SeasonalSAFE

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

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Summer in Australia can be harsh. Our 4-step guide suggests ways to help your workers stay comfortable and safe from the effects of extreme heat, sun exposure, bushfires and smoke.

Step 1: Plan

Consult with your workers and:

  • identify if your workplace is at risk of bushfires and heat
  • 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 bushfires, smoke and heat, 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.

Download the SeasonalSAFE plan template (PDF, 200kb)

  • develop your plan, ensuring your strategy is reflected in your Emergency Management Plan, and consider aligning it to Australian Standard (AS 3745-2010 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities)
  • consider if the plan includes situations where there is a disrupted or reduced workforce such as Christmas, holiday periods or a pandemic.
Step 2: Monitor the environment

You can’t control the weather, bushfires, smoke or heat 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 bushfire, smoke and extreme heat 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 Management Plan.

Further information

SafeWork NSW

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

NSW Rural Fire Service

NSW RFS Get ready campaign provides an opportunity for you to engage with your local brigade and find out about the bush fire risk in your area so you can plan and prepare.

Resilience NSW

If you're affected by a natural disaster such as bushfires, visit Resilience NSW. Resilience NSW oversee and coordinate emergency management policy and service delivery. They're the lead agency in disaster recovery and building community resilience for future disasters.

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