A contract worker was gas cutting galvanised plate in a quarry “graveyard” area when the wind changed, and a small fire started in dry bush behind the worker. A second worker on fire watch duties had been distracted and wasn’t looking in the direction of the work.
The contractor called out to the second worker who brought a fire extinguisher over and began to fight the flames, however the extinguisher ran out before the fire was put out. The contractor called over the RT and a water cart was sent to the scene to douse the area and extinguish the fire.
An emergency is an unplanned or unexpected event that requires immediate action to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of people. Emergencies occur when controls to hazards fail, putting workers or other people at an immediate risk of harm.
You need to ensure that:
• All reasonably foreseeable emergencies are identified and adequate controls put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on site.
• A site Emergency Plan is developed, maintained and implemented.
• Risk assessments are completed on all hot work tasks to ensure that hazards are identified, risks assessed, and effective controls are put in place.
• Regular workplace inspections are conducted to ensure that risk controls are in place and are effective.
• All workers are trained, and regularly re-trained, in dealing with fires and other emergencies.
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