For occupational safety and health reasons, the Australian government has made it a law to ensure that employers provide efficient communication channels for employees who work in areas that either hazardous or those that have limited mobile phone coverage.
This applies for people working in the mining industry, the oil and gas industry as well as maritime and aviation industries.
Satellite phone use is very common among pilots and ship captains because they have to stay in communication with headquarters or base.
A satellite phone will mostly be used when there are no other available options for communication because sat phones are reliable regardless of the location.
Initially, there were many cases of reported injury and sometimes death that would have been avoided had communication been made possible.
In addition, employers have used this law to ensure that their employees are doing what they are meant to be doing even in their absence.
The occupational health and safety code was also implemented to ensure that people who have been hired as security guards do not face danger and have no means of communication to alert authority and call for back up.
Satellite phone use is more popular because it can be used at all times and there are very low chances that it will fail.
Mobile phone networks normally use terrestrial connections that are known to fail every once in a while.
In this case, a security guard may be in trouble but they are unable to call either because of the failed connection or the limited coverage.
Satellite phone use has become very common among miners who rarely get out of the remote areas in which they are mining.
The law requires that the employers are in touch with their employees to ensure that they are safe at all times.
This requires them to make calls at regular intervals based on the amount of danger the employees are exposed to.
If the area is very hazardous, then the interval may be shorter.
This interval is determined when a hazard assessment is conducted in order to ascertain how much danger a person is in while undertaking their duties.
The hazard assessment will be conducted by a government official who will determine how often an employer should check in with his or her employees.
If working in a retail shop, the employer may only need to check in with their workers once a day.
However, when working at a mine or as a pilot, the interval may be as short as 2 hours.
Although satellite phone use is the most reliable, the law does not state that the sat phone be the only way to communicate.
Employees and their employers can come up with other means of communication to show that they are safe and everything is going according to schedule.
This may include the use of personal beacon beepers where employees can signal their supervisors by simply tapping on a button and allowing the lighting beacon serve as a message that they are either fine or in need of help.
Based on the location, some employers may find that regular mobile phones serve the purpose just fine.
In this case, then satellite phone use may not be necessary as effective communication will be possible using other means.
This applies for people working in the mining industry, the oil and gas industry as well as maritime and aviation industries.
Satellite phone use is very common among pilots and ship captains because they have to stay in communication with headquarters or base.
A satellite phone will mostly be used when there are no other available options for communication because sat phones are reliable regardless of the location.
Initially, there were many cases of reported injury and sometimes death that would have been avoided had communication been made possible.
In addition, employers have used this law to ensure that their employees are doing what they are meant to be doing even in their absence.
The occupational health and safety code was also implemented to ensure that people who have been hired as security guards do not face danger and have no means of communication to alert authority and call for back up.
Satellite phone use is more popular because it can be used at all times and there are very low chances that it will fail.
Mobile phone networks normally use terrestrial connections that are known to fail every once in a while.
In this case, a security guard may be in trouble but they are unable to call either because of the failed connection or the limited coverage.
Satellite phone use has become very common among miners who rarely get out of the remote areas in which they are mining.
The law requires that the employers are in touch with their employees to ensure that they are safe at all times.
This requires them to make calls at regular intervals based on the amount of danger the employees are exposed to.
If the area is very hazardous, then the interval may be shorter.
This interval is determined when a hazard assessment is conducted in order to ascertain how much danger a person is in while undertaking their duties.
The hazard assessment will be conducted by a government official who will determine how often an employer should check in with his or her employees.
If working in a retail shop, the employer may only need to check in with their workers once a day.
However, when working at a mine or as a pilot, the interval may be as short as 2 hours.
Although satellite phone use is the most reliable, the law does not state that the sat phone be the only way to communicate.
Employees and their employers can come up with other means of communication to show that they are safe and everything is going according to schedule.
This may include the use of personal beacon beepers where employees can signal their supervisors by simply tapping on a button and allowing the lighting beacon serve as a message that they are either fine or in need of help.
Based on the location, some employers may find that regular mobile phones serve the purpose just fine.
In this case, then satellite phone use may not be necessary as effective communication will be possible using other means.