Alone at Work: The hidden dangers of working in isolation and remote locations

June 9, 2025
11:32 am

Is Australia’s Risk Appetite catching up to the Reality of Lone Work?

Working alone isn’t always a choice—it’s a job requirement across many sectors, from mining and agriculture to health and community services. But being out of sight should never mean out of mind.

Lone and remote workers face unique hazards, not just physical, but psychological. When systems fail, the consequences can be fatal.

The following recent cases from Western Australia highlight the devastating consequences when lone and remote worker risks are not adequately managed. These aren’t just statistics—they’re real people, whose stories show what can happen when working alone.

Truck Driver – Minilya WA (2025)

A 38-year-old died after his truck veered off the North West Coastal Highway. He was alone and pronounced dead at the scene.

FIFO Mechanic – Pilbara (2024)

The mechanic died after a remote vehicle rollover. His body was discovered two days later. His vehicle, which lacked a GPS tracker, was scheduled for installation the following week.

Tow Truck Driver – Marble Bar (2024)

A 75-year-old driver died after rolling his truck in the remote Pilbara. He was travelling alone without immediate backup.

Social Worker – Rockingham (2018)

A social worker was fatally stabbed by a client during an outreach visit to his home. Despite severe injuries, she drove to a nearby café seeking help and later died in hospital. The client, who had a history of psychiatric illness and infatuation.

Surveyor – Cataby Mine (2018)

Stung by a bee while working alone, the surveyor self-administered an EpiPen and called for help, but later died. His employer was fined for failing to provide an adequate emergency response system.

Safety Engineering Tips

Let’s reverse engineer these tragic events. Here are some of the many controls available to employers today:

Say no to solo visits to clients with a history of violence or sexualised behaviour
Replace home visits with in-clinic sessions, telehealth or other controlled secure locations
Prohibit taking MSTeam calls while driving (talk to staff about recording MSTeams meetings and catching up on them later in the day)
Invest in safety tech – Wearable devices equipped with sensors can monitor vital signs, when integrated with AI they can detect signs of fatigue, heat stress, enabling interventions.
Smarten up with safety apps – Investigate apps for real time safety monitoring for lone workers.
Reliable communication systems (mobile phones, 2-way radios, automatic warning devices, satellite phones, emergency position indicating radio beacon, personal locator beacons).
Global positioning systems (GPS) within company vehicles.
Install Advanced Driver Monitoring Systems, AI assesses driver alertness by analysing eye movement, head position and facial expressions.
Empower staff with location tracking badges that when activated, alerts nearby personnel and security.
Insist on risk assessments and journey management plans.
Well thought out emergency management plans with detailed emergency response plans ready to deploy (e.g. is your next of kin list updated?).
Regular check-ins with a designated contact person.

Psychosocial support – let’s look to prevent (e.g., mental health training, buddy systems), however, have a backup when things don’t go to plan (e.g., employee assistance counselling services).
Fatigue management and scheduled breaks.
Implement working at home policies, procedures and guidance for those working from home; having access to social supports is critical to employee wellbeing.

It’s time for Australian businesses to lift their appetite for risk prevention and invest in meaningful protections for lone workers. When we talk about safety, we must mean all workers—especially those who walk the path alone.

Want to improve your safe systems of work? Talk to Spring Safety Consultants for local technical writing expertise.