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Remote Work and Outdoor Activities Risk Assessment

Remote Work and Outdoor Activities Risk Assessment

  • • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • • Pre-filled Content – Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • • Customisable – Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Remote Work and Outdoor Activities Risk Assessment

Product Overview

Identify and control organisational risks associated with Remote Work and Outdoor Activities through a structured, management-level WHS Risk Management approach. This Risk Assessment supports compliance with the WHS Act, demonstrates Due Diligence, and helps protect your organisation from operational and legal liability when planning remote, camping and hiking activities.

Risk Categories & Hazards Covered

This document assesses risks and outlines management controls for:

  • Governance & WHS Duties: Assessment of officer due diligence, PCBU obligations, safety leadership, and the integration of remote work and outdoor activities into organisational WHS governance frameworks.
  • Planning & Approval of Remote, Camping and Hiking Activities: Management of pre-activity planning, risk profiling, approval pathways, and documentation requirements for all remote work and outdoor programs.
  • Remote & Isolated Work Management: Systems for managing lone and remote work, supervision arrangements, check-in procedures, and escalation pathways where immediate assistance may not be readily available.
  • Journey Management & Transport Systems: Assessment of travel planning, vehicle suitability, driver selection, route risk analysis, and journey management plans for accessing remote and outdoor locations.
  • Communications & Location Tracking: Protocols for communication equipment selection (e.g. satellite, UHF, mobile), coverage assessments, tracking technologies, and communication schedules for field teams.
  • Competency, Training & Induction: Requirements for leader and worker competency in remote, camping and hiking activities, including navigation, field safety, behavioural expectations, and induction of all participants.
  • Health, Fitness, Fatigue & Psychological Risk Management: Assessment of physical readiness, medical disclosure processes, mental health considerations, fatigue factors, and controls to support worker and participant wellbeing.
  • Environmental & Terrain Risk Management: Management of exposure to weather extremes, bushfire and flood risk, water crossings, terrain difficulty, and wildlife hazards across different locations and seasons.
  • Equipment, PPE & Camping Infrastructure: Selection, inspection and maintenance of field equipment, personal protective equipment, tents and shelters, cooking systems, and other camping infrastructure.
  • Camp Setup, Fire, Cooking & Food/Water Safety Systems: Controls for camp layout, fire management, fuel and gas use, cooking arrangements, potable water supply, food storage, and hygiene systems.
  • Emergency Preparedness, First Aid & Incident Management: Planning for medical emergencies, remote first aid capability, evacuation arrangements, emergency contacts, and incident reporting and investigation processes.
  • Fatigue, Rostering & Workload for Leaders & Supervisors: Management of leader-to-participant ratios, rostering, decision-making fatigue, and workload distribution for those responsible for remote and outdoor activities.
  • Contractor, Volunteer & Participant Management: Systems for vetting, briefing and monitoring contractors, volunteers and participants, including role clarity, behavioural standards, and supervision requirements.
  • Cultural, Community & Land Access Considerations: Assessment of engagement with Traditional Owners and local communities, land access permissions, cultural heritage protection, and alignment with local protocols.
  • Continuous Improvement, Monitoring & Review: Processes for auditing remote work systems, capturing lessons learned, reviewing incidents and near misses, and updating organisational procedures and training.

Who is this for?

This Risk Assessment is designed for Business Owners, School and Program Directors, Operations Managers and Safety Officers responsible for planning, approving and overseeing remote work, camping and hiking activities.

Hazards & Risks Covered

Hazard Risk Description
1. Governance, WHS Duties and Management Commitment
  • • Lack of documented WHS policy for remote work and outdoor activities
  • • Unclear allocation of WHS responsibilities under WHS Act 2011 (PCBU, officers, workers, others)
  • • Inadequate due diligence by officers to ensure WHS systems are resourced and verified
  • • Failure to consider remote and isolated work risks in the WHS management plan
  • • No consultation framework with workers and HSRs on remote work and camping/hiking risks
  • • Inadequate monitoring and review of WHS performance for remote and outdoor activities
  • • Inconsistent application of WHS requirements across different teams or locations
2. Planning and Approval of Remote Work, Camping and Hiking Activities
  • • Remote or outdoor trips proceeding without formal risk assessment or management approval
  • • Inadequate pre-trip planning for terrain, remoteness, seasonal conditions and bushfire risk
  • • Failure to consider participant fitness, experience and medical limitations at planning stage
  • • No process to assess suitability of campsite, hiking route or activity type
  • • Informal or ad-hoc trip arrangements outside organisational planning systems
  • • Lack of contingency planning for early exit, medical evacuation or severe weather
  • • Insufficient coordination when multiple PCBUs share the same camp or trail area
3. Remote and Isolated Work Management
  • • Workers camping or hiking in locations with limited access to assistance in a reasonable timeframe
  • • Lack of formal system for managing the additional risks of remote and isolated work under WHS Regulations
  • • Inadequate supervision or support when workers are dispersed across multiple remote campsites or trails
  • • Unclear procedures for workers temporarily separating from the main group (e.g. solo scouting, toilet breaks, photography)
  • • Failure to define maximum acceptable response time for assistance or rescue
  • • Over-reliance on a single individual with remote area competence (e.g. only one experienced guide or leader)
4. Journey Management and Transport Systems
  • • Absence of a formal journey management system for travel to and from remote campsites and trailheads
  • • Use of unsuitable vehicles for unsealed roads, water crossings or steep access tracks
  • • Inadequate controls for driver fatigue, speed and night driving on rural roads
  • • Lack of process for monitoring road conditions, closures, flood warnings and bushfire road blocks
  • • No requirement to record departure times, routes and estimated arrival times
  • • Reliance on private vehicles without minimum safety and maintenance standards being specified and verified
5. Communications and Location Tracking
  • • No reliable communications coverage in remote or mountainous camping and hiking areas
  • • Over-reliance on mobile phones in areas with patchy or no reception
  • • Absence of a structured check-in / check-out system with escalation triggers
  • • Lack of real-time location information for dispersed work groups on trails
  • • Failure to allocate responsibility for monitoring devices and responding to alerts
  • • Inadequate training in the use of satellite phones, PLBs, radios or tracking devices
6. Competency, Training and Induction for Remote, Camping and Hiking Activities
  • • Insufficient remote area, camping or hiking competency among leaders and participants
  • • Lack of understanding of WHS duties, reporting obligations and emergency procedures
  • • Inadequate first aid skills for remote or wilderness settings
  • • Failure to train workers in the use of specialised outdoor equipment (stoves, tents, navigation tools, water treatment systems)
  • • No formal verification of competency before authorising staff to lead remote trips
  • • Inconsistent induction for new workers, contractors or volunteers involved in outdoor activities
7. Health, Fitness, Fatigue and Psychological Risk Management
  • • Participants undertaking strenuous hikes or camping with unmanaged health conditions (e.g. cardiac, respiratory, allergies, diabetes)
  • • Physical overexertion, dehydration and heat stress due to inadequate fitness or acclimatisation
  • • Fatigue from long travel, poor sleep in tents, night-time disturbances and extended physical effort
  • • Psychological stress, anxiety or panic in remote or unfamiliar environments
  • • Inadequate systems for managing medication, allergies and anaphylaxis risk in remote areas
  • • Cultural or personal factors leading to reluctance to disclose health issues during planning
8. Environmental and Terrain Risk Management (Weather, Bushfire, Flood, Wildlife)
  • • Severe weather events (storms, extreme heat, cold snaps, high winds) impacting remote camps and hiking activities
  • • Rapidly changing conditions leading to flash flooding of creeks, rivers or campsite areas
  • • Bushfire risk in forested or grassland regions, including smoke exposure and sudden fire fronts
  • • Hazardous terrain such as steep slopes, cliffs, unstable ground, loose scree or dense undergrowth
  • • Wildlife risks (snakes, spiders, insects, feral animals) not adequately accounted for at a system level
  • • Inadequate integration of Bureau of Meteorology and fire authority warnings into go/no-go decisions
9. Equipment, PPE and Camping Infrastructure Management
  • • Failure of tents, shelters, sleeping systems or hiking packs due to poor quality, age or inadequate maintenance
  • • Use of inappropriate clothing or PPE for temperature, UV exposure, terrain or vegetation
  • • Inadequate systems for inspecting, storing and replacing critical equipment (e.g. stoves, fuel bottles, water treatment devices, head torches)
  • • Lack of standardisation leading to incompatible or unsafe equipment combinations
  • • Insufficient spares or backup equipment for critical items in remote settings
  • • No formal process for reporting and quarantining defective equipment
10. Camp Setup, Fire, Cooking and Food/Water Safety Systems
  • • Unsafe placement of tents and communal areas in relation to cooking zones, vehicles or natural hazards
  • • Uncontrolled use of open fires, gas or liquid fuel stoves without clear organisational rules
  • • Inadequate systems for food hygiene, cross-contamination prevention and waste management at remote camps
  • • Insufficient planning for safe drinking water availability, treatment and storage
  • • Attraction of wildlife to camps due to poor food storage and waste practices
  • • Carbon monoxide exposure risk from cooking inside tents or poorly ventilated shelters
11. Emergency Preparedness, First Aid and Incident Management
  • • Inadequate emergency planning for injuries, sudden illness, lost persons, severe weather or violence in remote camps
  • • Insufficient or inappropriate first aid equipment for the remoteness, group size and activity type
  • • Lack of clear escalation pathways from onsite leaders to organisational management and external emergency services
  • • No formal lost-person or separation response protocol for hiking groups
  • • Delayed or incomplete reporting of incidents, near misses and hazards from remote locations
  • • Poor coordination between multiple PCBUs or agencies responding to an incident in the same remote area
12. Fatigue, Rostering and Workload Management for Leaders and Supervisors
  • • Leaders and supervisors experiencing extended physical and cognitive load due to continuous supervision, navigation, driving and decision-making
  • • Inadequate rostering leading to insufficient rest between consecutive remote trips
  • • Expectations for leaders to perform office duties immediately before or after remote trips without adequate recovery
  • • Lack of system controls for rotating leadership responsibilities during multi-day hikes
  • • Underestimation of fatigue from environmental factors (weather, altitude, rough terrain, night-time noise)
13. Contractor, Volunteer and Participant Management
  • • Contractors, volunteers or external guides not integrated into the organisation’s WHS systems
  • • Assumption that third-party outdoor providers have adequate WHS controls without verification
  • • Inconsistent briefing and induction for non-employees participating in remote activities
  • • Unclear lines of responsibility between PCBUs where multiple organisations share duties
  • • Poorly managed behavioural risks (e.g. alcohol use, risk-taking behaviour) among participants
14. Cultural, Community and Land Access Considerations
  • • Failure to recognise and respect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural sites or practices in camping and hiking locations
  • • Unclear land access permissions or conditions from traditional owners, government agencies or private landholders
  • • Community tension or conflict arising from perceived disrespectful behaviour by groups
  • • Insufficient engagement with local communities regarding emergency access, fire management or biosecurity requirements
15. Continuous Improvement, Monitoring and Review of Remote Work Systems
  • • Static WHS procedures that do not adapt to new information, incidents or environmental changes
  • • Lack of systematic collection and analysis of data from remote trips (near misses, equipment failures, feedback)
  • • No structured post-activity debrief process to capture lessons learned from leaders and participants
  • • Failure to incorporate updated standards, guidance materials or regulatory expectations into procedures
  • • Over time, gradual drift from documented procedures to informal practices in the field

Need to add specific hazards for your workplace?

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Legislation & References

This document was researched and developed to align with:

  • Work Health and Safety Act 2011
  • Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017
  • AS/NZS ISO 31000:2018: Risk management — Guidelines
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Work Environment and Facilities Code of Practice: Guidance on providing safe work environments, including remote and outdoor locations.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces Code of Practice: Principles relevant to terrain, slopes and elevated areas encountered during outdoor activities.
  • Safe Work Australia – First Aid in the Workplace Code of Practice: Requirements for first aid arrangements, kits and training for remote and isolated work.
  • Safe Work Australia – Managing the Risk of Fatigue at Work: Guidance material relevant to fatigue, rostering and extended remote operations.
  • AS/NZS 4801 / ISO 45001: Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements for systematic WHS management.
  • AS/NZS 1891 Series: Industrial fall-arrest systems and devices, where work near edges, steep terrain or elevated areas is involved.
  • AS/NZS 2299.3 and related outdoor/remote activity guidance: Principles for planning, supervision and emergency response in higher-risk field environments.
  • AS 3745: Planning for emergencies in facilities — Adapted for emergency planning and response in remote and temporary camp settings.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Comprehensive hazard identification for all activities
  • Risk rating matrix with likelihood and consequence analysis
  • Existing control measures evaluation
  • Residual risk assessment after controls
  • Hierarchy of controls recommendations
  • Action priority rankings
  • Review and monitoring requirements
  • Consultation and communication records
  • Legal compliance references
  • Sign-off and approval sections

$79.5

Safe Work Australia Aligned