Working Alone or Isolation

Policy

The University’s ‘duty of care’ extends to staff and students working alone or in isolation. To this end, supervisors and managers shall ensure that all reasonably practicable steps are taken to ensure the safety and health of staff and students working alone or in isolation. Supervisors and managers shall be responsible for approval to work alone or in isolation and shall not grant that approval prior to the satisfactory completion of a risk assessment in accordance with the requirements of the accompanying procedure. In addition, supervisors and managers are required to ensure that staff and students approved to work alone or in isolation are adequately trained and informed to perform their work safely and that reliable means of communication are supplied and maintained for the purposes of emergency contact.

Employees and students intending to working alone or in isolation shall complete a risk assessment and be required to obtain approval from their supervisor or manager prior to commencement. Employees and students are responsible for taking all reasonably practicable steps to ensure their own safety when working alone or in isolation. To this end, all employees and students shall comply with instructions, workplace procedures and the controls identified through the risk assessment process.

Supervisors, managers, staff and students are not required to duplicate the risk assessment process (for the purposes of compliance with this policy) when undertaking fieldwork and complying with the provision of the Fieldwork Safety and Health Policy. Notwithstanding this, the ‘Fieldwork Risk Assessment’ undertaken must specifically and adequately address the risks of working alone or in isolation in accordance with this policy.

Guideline for Working Alone or in Isolation

Policy - Fieldwork Safety and Health