Lone Worker Safety in Australia: What Every Employer Needs to Know in 2026

Common Risks Faced by Lone Workers

Lone Worker Safety Obligations in Australia

All Australian states and territories (except Victoria and Western Australia, which have their own legislation) base their workplace safety laws on the Model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Act, developed by Safe Work Australia.

Under this framework, every employer has a primary duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of workers "so far as is reasonably practicable."

Victoria (VIC)

Victoria operates under its own Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and is the most progressive state on psychosocial safety. The OHS (Psychological Health) Regulations 2025 require employers to manage psychosocial hazards with the same rigour as physical ones, including a "Positive Duty" to proactively identify and help strengthen risk controls.

• OHS Essentials Program: Free, confidential safety audit for small businesses with up to 60 workers. A WorkSafe-funded expert can formally recommend lone worker safety devices as a mandatory risk control.
• WorkSafe On-Call Services Policy: For workers returning from injury, WorkSafe Victoria can directly fund personal alarms, pendants, and 24/7 monitoring as part of an approved rehabilitation plan.
• Psychosocial Positive Duty: Employers must now proactively demonstrate they are managing lone worker psychological risks. A policy document alone is no longer sufficient evidence for a WorkSafe Victoria audit.
  

New South Wales (NSW)

NSW is home to one of the most well-known financial incentives for small business safety: the SafeWork NSW Small Business Rebate Program. This program reimburses eligible small businesses up to $1,000 (or 50% of the cost, whichever is less) for the purchase of safety items that address identified workplace hazards.

• SafeWork NSW Safety Rebate: Up to $1,000 back on eligible lone worker safety equipment. Businesses must register, complete a safety assessment, and demonstrate the purchase addresses a specific hazard.
• Eligibility: Businesses with fewer than 50 employees, registered in NSW, with a current workers' compensation policy for at least 12 months.
• Key requirement: The device must address a hazard identified in your risk assessment. Ensure INS LifeGuard is documented as the solution to your lone worker monitoring gap.
• iCare Return-to-Work Programs: iCare funds early intervention and return-to-work support, which may include monitoring devices for workers recovering from psychological or physical injuries.
  

Queensland (QLD)

Queensland has specific Codes of Practice for industries with high lone worker exposure, including healthcare, community services, and primary industries. These codes explicitly address communication systems for isolated workers.

• Codes of Practice: Provide a compliance roadmap for lone worker communication and emergency response requirements across key sectors.
• WorkCover Queensland: The workers compensation scheme provides return-to-work support that may include safety monitoring for workers in recovery. Employers with strong return-to-work outcomes benefit from premium discounts.
• Industry focus: Healthcare and social assistance is Queensland's largest employer of lone workers. INS LifeGuard's nurse-monitored safety solution is particularly well positioned for community nursing, NDIS disability support, and home care roles across the state.
  

Western Australia (WA)

Western Australia was the final state to harmonise with the Model WHS framework, implementing its Work Health and Safety Act 2020 in March 2022. WA employers now operate under broadly similar obligations to other states for the first time.

• New positive duty: WA employers now have a genuine primary duty of care for lone workers, which is a significant shift from the previous legislation and means many businesses need to review their lone worker safety systems urgently.
• Mining and resources sector: Extensive lone worker obligations exist under separate mining regulations. Compliance with communication and emergency response requirements for remote workers is actively enforced.
• RiskCover: For public sector agencies, RiskCover provides return-to-work and injury management support that may include safety monitoring equipment.
  

South Australia (SA)

SafeWork SA focuses on industry-specific guidance, particularly for community services, healthcare, and agriculture, which are all sectors with significant lone worker populations and elevated duty of care obligations.

• Industry codes: SafeWork SA issues industry codes for rural and remote work, health and community services, and real estate, all of which directly address lone worker safety communication requirements and emergency response standards.
• Return to Work SA: SA's workers compensation scheme emphasises early return-to-work outcomes. Monitoring devices can be funded as part of a rehabilitation plan.
• Free consultation: SafeWork SA runs regular free workshops and consultation services for small businesses to formally document workplace hazards, which strengthens the business case for investing in a lone worker safety monitoring system like INS LifeGuard.
  

Tasmania (TAS)

Given Tasmania's significant rural and remote workforce, lone worker safety is a genuine compliance priority, particularly in agriculture, forestry, healthcare, and social services where workers frequently operate in isolation.

• Remote and rural provisions: WorkSafe Tasmania emphasises the challenges of isolated work where emergency response times can be significantly longer. Automated alarm systems are strongly recommended.
• WorkCover Tasmania: Provides return-to-work support that may include safety monitoring as part of a rehabilitation plan.
• Free advisory services: WorkSafe Tasmania offers free safety consultation for small and medium businesses in higher-risk sectors.
  

Australian Capital Territory (ACT)

Given the high proportion of government and community sector workers in the ACT, lone worker safety is particularly relevant for public service, healthcare, and social services employers.

• Public sector focus: Government agencies, health services, and community organisations all have significant lone worker exposure in fieldwork roles.
• Territory Insurance Office (TIO): ACT government agencies access workers compensation through TIO, which supports return-to-work programs that may include safety monitoring devices.
• Psychosocial code: ACT has adopted the Model Code of Practice for managing psychosocial hazards, requiring employers to address lone worker stress and aggression risk with the same rigour as physical hazards.
  

Northern Territory (NT)

Given the NT's vast geographic distances and large proportion of remote and rural workers, lone worker safety has unique and serious implications. Workers can cover enormous distances with limited mobile phone coverage, and emergency services response times can be measured in hours, not minutes.

• NDIS and community care workers: A significant portion of the NT workforce is employed in NDIS, aged care, and community services, roles that carry constant lone worker exposure and high combined physical and psychosocial risk. Nurse-monitored safety systems are critical in these environments.
• Satellite and GPS: In areas with limited mobile coverage, GPS and tracking capability is particularly important. Confirm coverage options with INS LifeGuard for remote Territory locations.
• NT WorkSafe consultation: NT WorkSafe provides workplace advisory services well-suited to the Territory's unique remote workforce challenges.
  

Financial rebates and funded programs change regularly. Always verify current eligibility and program availability directly with the relevant state authority before making financial decisions based on this guide.

Employer Responsibilities Under WHS

Under WHS laws, employers have a duty to provide a work environment that is safe and without risks to health so far as is reasonably practicable.

For lone workers, this generally involves:

• Identifying workplace hazards
• Conducting risk assessments
• Implementing practical risk controls
• Consulting workers
• Providing training and communication procedures
• Establishing emergency response processes
• Monitoring worker wellbeing where appropriate

Lone worker safety is not addressed through a single universal rule. Instead, employers are expected to assess their individual workplace risks and implement suitable control measures based on the nature of the work being performed.

Why 24/7 Nurse-On-Call Monitoring Matters for Psychosocial Compliance

The 2025 and 2026 regulatory changes have elevated psychosocial safety from a "nice to have" to a legal obligation across all jurisdictions. The INS LifeGuard monitoring model is uniquely positioned to support these obligations through immediate access to qualified nurses and real-time escalation support.

When an Alert Activates, Real Nurses Answer the Call

When a lone worker duress alarm is triggered, the worker speaks directly with a qualified nurse available through a 24/7 nurse response service — not a generic answering service or automated escalation pathway.

This immediate clinical support allows for fast de-escalation, emergency triage and appropriate response coordination during high-pressure situations. Access to support from qualified nurses can help reduce the risk of acute stress responses escalating into serious workplace psychological injuries.

It also creates a documented response pathway that contributes to employer reporting, incident management and compliance processes.

For organisations with obligations under psychosocial health and safety legislation, this level of support can play an important role in:

• Responding to critical incidents quickly
• Supporting isolated or vulnerable workers
• Reducing the likelihood of prolonged psychological harm
• Providing a documented escalation process
• Strengthening workplace safety procedures and audit readiness

Need a practical safety system for lone, mobile or after-hours workers?

INS LifeGuard provides nurse-monitored safety solutions with emergency alerts, check-ins, GPS support, fall/crash detection, 24/7 nurse response, and digital activity records.



A Practical Guide to Lone Worker Compliance

This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or WHS advice. Employers should check current guidance from their relevant regulator and seek advice for their specific workplace obligations.

Talk to INS LifeGuard About Lone Worker Safety