When working in remote areas, there are a lot of risks that you and your employees can experience. You might be limited to better communication, transport, and hospital access. That is why you need to improvise a strong safety program to help you reduce the risk. In case of injuries, the time used before treatment can lead to severe health complications for the injured person. When planning to work in a remote area, it’s essential to assess the risk involved and put measures to help you recover. This article will explore managing and ensuring strong safety workflow in areas with no service.
1. Start with a Risk Assessment
It’s vital to take time and assess the risk in places with little or no connectivity to know what to expect. When doing the risk assessment, you can consider accounting for the hazards in the area and all the additional risks of being somewhere without good communication. You must check if your workers and technicians have the right training, knowledge, and skills to do their job effectively. Also, you need to consider hiring a Test and tag company to inspect all the equipment you will be using and confirm they are excellent and safe to work with. This helps reduce the risk involved and ensures the workers work safely. Additionally, you need to identify the general and task hazards and assign responsible parties for the site.
It’s essential to ensure your risk assessment accounts for team sizes and avoid lone working. People working alone are in danger of unique hazards. In the case of an injury far from medical help, it can change from a typical injury to a life-threatening one if not managed fast.
2. Have communication and Set Up Failsafe Plans
You need coordination and communication to avoid any risk for your work to run smoothly. Further, ensure every aspect of the communication reaches the intended party and is written down. Plan on communication plan and schedule check-ins and check-outs. Also, avail regular updates based on your risk assessment and create a contingency plan in case of communication failure.
When looking for the mode of communication, ensure it’s easy to use and consider installing multiple transmission means in case one fails. If you are in a place with little communication, you must have several phones and an extra charger to ensure your phones are on. Make sure you have a backup plan, such as a wired emergency phone and landline. You should ensure you have the right tools for on-site and off-site communication. When you send your workers to remote locations, consider tools like satellite phones or terminals. Additionally, consider personal satellite tracking devices and radio devices capable of using radio waves to transmit text messages to cell phones.
3. Create an Emergency Plan
You ought to have an emergency response plan when working in remote areas. The response plan should include the following:
- The operational details.
- Hazards that may cause an emergency
- The number of on-site employees.
Consult with emergency personnel who can respond, such as police, state safety regulators, and ambulances.
Wrapping Up:
When deploying your teams in remote areas, ensure they carry the right tool that has been tested and verified. Additionally, have a way to track the workers in the field and train them on the available communication channels they can use.
