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WorkSafe New Zealand worksafe.govt.nz

Remote and isolated work

Imported from official source

Announcement

This safety alert covers the importance of being safe and staying connected when working remotely or isolated from others.

A possum trapper with over 50 years’ experience rolled his quad bike down a steep gully in a remote part of the country and was left with seven broken ribs, torn muscles in his back, and a badly damaged shoulder. He credits his survival to crush protection devices, wearing a helmet and carrying a personal locator beacon.

This man made it through – but sadly many workers who are injured in remote locations are not so lucky.

Remote or isolated work occurs when a worker performs tasks without direct assistance from others due to location, timing, or the nature of the work.

  • Farmers working alone in remote locations.
  • Construction workers working late after others have left the site.
  • Maintenance staff carrying out urgent repairs when premises are closed.
  • Teams working in restricted-access basements or plant rooms.
  • Roadside workers operating in areas with limited mobile coverage.
  • Care workers conducting solo home visits.
  • Petrol station attendants working alone on night shift.

    • In any of these cases, delays in receiving assistance can increase the severity of accidents, emergencies, or threats of physical violence.

  • Can the work be avoided or completed another way?
  • Is the worker competent, trained, and authorised to work unsupervised?
  • Can a buddy system be used – working with someone else instead of alone?
  • radios, satellite phones, emergency alarms, personal locator beacons

    • Workers undertaking remote or isolated work should:

  • make sure they tell someone where they’re going and when they expect to be back
  • receive training in emergency and disaster response procedures
  • carry reliable communication devices suitable for the location
  • have a secondary method of raising an alarm
  • be monitored remotely where appropriate (for example, CCTV or electronic monitoring systems).

    • This is an extract. The publication continues at the source.

    Read the original at the source: https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/news-and-media/remote-and-isolated-work/

    Officially imported this from WorkSafe New Zealand’s own source and shows an extract. If you work there, claiming the profile and verifying the domain lets you choose to show the full text here.

    Provenance

    Organization
    WorkSafe New Zealand — imported from official source
    Official source
    https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/news-and-media/rss RSS
    Imported
    October 03, 2026 20:43
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    1 recorded
    Identity
    https://www.worksafe.govt.nz/about-us/news-and-media/remote-and-isolated-work/

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