For a high-risk workforce, duty of care becomes tangible in the arrangements around the work. Can the task be performed safely? Is the worker competent and properly equipped? Can the organisation recognise a problem and provide appropriate assistance?
The exact legal obligations depend on the activity and jurisdiction. Operationally, higher exposure calls for a careful assessment of the controls needed, rather than an assumption that a monitoring app makes the work acceptable.
Begin with the task, not the tracking tool
Consider the hazards that could cause harm and whether the activity can be changed to reduce them. Remote work may combine hazardous equipment, difficult terrain, fatigue, security threats, and delayed medical support.
Follow the risk assessment through to the actual work method. If an activity cannot safely be performed alone, a check-in system does not resolve that underlying problem. HSE identifies circumstances in which lone work requires particular controls or another person to be present.2
Plan for changing conditions
A plan can become unsuitable after a road closure, deteriorating weather, a change of equipment, or a new security report. Give workers a clear route to raise concerns and pause work where appropriate.
Define which changes require a fresh decision. For a remote inspection, these could include losing the agreed communications method, arriving after a planned daylight window, or finding that local support is unavailable. The criteria should reflect the assessment, rather than a generic list copied between sites.
Match communications to the location
Check coverage where people will actually work and travel. A coverage map is a planning input, not proof that a device will connect at every relevant point. Consider power, weather, terrain, equipment setup, and the worker's ability to use the channel while performing the task.
Where appropriate, plan an alternative such as satellite communications or an established local contact procedure. Test the complete workflow, including who receives an alert and what they do next.3
Record the difference between a sent message, a delivery status, an acknowledgement, and a confirmed welfare update. These signals answer different questions. No single one should silently stand in for all the others.
Connect escalation to available help
A response plan should identify realistic assistance. Include local contacts, access restrictions, transport limitations, and the authority needed to activate support. Avoid promising a response time that has not been established with the provider responsible.
- Name the primary responder and backup.
- Define the information needed to locate and assist the worker.
- Establish how uncertainty or failed contact changes the escalation.
- Identify who can authorise additional resources.
- Confirm who stays responsible until the handover is accepted.
For contractor work, clarify the interface between organisations. Separate responsibilities should still produce a coherent response for the person affected.
Learn from routine exceptions
Missed check-ins, repeated device failures, and informal workarounds can reveal weaknesses before an emergency. Review these patterns without assuming every exception is individual non-compliance.
HSE's risk-management guidance emphasises reviewing controls when they may no longer be effective.1 For high-risk operations, a useful review connects the exception to a change in equipment, staffing, procedures, or task design, then checks whether that change worked.
Frequently asked questions
Is continuous location tracking always required?
No. Choose proportionate arrangements for the risk and purpose, with suitable privacy safeguards. Continuous tracking is not a universal duty of care requirement.
Does a satellite device complete the response plan?
No. Equipment needs configuration, training, testing, and a response team able to act on the information received.
What should be checked before deployment?
The work method, competence, equipment, communications, local assistance, and the conditions that would require the activity to change or stop.
Explore the workflow with AtlasNXT
Bring a workforce scenario to an AtlasNXT demonstration and explore how communications, incident coordination, and follow-up would fit your team. Book a demo.
References
1. HSE: Steps needed to manage risk.
2. HSE: Manage the risks of working alone.
3. AtlasNXT: Communications resilience for remote operations.
