Updated WHS information for managing the risk of bushfires

To improve the safety of your team during the bushfire season, Safe Work Australia has developed a brand new information sheet to assist PCBUs in using the national fire danger rating and warning systems to identify and assess the risks of bushfires.

Download the new information sheet here. 

If you are a PCBU, it’s your responsibility to either eliminate workplace risks or, if that’s not possible, minimise them to the extent that is reasonably practicable. Assessing the risk of bushfires falls under this duty.

Conducting a risk assessment will assist you in:

• identifying any hazards that could have an impact on your workers and others in the workplace,
• assessing the risks, and
• determining the most effective control measures to manage the risks.

All states and territories have now implemented the:

• Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS), which provides information about the risks of bushfires in the local area, and
• Australian Warning System (AWS), which provides warnings during emergencies such as bushfires.

When conducting a risk assessment for bushfires, utilising resources such as the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) and the Australian Warning System (AWS) can be beneficial.

For further information, we recommend visiting the Safe Work Australia Bushfire smoke in the workplace and Working near bushfires webpages.