SeasonalSAFE

Your business, your environment, and your 4-step guide to protecting them all year round.

Complete your SeasonalSAFE plan now.

 

The summer season in Australia can be harsh. Our 4-step guide suggests ways to help your workers stay comfortable and safe from the effects of the summer environment, such as extreme weather, exposure to solar UV radiation, bushfires or smoke.

You are legally required to have an Emergency Plan in place. Make sure you complete your SeasonalSAFE plan as an additional resource or incorporate it into your existing Emergency Plan.

To learn more about summer hazards and how to effectively prepare your business in advance of the summer season:


Step 1: Plan

Consult with your workers and:

  • identify if your workplace or workers are at risk of extreme weather, sun exposure, bushfire or smoke
  • discuss the impact to your business, workplace or operations and how you can reduce or manage this impact
  • identify ways to control risks to your workers from extreme weather (extreme heat and thunderstorms), sun exposure (ultravoilet radiation), bushfires or smoke, and who is responsible for implementing the controls
  • identify ways to monitor environmental conditions and establish who will be responsible for monitoring and reporting on risks
  • record and document identified risks and agreed control measures including how and when they will be enacted.

Access the SeasonalSAFE plan and develop your plan, ensuring your strategy is reflected in your Emergency Plan, and consider aligning it to Australian Standard (AS 3745-2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities). You are legally required to complete an Emergency Plan.

Consider whether your emergency plan:

  • includes information and controls specific to mobile workers (transient workers who travel to and work at various offsite locations in order to provide services), if applicable
  • addresses situations where there is a disrupted or reduced workforce such as Christmas, holiday periods, civil and public health emergencies such as violence, protests or a pandemic.

The 30 minutes you take to plan now will help workers make quick decisions when faced with sudden changes in weather and fire conditions.

Step 2: Monitor the environment

You can’t control the weather, heat, bushfires or smoke but you can control where, how and when your workers perform their duties.

It's important to monitor the environment to know when you need to enact your SeasonalSAFE plan.

Have a designated person/s monitor and gather information and reports from relevant sources such as:

Monitoring these sources will help you know when to activate your SeasonalSAFE plan.

Step 3: Check and implement

To activate your SeasonalSAFE plan:

  • ensure your workers are familiar with the plan
  • take the steps necessary to prepare your workplace for the upcoming season
  • check you have the required equipment and provisions in place.

If necessary, enact your extreme weather, sun exposure, bushfire or smoke control measures as detailed in your SeasonalSAFE plan.

Step 4: Review

At the end of the summer season, talk to your workers and review your control measures:

  • what worked well?
  • what could you add?
  • what could you improve?

Update your SeasonalSAFE plan and your workplace Emergency Plan.

Further information

SafeWork NSW

SafeWork NSW has information about working in extreme heat, ultra-violet radiation (UVR) and bushfire smoke. If you have a question about extreme heat call us on 13 10 50.

NSW Rural Fire Service

Visit the NSW Rural Fire Service website.

NSW State Emergency Service

NSW SES major responsibilities are for flood and storm emergencies in addition to providing assistance to other emergency services during major operations. SES also offer information on how to know, plan and prepare before extreme storm or flood emergencies occur.

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