Module 16: Introduction to safety

Safety

Module Objective: To provide an overview of the need for safe practices and to understand the role and responsibility for safety throughout the burn, as the burn supervisor.

Safety

As the person responsible for the burn, you are ultimately responsible for the safety of everyone present. Safety considerations should have already been determined during the planning and preparation phases. Confirm that these are still valid and are in place.

Any prescribed burn presents some threat to the safety of:

• Personnel undertaking the controlled burn
• The public, especially neighbours and those near the burn site or in line of smoke drift.
• Stock in neighbouring paddocks
• Other values/ assets on the farm – buildings, vehicles, infrastructure, family and pets, forests

Safety of personnel is paramount when using fire for management. It is crucial that everyone involved has the right skills and competency for the tasks they are allocated, and understands how the burn will be conducted.

You are ultimately responsible for your personal safety. You are also responsible for the safety and health of others on the fireground. Keep an eye on your team members. You can reduce risk to your and others’ safety if you look after your equipment and use it safely. Ensure people involved in a controlled burn:

• are physically fit for the task
• are properly trained
• have an understanding of fire behaviour
• have a positive attitude
• follow the safety precautions Land clearing burns are the most dangerous type of fires used for land management. To reduce the risks and increase safety, you must have an understanding of:
• How fires burn
• The factors that influence the behaviour of fires
• Hazards and survival
• Protecting yourself and others.

Safety cards

Fire and Emergency will have issued you with pink LACES cards when you received your permit. They will tell you, on one side, the most common dangerous situations you should watch out for. On the other side they list the 10 standard fire fighting orders.

Read and remember the points on these cards. They may save your life.

Add in pink card photo

Burn supervisor role

In a PCBU (Person conducting a business unit), it is the land manager’s responsibility to ensure staff are adequately trained for the controlled burn operation, aware of operational hazards, and provided with required PPE. The burn supervisor overseeing burning should ensure that all personnel are familiar with their role and what is expected of them. A contingency plan in the event of emergency should be developed and made clear to all personnel involved.

Briefing A good briefing to all personnel helps avoid accidents. The briefing (tailgate) should cover: relevant details of the burn plan, including the light-up pattern. Meet with all staff before the burn begins to ensure everyone knows:

• what is required from the crew
• the key safety messages

At the tailgate meeting, outline on an operational map the proposed burn area. This needs to have sufficient detail so personnel can navigate their paths and operate during the burn. Depending on the size of the burn, consider walking or driving around the perimeter of the burn area, pointing out situational hazards of the terrain and vegetation. Make known the escape routes and the safe zones as you travel, and where the lookout will be located in relation to the area.

Following the briefing, all personnel should be aware of:

• what their primary task is and the overall objective in conducting the burn
• the burn plan elements, light up plan and sequence of ignition
• communication devices and how to alert other staff of danger or signal for help
• communication signals, and where there are communication blackout zones
• familiarisation with equipment
• PPE requirements (check also that no-one is wearing synthetics or unsuitable clothing)
• safety zones and escape routes
• exit points, and any areas of potential danger or difficulty
• tracks (and which ones have dead ends)
• situational hazards
• water points
• location of the lookout

Final site safety check After the operational briefing, staff should move to the assembly area. A final site safety check needs to be conducted by the burn supervisor prior to lighting the match, to ensure:

• All access paths are clear (check for fallen trees, slips , obstacles on track etc)
• The burn site is safe for crew to operate in
• The weather conditions for next 4-6 hours are still conducive to safe burning
• All staff feel adequately prepared and briefed for the task
• The pre-burn checklist is completed, and all systems are GO

Restrict access Anyone not involved with the burn must not be allowed within the planned burn area, as well as the surrounding area. Restrict access at locations accessible by the public

Post-burn monitoring Site supervision includes post burning supervision for a number of hours after operations have ceased, to ensure that all fires are fully extinguished and do not pose a risk of re-flare and wildfire outbreak.

Resources

Nutrition and hydration Prescribed burning is physically demanding and adequate refreshments and rest breaks must be catered for. Operatives should be issued with clean drinking water and drink regularly to avoid dehydration. Alcoholic beverages should not be consumed prior to or during the burning operation.

Communication Too often, communication is a last consideration. Communication is critical to swift and effective action when things do go wrong and personnel need help. THINK – It could be YOU that is injured.

Good communications are vital to coordinating a burn operation. Radio or mobile phone communications should be available to all members of the burn team. Check before burning that communication devices are all in working order. Remind staff to take handheld radios with them and have these on hand, and not leave them on the farm vehicle. Consider also that cellphone coverage may not be present at all times, and a backup method (radio or hand signal) is also needed. Communication systems which are effective in the very noisy environment created by a fire are also a vital safety tool.

It’s essential to communicate any changes to the fire to all personnel on site, and to ensure safety of the resources and the public.

Equipment Ensure staff have handheld suppression tools nearby at all times in case of spot fires. A shovel or wet sack is useful for small breakouts. This allows personnel to be able to respond quickly to breakouts and spot fires as they arise, mitigating the likelihood of larger escape fires developing.

Ensure all personnel are dressed in PPE before deployment into the burn area

Contingencies

While the risk of the burn escaping is a key risk that must be taken into consideration, effective planning and burn preparations also need to consider other potential outcomes where contingency plans may need to be planned for, such as:

Equipment breakdown

• Plan the burn to incorporate more than just the bare minimum of resources.
• Include spare equipment or standby equipment in case of breakdown or failure

Injury

• Check first aid equipment is adequate to treat potential injuries
• Include the ambulance service and nearest medical centre in notification checklist
• Specify rescue helicopter, ambulance and medevac routes and checkpoints on operational map in the burn plan and tailgate meeting.
• Plan and communicate which roles can be recalled to assist with an injury, and which must be maintained to ensure burn security.

Hazards

• Establish safe workarounds or mitigation steps to account for hazards

Do not work alone.

Everyone should work as a cohesive unit and must not be out of contact during any stages of the burn. It is recommended to be within eye and verbal communication with others at all times.

Safety Precautions are critical.

• Know who is in charge
• Have the correct PPE
• Keep in contact with the crew
• Know where the fire is
• Stay in a safe area (road; burned- out area; firebreak)
• Stay away from unburnt fuels
• Have an escape route
• Be Alert
• Watch for changes in weather

Activity: Identifying safety precautions at burn site

Look at a topographical map of your proposed burn area. Use the map to identify waterpoints, values and assets that need protecting, proposed control lines, safety zones, neighbours and prominent winds.

• What safety precautions can you take to make the burn site safer due to these hazards?
• Using the map as a reference, how could you make staff aware of hazards, tracks, water points, and safety zones?

Learning outcome:

Know the safety responsibilities of a burn supervisor, and understand necessary standard safety precautions to keep yourself and staff safe.