Under the WHS Regulations 2012 (SA), regulation 55D requires that PCBUS have regard to a range of relevant matters when determining how to manage psychosocial risks.  The design, layout, and environmental conditions of the workplace is one relevant matter. As such, PCBUs must manage psychosocial risks associated with remote or isolated work. This includes home based work.

Remote or isolated work may include:

• working in locations requiring long commutes to work sites
• significant delays to entering or exiting the worksite (e.g. prisons, tower cranes or confined spaces)
• limited access to resources (e.g. supplies are delivered infrequently or there are significant delays in getting additional equipment if needed)
• limited access to recreation or opportunities to escape work issues (e.g. living in workers’ accommodation in remote areas)
• reduced access to support networks and lower capacity to meet family commitments (e.g. fly-in fly-out or offshore work)
• working alone (e.g. lone workers on night shift)
• working away from the usual workplace (e.g. working in clients’ homes, offsite or from home)
• where there is limited access to reliable communication and technology (e.g. no phone reception or IT systems are frequently offline), and
• difficulties or long delays accessing help in an emergency (e.g. community nurses in remote areas, working in underground mines).

Workers who work in remote or isolated settings can face unique or extra health and safety risks if other people aren’t around to:

• help and support them with their work
• notice if they are exposed to psychosocial hazards (such as low support, high demands or low reward and recognition)
• notice if they are experiencing stress, fatigue, an injury, or illness.

When managing the risks associated with remote or isolated work, consideration should be given to:

• the length of time the person may be working alone
• the time of day when a person may be working alone
• a communication plan with workers
• the location of the work
• the nature of the work, as well as the skills and capabilities of the worker including any medical considerations.

Effective management of psychosocial risks of remote and isolated work can be achieved by:

• having an emergency response plan when worker fail to report in at an agreed time
• maintaining regular verbal communication with workers through videoconferencing, phone calls and periodic visits
• having communication systems that enables workers to call for help in the event of an emergency at any time (such as satellite phones, personal duress alarms or radio communication systems)
• having a check in process whereby workers are required to contact a manager or co-worker at a nominated time
• ensuring clear instructions regarding workloads and expectations are communicated
• keeping staff and HSR’s informed with updates as they become available
• encouraging employees to maintain start and finish times and take regular breaks
• providing continued access to an employee assistance program (EAP) and online support services
• appointing a contact person in the business with whom workers can discuss any concerns
• promoting employees to be active, eat well and get outdoors
• encouraging employees to contact their manager if they start to feel stressed due to working arrangements and the work environment.

Refer to Appendix A of the Managing the work environment and facilities - Code of Practice (PDF) for a checklist to help you review the work environment and the adequacy of facilities provided to your workers.