What must a trade employer do about lone-worker risks?

What section 48 says

Section 48(1) requires a person conducting a business or undertaking to manage risks to a worker's health and safety associated with remote or isolated work under part 3.1, which the section's note describes as the general risk management requirements. Section 48(2) says that in minimising those risks the business must provide a system of work that includes effective communication with the worker.

Section 48(3) defines assistance as including rescue, medical assistance and the attendance of emergency service workers. Remote or isolated work means work isolated from the assistance of other persons because of location, time or the nature of the work.

Sources[1]

Working alone is not always isolated

The section turns on isolation from help, not on whether someone is alone. A plumber alone in an occupied house in daylight may not be isolated. An electrician alone after hours in a plant room, or a technician on a rural job with no signal, may be. Assess each job against the three tests in the definition: location, time and the nature of the work.

Sources[1]

Choosing communication and intervals

The section sets no fixed interval and names no device. The questions below are a recommended way to choose them, and the reason should be written down. A phone alone does not guarantee effective communication, because coverage can fail, a battery can die and an injured worker may not be able to answer.

Sources[1]

Risk assessment and check-in plan

This original template records the assessment, the communication system and the escalation steps. Complete it for each job, brief the worker and review it after any incident or change.

LONE AND REMOTE WORK PLAN
Job and site: [ ]   Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Worker: [name]   Supervisor: [name, phone]   Backup contact: [name, phone]

1. IS THE WORK REMOTE OR ISOLATED?
Isolated from other people's assistance because of: [location / time of day / nature of the work]
How long will the worker be alone: [ ]

2. HAZARDS AND RISKS
Hazard | Who could be harmed | What could happen | Controls now | Further control | Done by
[ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ] | [ ]

3. ASSISTANCE
How would rescue, medical help or emergency services reach this worker? Access point and address: [ ]
Mobile coverage tested at site: [yes/no/where]
First aid kit and training: [ ]

4. COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Method: [phone / radio / satellite device / in-person visit]
Backup if the first method fails: [ ]
Contact points: start [time], during [interval chosen from this assessment], end [time]
Why this interval was chosen: [ ]

5. IF CONTACT IS MISSED
Suspected immediate danger or medical emergency: call 000 immediately. Do not wait through a routine call sequence or send an untrained person into danger.
Routine missed contact, if no immediate emergency is suspected:
Step 1: [call the worker and the backup number]
Step 2: [call the site or customer contact]
Step 3: [ask someone nearby to check, or go to site]
Escalation deadline and emergency contact: [based on the assessed risk; give emergency services the site address and last known details]
Who decides: [name]

6. BRIEFING AND REVIEW
Worker has read and understands this plan: [name, signature, date]
Review after: any incident, near miss, change of site or task. Reviewed by: [name, date]

Sources[1]

Common questions

Do I need a risk assessment for lone working?

Section 48(1) of the Queensland regulation requires a business to manage the health and safety risks of remote or isolated work under part 3.1, the general risk management requirements. That part is not reproduced in the source used here, so check it, or the regulator's guidance, for how to document the assessment.[1]

What are the rules and regulations for working alone in Australia?

This guide covers only Queensland's Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 section 48 on remote or isolated work. Other states and territories have their own laws, which this guide does not cover, so check your own regulator.[1]