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Across Australia, many people work alone. From nurses conducting home visits to council rangers patrolling remote parks, from cleaners working after hours to delivery drivers on the road, lone working is a fundamental part of many jobs.
But what does Australian law actually say about working alone? Is it legal? What are an employer’s obligations? And do you need to provide a duress alarm?
This guide answers those questions. It is written for employers, managers, WHS officers, and lone workers themselves. It draws on Safe Work Australia guidance, the model WHS laws, and state and territory regulators. It does not replace legal advice, but it will give you a clear understanding of what the law requires.
What Does Australian Law Say About Working Alone?
Is It Legal to Work Alone in Australia?
What Does WHS Regulation 48 Require?
What Is Classed as Remote or Isolated Work?
Do Employers Need to Monitor Lone Workers?
Are Duress Alarms Legally Required for Lone Workers?
What Is Considered Effective Communication?
What Are an Employer's Duty-of-Care Responsibilities?
Do Requirements Differ Between Australian States and Territories?
What Are the Consequences of Failing to Manage Lone-Worker Risks?
Control Measures: Duress Alarms, Monitoring, and Technology
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Australian law does not ban working alone. There is no general prohibition on lone work. However, the law places a primary duty of care on employers — legally referred to as a “person conducting a business or undertaking” (PCBU) – to ensure the health and safety of workers, so far as is reasonably practicable. This duty applies regardless of whether the worker is in a shared office or alone in the field.
A PCBU is broader than the everyday word “employer”. It includes companies, sole traders, partnerships and organisations that engage employees, contractors or other workers. For readability, this guide uses “employer” and “PCBU” interchangeably.
The model WHS Act (adopted in most Australian jurisdictions) sets out this duty in Section 19. Among other things, it requires PCBUs to:
Australian law allows employees and contractors to work alone. There is no blanket prohibition on lone working. However, the law expects employers to actively manage the unique risks that come with working without nearby colleagues or direct supervision.
In practice, this means you can roster someone to work alone, provided you have:
Identified the hazards specific to that lone work
Assessed the risks
Consulted workers
Put suitable controls and emergency arrangements in place
WHS Regulation 48 is the specific provision dealing with remote or isolated work under the model WHS Regulations. It has two key parts:
Regulation 48(1) requires a PCBU to manage the risks to a worker’s health and safety associated with remote or isolated work, in accordance with Part 3.1 of the Regulations (managing risks to health and safety).
Regulation 48(2) requires that, in minimising those risks, the PCBU provide a system of work that includes effective communication with the worker.
In plain English, this means:
You must manage the risks of remote or isolated work. This means conducting a risk assessment, identifying hazards, and implementing control measures.
You must provide effective communication with the worker. This means a system of work that ensures the worker can communicate with someone who can respond.
Penalties: Breaching regulation 48(1) is an offence, and the maximum penalty varies by jurisdiction and is indexed over time. For example, in New South Wales the maximum is 70 penalty units for an individual and 345 penalty units for a body corporate (about $8,600 and $42,500 respectively at the 2025–26 penalty unit value of $123.31). In Queensland the maximum is 60 penalty units. Higher penalties can apply under the general duty of care provisions of the WHS Act (see below).
NSW body corporate
The legal definition is broad. It covers work isolated from the assistance of other persons because of location, time, or the nature of the work.
Safe Work Australia and state regulators give examples of remote or isolated work, including:
Work where it is hard to get help in an emergency
Workplaces that take a long time to enter and exit, for example, prisons or tower cranes
Workplaces that take a long time to get to, for example, commuting to remote areas
Reduced access to support networks, for example, fly-in fly-out work
Unreliable or limited communications, for example, no phone reception
Safe Work Australia notes that a worker can be isolated even when other people are close by, for example a community nurse doing clinical visits at night. Workers commonly affected include all-night convenience store and service station attendants, real estate agents and other sales representatives, long-distance freight drivers, field workers such as park rangers and scientists, and health and community workers who work with the public but are isolated from their colleagues.
Under WHS laws, PCBUs have a duty to monitor workers’ health and the conditions at the workplace to prevent work-related illness and injury. For lone workers, this duty takes on particular significance.
The law does not prescribe a specific monitoring method. What it requires is that risks are managed and effective communication is provided. Monitoring can take the form of:
The law does not prescribe a specific monitoring method. What it requires is that risks are managed and effective communication is provided. Monitoring can take the form of:
Australian legislation does not universally mandate a specific type of lone-worker alarm. The law focuses on outcomes (managing risks and providing effective communication) rather than prescribing a particular technology.
However, duress alarms are explicitly recognised as a potential control measure. Safe Work Australia’s guidance on managing remote and isolated work gives, as an example of a control, providing duress alarms or alert systems so workers can call for emergency help if they are working alone, or raise an alarm discreetly.
Some regulators go further:
Managing the work environment and facilities Code of Practice suggests giving lone workers a duress alarm so they can get immediate assistance
lists personal duress alarms among communication systems that enable workers to call for help in an emergency
lists personal security or duress systems among its examples of communication systems for remote or isolated workers
SafeTCard provides GPS-enabled duress alarms and 24/7 monitoring from a Grade A1 Australian response centre. We help organisations meet their WHS obligations and protect their people
Regulation 48 requires “effective communication” with remote or isolated workers. But what does “effective” mean?
The regulation does not prescribe a method, but regulator guidance gives a good picture. SafeWork SA encourages employers to ask:
In practice, good systems usually include:
The Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (Qld) adds that in minimising risks, the PCBU must provide a system of work that includes effective communication with the worker.
Under the WHS Act, PCBUs have a primary duty of care to ensure the health and safety of workers. For lone workers,
this translates into specific responsibilities:
Identify hazards specific to lone work, including medical emergencies, aggression from the public, fatigue, and mental health impacts from isolation
Assess risks: considering the location, time of day, nature of work, and communication coverage
Implement control measures: eliminating or minimising risks so far as is reasonably practicable
Provide effective communication, as required by regulation 48
Consult workers, about health and safety issues that may directly affect them
Provide information, training and supervision, so workers can do their jobs safely
Monitor workers' health and safety, to prevent work-related illness and injury
Review control measures to ensure they remain effective
The model WHS laws apply in NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia (WA moved to the model laws in March 2022). The Commonwealth also has its own WHS framework based on the model laws. These jurisdictions share the same regulation 48 requirement for remote or isolated work, although penalty amounts and citations differ.
Victoria operates under its own OHS regime: the Occupational
Health and Safety Act 2004 and OHS Regulations 2017. The duties are similar in substance: employers must provide a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. However, Victoria’s OHS Regulations do not specifically reference remote or isolated workers outside the mining context (the nearest regulation deals with communication with mine workers working alone). WorkSafe Victoria also publishes guidance on remote and isolated work.
Victoria’s Occupational Health and Safety (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 came into effect on 1 December 2025 and require
employers to identify and control psychosocial hazards and risks. Other jurisdictions have introduced psychosocial risk regulations too, and Safe Work Australia, SafeWork NSW and SafeWork SA all identify remote or isolated work as a psychosocial hazard to be managed.
Key differences to be aware of:
| Jurisdiction | Key Regulator | Specific Notes |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | SafeWork NSW | Model WHS laws apply; remote/isolated work identified as a psychosocial hazard; personal duress systems listed as an example communication system |
| Victoria | WorkSafe Victoria | Own OHS regime; new Psychological Health Regulations from Dec 2025 |
| Queensland | WorkSafe Queensland | Model WHS laws apply; Code of Practice suggests duress (panic) alarms for lone workers |
| South Australia | SafeWork SA | Model WHS laws apply; personal duress alarms listed as a communication option; Psychosocial Hazards Code of Practice commenced 19 February 2026 |
| Western Australia | WorkSafe WA | Model WHS laws apply since March 2022; PCBUs must provide an effective communication system for remote or isolated workers |
| Tasmania | WorkSafe Tasmania | Model WHS laws apply |
| ACT | WorkSafe ACT | Model WHS laws apply |
| NT | NT WorkSafe | Model WHS laws apply |
Despite the differences in structure, the underlying duty is consistent across Australia: manage the risks and provide effective communication.
The consequences of failing to manage lone-worker risks are significant – legally, financially, and humanly.
Maximum penalties under regulation 48(1) vary by jurisdiction and are indexed over time. Two examples:
New South Wales: 70 penalty units for an individual and 345 for a body corporate (about $8,600 and $42,500 at 2025–26 values)
Queensland: 60 penalty units
Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the ACT, the Northern Territory and the Commonwealth each set their own maximum for the same offence, so check the current figure with the relevant regulator. Victoria has no equivalent remote or isolated work offence in its OHS Regulations, but Victorian employers remain bound by the general duties in the OHS Act 2004, which carry significant penalties.
Beyond fines, the consequences include:
Prosecution and legal costs
Workers' compensation claims
Reputational damage
Difficulty recruiting and retaining staff
Psychological injury to workers and their families
Investigation time and operational disruption
The law does not prescribe a specific solution. It requires you to manage risks and provide effective communication. In practice, the following control measures are widely used:
Risk assessments: identifying hazards specific to lone work
Emergency plans: how to raise the alarm, who responds, and how emergency services reach the worker
Scheduled check-ins: regular contact so someone knows if a worker fails to report
Communication devices: phones, two-way communications, satellite phones
Duress alarms: GPS-enabled devices that send an alert and location to a monitoring centre
GPS-Lone worker monitoring systems: 24/7 professional monitoring with escalation protocols
GPS-Man-down detection: automatic alerts if a worker falls or becomes incapacitated
Training: so workers know how to use the system and what to do in an emergency
Safe Work Australia expressly cites duress alarms and alert systems as an example of a control measure for remote and isolated work.
Australian law does not ban working alone. But it does require employers to manage the risks, and that means more than a policy on paper.
If you employ lone workers, your obligations include:
Managing the risks associated with remote or isolated work
Providing a system of work that includes effective communication
Consulting with workers
Reviewing control measures to ensure they remain effective
Duress alarms are not legally required. But they are a recognised control measure – one that can make the difference between a close call and a tragedy.
Yes. There is no general prohibition on lone work. However, employers must manage the health and safety risks, including providing effective communication.
This guide provides general information about Australian WHS laws and is not legal advice. Organisations should seek specific legal advice about their obligations.
More articles:
https://safetcard.com.au/news/understanding-australian-lone-worker-safety-legislation-and-how-safetcard-can-help/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-western-australia-legislation-and-policies/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-victoria-safetcards-2024-compliance-solutions/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-tasmania-legislation-and-policies/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-south-australia-safetcards-solutions-for-2024-compliance/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-queensland-how-safetcard-can-help-you-comply-with-legislation/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-the-northern-territory-legislation-and-policies/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/understanding-lone-worker-safety-legislation-in-new-south-wales-and-how-safetcard-can-assist/
https://safetcard.com.au/news/ensuring-lone-worker-safety-in-the-australian-capital-territory-legislation-and-policies/