For many Australian organisations, work doesn’t always happen within the safety of an office or fixed workplace. Community workers visit clients in their homes. Housing officers attend properties. Healthcare and support workers travel between appointments. Field staff may spend hours working away from colleagues.
For employers, this creates an important question: how do you keep lone and community workers safe when immediate support may not be nearby?
Lone worker safety requires more than one policy or piece of technology. A strong approach combines risk assessment, clear procedures, communication, staff training and reliable access to emergency assistance.
In this guide, we look at practical ways organisations can strengthen safety for employees working alone, remotely or in the community.
What Is Lone or Isolated Work?
Lone working doesn’t necessarily mean an employee spends their entire shift completely alone.
Safe Work Australia describes remote or isolated workers as people who may be isolated from assistance because of where or when they are working, or because of the nature of the work itself.
This can include employees who regularly interact with members of the public but are isolated from their own colleagues.
For example, Safe Work Australia specifically identifies health and community workers working with members of the public while isolated from colleagues among the types of workers who may experience remote or isolated work.
Who May Be Considered a Lone or Community Worker?
Lone and isolated work occurs across many industries and roles.
Employees who may spend periods working away from immediate assistance include:
- Community and social workers
- Domestic and family violence case workers
- Public and community housing workers
- Healthcare and home care workers
- Disability support workers
- Aged care and community care staff
- Property and facilities workers
- Utility and maintenance workers
- Field service employees
- Employees working after hours
- Workers travelling between multiple locations
The risks faced by each employee will differ, which is why organisations need to consider the environment, role and circumstances in which the work takes place.
What Are the Risks of Working Alone?
Working alone doesn’t automatically make a job unsafe. However, being separated from colleagues can change the consequences of an incident because immediate assistance may not be available.
Depending on the role, lone and community workers may encounter risks including workplace violence or aggression, medical emergencies, falls and injuries, unfamiliar environments, vehicle incidents or situations where communication is difficult.
For employees working directly with the public, workplace violence and aggression can also be an important consideration. SafeWork NSW’s workplace violence guidance highlights violence and aggression as workplace hazards that employers need to identify and manage.
Workers who enter private homes or interact directly with members of the public may also encounter circumstances that are difficult for an employer to predict or control.
The question for employers is therefore not simply whether someone works alone, but what could happen while they are alone and how quickly they could access assistance if something went wrong.
7 Ways to Help Keep Lone and Community Workers Safe
1. Identify and Assess Lone Worker Risks
An effective lone worker safety strategy begins with understanding when, where and how employees work away from others.
Employers should consider the nature of the work, location, expected duration, communication availability and the likelihood of an emergency occurring.
Safe Work Australia’s guidance on managing remote and isolated work recommends identifying hazards, assessing risks, implementing appropriate controls and regularly reviewing those controls to ensure they remain effective.
Risk assessments should also account for situations that may change throughout the day. A routine client visit, for example, may present different risks depending on the location, people present and circumstances encountered by the worker.
2. Establish Clear Check-In and Check-Out Procedures
A simple check-in procedure can provide an important layer of protection.
Organisations can establish agreed times or milestones when employees confirm that they have arrived, completed a visit or left a location safely.
The procedure should also establish what happens when a worker doesn’t check in as expected.
Australian workplace safety guidance supports the use of communication and check-in systems for employees working remotely or in isolation. WorkSafe Queensland recommends considering communication systems and processes that allow remote or isolated workers to obtain assistance when required.
For higher-risk roles, relying on informal messages between colleagues may not provide enough oversight. A documented process helps everyone understand when action should be taken.
3. Create Clear Emergency and Escalation Procedures
Workers should know what to do if they feel unsafe or an emergency occurs.
Organisations should establish clear escalation procedures covering who receives an alert, how the situation will be assessed and when emergency services or other assistance should be contacted.
These procedures should be communicated to employees before they begin lone or community-based work.
Emergency procedures should also account for situations where a worker may be unable to make a conventional phone call or explain what is happening.
4. Provide Staff Safety Training
Technology is most effective when employees understand how and when to use it.
Staff safety training may include recognising changing risks, maintaining situational awareness, following organisational check-in procedures and understanding how to summon assistance.
Workers should also be familiar with any safety devices they carry so they can activate them quickly if an emergency occurs.
Regular reviews and refresher training can also help ensure procedures remain practical as working environments, technology and risks change.
5. Make Emergency Assistance Accessible
One of the most important considerations for a lone worker is how they will request help.
A mobile phone may be sufficient in some circumstances. However, there may also be situations where accessing a phone, unlocking it and making a call is difficult or could draw unwanted attention.
Safe Work Australia’s guidance on managing remote and isolated work emphasises the importance of ensuring workers can access emergency assistance when required.
For higher-risk roles, organisations may therefore consider a dedicated staff safety or duress solution.
6. Consider GPS-Enabled Worker Safety Technology
Knowing where a worker is can be particularly important when employees travel between client homes, properties or community locations.
GPS-enabled worker safety devices can provide location information following an SOS activation, helping monitoring personnel identify where assistance may be required.
WorkSafe Queensland’s remote and isolated work guidance also identifies appropriate communication and personal security measures as part of managing risks associated with workers who may be separated from immediate assistance.
Solutions such as the mCareWatch combine wearable personal safety functionality with GPS and mobile connectivity, providing workers with access to assistance without relying solely on a separate mobile phone.
Location technology should form part of a broader safety process rather than replacing communication, training or organisational procedures.
7. Consider Wearable Duress Alarms for Higher-Risk Roles
A wearable duress alarm gives employees a way to raise an SOS directly from a device they are already carrying or wearing.
For some community-facing roles, discretion can be particularly important.
A silent SOS function can allow an employee to request assistance without activating a loud alarm or visibly making a phone call.
WorkSafe Victoria’s guidance on remote or isolated work identifies security measures such as personal duress alarms and other warning systems among the controls organisations may consider for employees working remotely or in isolation.
mCare Digital’s staff safety solutions include wearable options designed to support employees working alone, in the community or in environments where they may require rapid access to assistance.
How Are Australian Organisations Using Duress Alarms?
The value of staff safety technology becomes clearer when looking at how organisations use it in real working environments.
Supporting Domestic Violence Case Workers During Home Visits
A domestic violence refuge introduced mCare Digital wearable duress alarms for case workers conducting home and community visits.
Because staff may encounter sensitive and potentially volatile situations, the organisation required a discreet way for workers to summon assistance without unnecessarily drawing attention.
The solution provides features including silent SOS activation, location technology and connection to 24/7 monitoring, while supporting the organisation’s broader check-in and check-out processes.
Read the case study: Lone Worker Safety for Domestic Violence Case Workers.
Supporting Public Housing Community Workers
A major government housing agency also introduced mCare Digital duress alarms for community workers who visit properties and perform duties away from colleagues.
Staff particularly valued the ability to activate an SOS discreetly, while GPS capabilities provide location information that can assist when responding to an alert.
After more than 12 months of use, workers reported an increased sense of security and peace of mind when carrying out duties in the community.
Read the case study: Improving Community Worker Safety with Staff Duress Alarms.
What Should a Lone Worker Safety System Include?
There is no single solution that will be appropriate for every organisation.
A lone worker safety system should be based on the actual risks employees face and may combine:
- Lone worker risk assessments
- Staff training
- Check-in and check-out procedures
- Clear emergency escalation processes
- Reliable communication
- Wearable SOS or duress functionality
- GPS location capabilities
- Appropriate monitoring arrangements
- Regular review of incidents and procedures
The objective is to create multiple layers of protection rather than relying on a single safety measure.
Building a Safer Workplace Beyond the Office
As work becomes increasingly mobile and community based, workplace safety strategies need to account for employees whose workplace may change several times throughout the day.
For employers, keeping lone and community workers safe starts with understanding where assistance may be limited and putting appropriate safeguards in place before an incident occurs.
Risk assessments, clear procedures, training, communication and wearable safety technology can work together to provide employees with greater confidence when performing essential work away from their colleagues.
To explore technology designed to support lone, mobile and community-based employees, learn more about mCare Digital’s Staff Safety Solutions.