Safe Work Australia has published a Guide to provide practical information to operators of major hazard facilities (MHFs) in the preparation, implementation and testing of an emergency plan that will meet the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Regulations.

 

To download a copy click here.

 

A better understanding of Building Code of Australia requirements is necessary to ensure dangerous fire emergencies, such as last week’s office fire in Melbourne’s CBD, are avoided.

The fire, which occurred on the seventh floor of the St James Building at 121 William Street on March 5, is believed to have been sparked by welding work as part of scheduled renovations.

Alarmingly, firefighters attending the scene were unable to access water from the building’s hydrant system as water supply had been shut off for the refurbishment work.

The Building Code of Australia prescribes minimum fire precautions during building construction to satisfy suitable means for firefighting by the fire brigade and allow initial attack by construction workers. Buildings under construction should have:

Appropriate portable fire extinguishers at all times on each storey; and when construction has reached 12 metres in effective height, the building must also have:

(1) Operational fire hose reels

(2) Operational fire hydrants at every storey covered by a roof or floor above except for the two uppermost storeys; and

(3) Required hydrant booster connections (installed and operational)

CEO of Fire Protection Association Australia Scott Williams said these regulations were in place to avoid exactly the kind of situation that occurred last week.

“It is very disappointing to see the rules being ignored in this way,” he said.

“These requirements exist to save lives and protect property and it is lucky no one was seriously injured or killed as a result of this incident.

“The job of fire crews is tough enough without the added difficulty having no water available on-site to suppress the fire as quickly as possible.”

Mr Williams said the incident highlighted the need for building management, in consultation with their fire protection provider or contractor, to closely examine their obligations under the building regulations.

“These minimum requirements must be observed, even if the building is empty due to construction, renovation or refurbishment as there are still risks to construction workers and adjoining property.”

Tass Georgas, Senior Fire Safety Engineer at Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade said firefighting crews often faced extra unnecessary challenges due to negligence or ignorance regarding the relevant regulatory requirements.

“Only in very rare circumstances should firefighting crews be unable to access water at a property of this size in a metropolitan area,” he said.

“From time to time there may be a necessity for water to be completely switched off during construction work. In these instances appropriate isolation procedures should be implemented in consultation with the jurisdictional fire authority, so that fire stations in the immediate turn-out area can be notified of such an occurrence.

“Having this advanced warning is critical, because in a fire emergency every minute counts.

“This communication allows us to better plan for the kind of emergency situation that took place last week and ensures our crews are properly prepared before they arrive at the scene.”

Copies of the National Construction Code Series Building Code of Australia 2011: Class 2 to Class 9 Buildings, can be purchased from the Australian Building Codes Board at www.abcb.gov.au or by phone on 1300 134 631.

The Fire Protection Association Australia is Australia’s major technical and educational fire safety organisation aiming to achieve continual improvement in fire safety through active membership and a range of activities.

Risk Response + Rescue is an affiliate member of the association. We have “Code Compliant Status" and proudly embrace the organisations code of practice providing excellence in education and representation in fire safety matters for life, assets and the environment.

 

Safe Work Australia today released a fact sheet to provide general guidance for preparing and maintaining general emergency plans. This is intended for persons conducting a business or undertaking (PCBUs) and workers in fixed workplaces under regulation 43 of the Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations

 

To download a copy click here.

 

The Australian Resuscitation Council has released current Guidelines for asthma, snake bite, pressure immobilisation, poisoning, legal issues and precordial thump.

Specifically the guidelines are…

9.2.5 First Aid for Asthma

9.4.1 Australian Snake Bite Guideline

9.4.8 Pressure Immobilisation Technique Guideline

9.5.1 Emergency Management of a Victim who has been Poisoned

10.5 Legal and Ethical Issues related to Resuscitation

11.3 Precordial Thump & Fist Pacing

Risk Response + Rescue are reviewing our learning and assessment strategies to reflect the content of the current guidelines.

 

Risk Response + Rescue are proud to add the suite of compact GoPro High Definition camera’s to our range of equipment for Military, Police and Marine Operational Environments.

 

The GoPro’s range of camera’s have an unprecedented reputation for capturing amazing high quality - high definition video and still photographs for their size and portability.

 

Developed for professional use, but at a consumer price, the HD HERO line of wearable cameras capture full HD video rivalling cameras costing 10x the price and are suited to the harsh and rugged treatment operational environments present..

 

 

GoPro’s HD Helmet HERO is the world’s highest performance wearable 1080p HD video and still photo camera allowing professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions  to record at 30 and 60 frames per second (60 fps in 720p). It is possible to record up to 2.5 hours on a single charge and up to 9 hours HD video on a 32GB SD card.

 

In addition to HD video, this camera’s also shoot 5MP still photographs at 2/5/10/30 or 60 second intervals of poster-print quality POV photos.

 

Contact our sales and logistic team to set you up with the right system for your operational environment.

From the top of the world to the oceans depths. Mount Everest at an elevation of 8,848m above sea level all the way down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench 10,916m below sea level.

 

 

The final draft for the Case for Endorsement of Version 8 of PUA00 Public Safety Training Package has been submitted to all State Training Authorities for endorsement.

 

Version 8 incorporates qualifications, units of competency and Skill Sets developed for the Defence, State and Territory Emergency Services and Police sectors as well as industry wide material. Fire sector qualifications have also been revised.

 

Many of the Units of Competency in the Public Safety Package relate to competency in high risk and changing environments and/or situations with increased threats or exposure to safety, which may be the result of an incident, emergency or operation.

Risk Response + Rescue have a significant number of Public Safety Units of Competency on scope and deliver these across all sectors.

 

Endorsement of and final release is expected in the near future.

4 X 4 Outback Challenge

Problem:
The event challenged vehicles, drivers and navigators to some of the most high risk and challenging 4 X 4 conditions in the world. The stages took their toll on the machines… and the teams.

Solution:
Risk Response + Rescue provided specialist support to an area spanning 100's of square kilometres surrounding Broken Hill.

During the event RR+R personnel attended several incidents.

A RR+R medic was quoted as saying ‘the drivers treat their bodies the same as the vehicles... pushing them to the limit and breaking point.

Outcome:

The week was not without incident and the services of RR+R were greatly appreciated. Several roll-overs, a number of end-over-enders, snapped winch cables - vehicles, drivers and navigators pushed to breaking point!

The ARC Guideline 8.9.6 Envenomation – Jellyfish Strings has been revised. This guideline focuses predominantly on tropical envenomation by the box jellyfish and other jellyfish that may cause Irukandji syndrome.

 

The new guideline highlights that because of the differences in jellyfish species around Australi recognition and management of jellyfish envenomation may vary, however, if the species causing the sting cannot be clearly identified as harmless or due to a bluebottle, the casualty should be treated with a diluted solution of 4-6% vinegar.

 

The Australian Resuscitation Council continually reviews and updates guidelines by consultation with member bodies and other experts and aims to promote uniformity and standardisation of resuscitation and first aid recognition and management in Australia.

New Fire Danger Rating and public warnings have been introduced in NSW to help save lives in bush fires.

The revised fire danger rating and warning systems are aligned to the nationally-agreed Fire Danger Rating and warning systems being introduced around Australia in the wake of the Victorian 2009 bushfires.

 

A key change is a new top level category - Catastrophic (Code Red) incorporated into the Fire Danger Rating system. The Fire Danger Rating warns of the level of bush fire threat on any given day, based on the forecast weather conditions. It is an early indicator of the potential danger, should a bush fire start.

The new Catastrophic (Code Red) level indicates that when there is a forecast of Catastrophic conditions, there is a very real likelihood of major loss of life and property.

The new category will be added to the Fire Danger Meter signs strategically positioned in bushfire prone communities around the State.

The following bush fire alert messages, ranked on a sliding scale depending on the threat, have been included for public warnings.

Advice
a fire has started - there is no immediate danger;
general information to keep up to date with developments.

Watch and Act
represents a heightened level of threat.

Conditions are changing; you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.

Emergency Warning
you are in danger and need to take action immediately.
You will be impacted by fire.

Emergency Warning is the highest and most urgent warning which will be used when there is a major risk of people being killed in a bush fire.  This message will usually be preceded by an emergency warning signal (a siren sound played on the radio or TV).

 

The Minister for Defence, the Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP, today announced the Government will enhance the Incident Response Regiment within Special Operations Command.

“The Incident Response Regiment will receive advanced equipment and training to enable them to effectively detect and respond to chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological and explosive threats,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

The Incident Response Regiment is able to undertake high-risk search, access and disablement functions in a range of complex environments. The Government will provide additional funding to enable the Incident
Response Regiment to develop a rapidly deployable chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear explosive capability in support of deployed forces. The

Incident Response Regiment will be able to interdact and recover Weapons of Mass Destruction components.
“This project will build upon existing capabilities to enhance the Australian Defence Force’s capacity to respond to emerging threats. It is part of a continuous improvement program that enhances Australia's Special Operations capabilities through regular technology and capability enhancements,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.

“The proposal will include individual and collective training in a combined arms environment, an increased capacity for Science & Technology Operational Support, command and control enhancements, and new capabilities that support countering a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear explosive threat.”

Source Press release by The Hon. Joel Fitzgibbon MP Minister for Defence
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT 2 May 2009

Risk Response + Rescue are proudly partnered to provide specialist training to the Incident Response Regiment.

The Queensland Department of Mines and Energy (DME) has issued a safety alert to mines and quarries advising them to ensure procedures for adverse weather events are current and reflect site specific conditions.

The alert relates to a recent incident in which two mine workers suffered serious injuries and two others were trapped in a crib hut when the hut turned over and the exit door ended up face down preventing exit.

Adverse weather procedures should address significant and extended events such as cyclones or spontaneous and rapid events such as willy willy's, cock eyed bob's, dust devils and electrical storms. These weather conditions have been the cause of serious injuries at mine sites in recent times. Mine operators should ensure they have specific procedures for adverse weather that are reviewed regularly to ensure adequate controls for inherent risks localised to the operation.

As a rule of thumb, any moth of the year containing an ‘r’ can be considered to have the potential for adverse weather. i.e between September to April.