Individual/Organisational name:261 Country Fire Authority (CFA)

What state/ territory are you from?

Model Work Health and Safety Codes of Practice - Public Comment Response Form

1)Safe Design Of Building and Structures
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
2)Excavation Work
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
3)Demolition Work
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
4)Spray Painting and Powder Coating
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
5)Abrasive Blasting
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
6)Welding and Allied Processes
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
7)Safe Access in Tree Trimming and Arboriculture
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
8)Preventing and Managing Fatigue in the Workplace
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Page 26 – Case study three – Emergency Services
This submission is made to clarify information contained in Case study three in the Draft Code with regard to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Victoria.
Situation column
first paragraph
‘The shifts are 12 hours long, including travel to and from a staging area’
Firefighting shifts are approximately 12 hours on the fireground plus travel to and from the staging area. Travel times can vary significantly depending on the location of the fire (remote area) and availability of suitable facilities for meals and accommodation.
last paragraph
‘The coordinator conducts a risk assessment with the health & safety representative’
The Country Fire Authority in Victoria is primarily a volunteer resourced organisation. There is no static workplace when responding to wildfires. The Safety Officer would be located at an Incident Control Centre (ICC). Currently, there is no formal structure for volunteers to be represented by a health & safety representative. Even when this is implemented in accordance with WHS legislation there will be no certainty that a HSR would be available to participate in a risk assessment at an ICC.
See comments below.
Outcome column
Second dot point
Shift lengths are shortened to 10 hours
There are many logistical issues to be considered during this type of fire along with the shift length. In most cases, depending on the fire situation and activity, fire fighting appliances are replaced in shifts (normally 12 hours) to return to the staging area to change over crews, obtain fuel, hydration and food supplies, and have repairs to appliances and equipment carried out.
Last dot point
‘buses are provided for transport to and from fire ground and the meals and accommodation locations’
Buses and coaches used to transport relief crews to and from staging areasand accommodation would not normally go into an area where they maypossibly be exposed to fire.
Bushfires are a dynamic situation which require constant review of a whole range of issues to meet our regulatory responsibilities and also ourMissionto protect life and property of both the public and CFA so far as is reasonably practicable.
Emergency service organisations will not be able to comply with all of the requirements in this CoP due to the unpredictable nature of emergency work and imminent threat to life and property that is to be balanced with fatigue of workers. There needs to be provisionfor emergency services to allow for other control measures which are determined by risk assessment, particularly where there are risks to life, community and critical infrastructure.
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
9)Preventing and Responding to Workplace Bullying
Comments due by Friday, 16 December 2011
Comments: (Please include section/page numbers).
Impacts: Do you anticipate any potential costs or safety benefits of complying with this code that are different to current requirements in your jurisdiction? If so what are they?
Other Comments