An emergency response plan is now available from WorkSafe, outlining the steps manufacturers must take in the event of an accident when emergency services are not present.
This Safety Alert highlights the importance of having an effective emergency response plan in case emergency services cannot respond to an incident.
The Alert is designed for construction, food and other manufacturing, and basic and fabricated metals manufacturing, and should be part of a wider OHS plan, according to WorkSafe.
Though the majority of accidents WorkSafe records are from construction sites, manufacturing plants have similar dangers and their fair share of accidents.
The Effective Emergency Response Plans document outlines issues for both industries.
“WorkSafe inspectors have reported an increasing number of occasions where emergency response plans on construction sites do not provide a contingency plan when emergency
services are unable to respond to or deal with a site emergency,” said WorkSafe.
“All construction sites should have an emergency response plan. In most cases, the plan will be part of the health and safety co-ordination plan. However, with complex and largescale projects, a separate response plan may be necessary.
“In either case, consultation with the relevant emergency services may be necessary, particularly where the work involves high rise or excavation.”
The Safety Alert goes on to include control measures firms should take to lower the risk of accidents turning deadly.
WorkSafe has been very active this year in alerting industry about risks and safety measures. They recently broadcast an emotional advertising campaign on Victorian television showing how workplace injuries affect those injured, their families, friends and employers.
Image courtesy of Insafres.com
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