress response which when frequent, prolonged or severe may cause physical or psychological injury to a worker. Remote and isolated work may exist as a hazard on its own, however often will occur in combination with other psychosocial hazards at work (which combined may increase risk of harm).

Like all work health and safety risks, the risks associated with remote and isolated work must be managed.

For workers

As a worker, you need to consider the risks of remote or isolated work and make sure you can communicate and get help if necessary.

Some steps you can take to stay safe:

• Before you leave, tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll return.
• Make sure you have the right communication equipment you need to stay in touch, for example, a mobile phone, 2-way radio, or satellite phone.
• Take enough water and food.
• Have a call-in system. For example, if you’re working on a farm, arrange to call in via 2-way radio at specific times, or when you move to another location.
• Keep first-aid equipment handy and make sure you know how to use it.
• Make sure you have access to an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) or GPS tracking system.
• Include a list of emergency numbers and property GPS coordinates on a card nearby.
• Have the appropriate recovery gear if travelling off road.

For PCBUs

If you’re a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you have a duty to, as far as it’s reasonably practicable to:

• put measures in place to protect remote and isolated workers from risk including:
  • 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.
  • 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, for example if travelling check the weather and relevant maps, and chat with industry contacts on how they are managing this type of work.
  • 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.

You should also make sure workers can communicate effectively and get help if needed. Take into consideration the length of time and time of day workers may be working remotely or isolated.

The type of communication 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

It’s also important that you supply the correct equipment for the task e.g. recovery gear if working/travelling off road and that you ensure the worker has suitable skills, training and experience, as well as considering their physical and psychological health.  Training could include:

• using communications systems
• administering first aid
• getting help in an emergency
• driving off-road vehicles
• bush survival

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.

At the heart of the agriculture industry is a community spirit, and even though workers may be physically isolated, it's vital that we look out for each other. Whether you're an employer, a manager, or a worker, making safety a priority for those working alone or remotely is a shared responsibility.

Further information

For more information on agriculture safety visit worksafe.qld.gov.au