Lone worker legislation in Western Australia.
Working alone is legal in Western Australia, but employers carry a duty to manage the risks. Here's the governing law, the regulator, and what that means for lone and isolated workers - in plain English.
- Governing law
- Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) and the Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations.
- Regulator
- WorkSafe WA ↗
- Scheme
- Part of Australia's harmonised Work Health and Safety scheme.
The duty for lone workers
The primary duty is to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers. For lone and isolated workers, that duty doesn't shrink because a worker is on their own - the usual safety net of nearby colleagues is gone, so the controls have to make up for it. The WHS (General) Regulations include duties to manage the risks of remote or isolated work, including a system of work that provides effective communication.
What this means in practice
- Assess the risks that apply specifically to lone and isolated work
- Provide a reliable way for a worker to raise the alarm and to stay in contact
- Have a system that escalates when a worker can't be reached
- Pay particular attention to after-hours and higher-risk work
A monitored duress system is one control within a compliant approach - it addresses the "raise the alarm" and "system of communication" elements directly. It is not, on its own, the whole of compliance: regulators expect a hierarchy of controls, with work-design measures considered first.
This is general information, not legal advice. The authoritative source is WorkSafe WA and the WHS legislation itself - check the current requirements that apply to your workplace directly with the regulator.