Part 4
Hazardous environments and remote locations
Working in extreme or isolated settings such as exposed coasts, uplands, forests, wind farms, quarries, remote utilities, or confined spaces, amplifies risk. Distance, poor communications, severe weather, unstable terrain, and toxic atmospheres mean delays in rescue can turn survivable incidents into fatalities, especially for lone workers.
A systematic review found 93% of studies reported significantly longer EMS response times in rural vs. urban settings, a key driver of worse outcomes when incidents occur far from help.
Example cases:
Oil & gas H₂S release
A lone worker responding to a pump alarm at a facility entered a pump house and was fatally exposed to hydrogen sulfide; his spouse, who came to check on him, also died. OSHA later revisited the case in guidance, and in 2025 the company and an executive pleaded guilty in related federal cases.
Remote forestry
A 53-year-old logger working alone in the woods was struck by a treetop and died at the scene; investigators noted he was alone at the time of the incident, underscoring the risks of isolated terrain and delayed rescue.
Municipal water-main vault
A lone inspector entered an oxygen-deficient underground maintenance vault and died. The NIOSH FACE investigation highlights the dangers of confined spaces and working alone without proper atmospheric testing and entry controls.
Mitigation strategies:
Complete a task and site-specific risk assessment before authorizing lone/remote work: Consider the weather, terrain, access/egress, altitude, wildlife, chemical, and atmospheric risks. Don’t allow certain high-risk tasks (e.g., permit-required confined spaces) to be done alone.
Plan for weather and environmental extremes: Set go/no-go triggers; provide shelter, heating/cooling, shaded rest, water, acclimatization, and safe stop procedures.
Strengthen communications and monitoring: Mandate scheduled check-ins; issue radios plus backup (satphones/PLBs) where coverage is poor; use lone-worker devices with GPS, fall/man-down and SOS to cut discovery time.
Control confined spaces: Complete atmospheric testing, ensure ventilation, continuous gas monitoring, trained attendants, rescue plans, and permit systems. There should be no entry without these in place.
Supervision and access control: Verify route/ground conditions for vehicles and plant (edge protection, banksman, exclusion zones) and adapt methods to terrain.
Sector-specific training and PPE: Forestry felling/wind-blow techniques, remote first aid, hypothermia/heat-illness recognition, lightning/wildlife awareness. Equip workers with appropriate PPE and emergency kits for the environment.
