Safety and Wellbeing Capability

Lawyers… non-compliant with fire regulations?

Over the years I have not audited one lawyer’s office that was fire compliant!

According to Ben Warren, a Brisbane Lawyer ‘Ignorance of the law is no excuse’ and few occupants in CBD buildings – including lawyers – would be aware that “occupier” obligations under the fire safety regulations extend beyond mere participation in the building owner’s compliance regime.  The “occupier” (each tenant) often has distinct statutory obligations, including the need for a specific evacuation plan, diagrams, staff training, etc.. 

Most lawyers would not know what to do in an emergency. The legal practice often decides that to have the lawyers participate in a two-hour fire training course is not productive. Can you imagine… the lost revenue on a practice of 10 lawyers whose charge our rate is over $300 per hour… would lose them over $6000.

The lawyers often appoint their secretary to act as Chief Warden… from experience, they usually fail to participate in the fire drills, and it is hard for the secretary to enforce participation. If a real emergency occurs… they would not know what they are supposed to be doing.

Remember, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse…” Legal practitioners need to understand that they MUST as a minimum, by law do the following:

·        Conduct and document a Hazard & Risk Assessment of their practice

·        Install Evacuation Signs and Diagrams

·        Have a separate Emergency Evacuation Response Plan (separate to their other procedures)

·        Have ALL staff, including doctors complete, General Evacuation Training every year

·        Have ALL staff, including doctors complete First Response Training every two years

·        Have the wardens (usually practices managers or nurses) do training every year if in QLD and in the other states every six months.

·        Conduct a Practice Fire Drill for all shifts on an annual basis

What legislation did you ask? Qld Fire & Rescue Services Act 1990 and AS3745 Managing Emergencies in Facilities.

In interviews with 271 survivors of 911, researchers in 2008 found that only about 8.6% had fled as soon as the alarm was raised while about 91.4% stayed behind to wait for more information or carrying out at least one additional task (collecting belongings/calling a family member). The interviews also showed that 82% of those who were evacuating stopped at least once during their way down, due to congestion on the stairs, take a rest, or due to environmental conditions (smoke/debris/fire/water).

Do we have to wait for a major disaster in Australian high rise offices before people take fire compliance seriously?

Time to act now! Find out if your business is fire compliant! Book a Virtual Fire Safety Audit today!


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Category: Safety and Wellbeing Capability

Failure to conduct a hazard & risk assessment kills a patient

Health service charged after patient death

Melbourne Health has been charged by WorkSafe following the death of a patient at its Broadmeadows aged persons mental health unit.

WorkSafe lodged three charges against Melbourne Health under section 23(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (the OHS Act) at the Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on 7 June relating to the death on 23 September, 2013.

WorkSafe alleges that Melbourne Health contravened the OHS Act on three occasions when it failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, that the 75-year-old male patient was not exposed to risks to his health or safety arising from the conduct of its undertaking.

Every practices MUST conduct a Hazard & Risk Assessment.  We have online courses that your team can work through together.


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Category: Safety and Wellbeing Capability

Most Medical Practices are not fire compliant!

Different industries often put out policies, procedures and handbooks for their industry, but what if what has been produced is not enough?

A recent google survey of medical practices and their practice procedures and policies revealed a disturbing trend.  Most of the practices are using the same template!

What is the issue with this?

First question is, has each practice done a hazard and risk assessment of their site?  If they had they would realise that they must adhere to all the legislation that is relevant to their business not just follow the guidelines put out by Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP).  One area that has not been addressed effectively is fire safety.

Most practices tend to rely on the guidelines put out by RCGP and it talks about having fire safety in place but does not fulfil the requirements of the Building Fire Services Act 2008 or AS3745 Managing Emergencies in Facilities.

In the past nine years I have audited about a dozen medical practices and on first audit none of them were fire compliant, though they maintained their belief they were fire compliant as they had followed the RCGP guidelines.

Medical practitioners need to understand that they MUST as a minimum, by law do the following:

  • Conduct and document a Hazard & Risk Assessment of their practice
  • Install Evacuation Signs and Diagrams
  • Have a separate Emergency Evacuation Response Plan (separate to their other procedures)
  • Have ALL staff, including doctors complete, General Evacuation Training every year
  • Have ALL staff, including doctors complete First Response Training every two years
  • Have the wardens (usually practices managers or nurses) do training every year if in QLD and in the other states every six months.
  • Conduct a Practice Fire Drill for all shifts on an annual basis

The costliest exercise for most practices is the loss of income that they receive when they take doctors out of circulation for these training courses, so most practices fail to have ALL staff trained.  One way to alleviate the expense of this training on practices is to have customised online training for each practice.  This means that doctors can do the training at a time that suits them.  Proper training is more than just telling someone, “there is the door, get out”!

General Evacuation training, for medical practices should include training on what to do if they get an aggressive person or someone with a gun trying to rob them of drugs.  Other unique issues for doctors is, what if they are conducting internal examination on patients who are undressed, and an immediate evacuation is required of all people from premises.  Are they prepared to deal with people who insist on getting dressed and putting their shoes on?

To determine if your business is fire compliant you need to conduct a Fire Safety Audit, work with us and we teach you how to do an audit and what to look for.  You will receive a documented audit report that cites the legislation that you may be breaching, and the cost of the penalties for non-compliance.  Call today to book a Virtual Fire Safety Audit and ask us how you can get one for free!

So What is a Virtual Fire Audit?



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Category: Safety and Wellbeing Capability

Do Evacuation Signs & Diagrams Expire?

Building Fire & Safety Regulation 2008 and AS3745 Planning for Emergencies in Facilities states that businesses must have evacuation signs and diagrams and stipulates what must and what could be on the diagrams.

One thing to note though, is that diagrams do not expire.  There are some companies who put a validity date on the diagrams and they use this as an expiry date.  Diagrams DO NOT expire!  However, you must on an annual basis as part of your Emergency Planning Committee Meeting verify that the layout of the building has not changed.  The only time that you need to change the emergency signs and diagrams once created is when there has been a material change to the layout of the building.

Some of the companies that create emergency signs and diagrams also include things such as desks and movable equipment.  As these are movable then it is likely that the layout will change due to a business’s growth and that gives some of those companies an excuse to redo the diagrams.  Only walls and fixtures such as benches and pallet racking that are secured and fitted into the building need to be on the diagrams as they may impact the egress routes.

If you want professionally rendered evacuation signs and diagrams without the BS from other companies, The Answer is Yes has an online course that can walk you through on marking out your emergency signs and diagrams and if you choose we can have them professionally rendered for you.


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Category: Safety and Wellbeing Capability

Impact of Fire on Your Life and Business

When businesses burn down they have not just lost their physical assets, they have lost customers and their staff in many cases lose their jobs. That is quite apart from the psychological damage that has been caused by the fire.  UBC Faculty of Medicine states that

“The impact (of fire) varies according to a range of complex factors including the nature of the loss, the degree of impact and disruption on their lives, the aftermath, the person’s age and their level of psychological adjustment. Most people cope well with losses, although they may experience some degree of distress such as anxiety, depression or sleep disturbance. Grieving the loss of one’s cherished possessions is a natural psychological reaction, although most people are able to move on with their lives”.

From personal experience, waking up to a house fire, I was emotionally and psychologically fine after the fire. Or so I thought. About six years later I was studying, and the lecturer showed a fire training video and it triggered an emotional freak out within me. I had a melt-down moment when I realised that I have four children under the age of five and the fear that I could not save them all in the event of another fire. Even years after the fire, every time we had a BBQ or we went camping I would have to struggle to overcome my absolute fear of fire. It didn’t help to have two boys who were fascinated by fire … one threw an aerosol into a campfire and had his eyebrows and hair singed when it exploded; another time they almost set the neighbours house on fire.

When I started my career in Occupational Health & Safety, I realised I had to overcome my almost terror of fire. Learning to teach fire training helped me to overcome and take control of the variables. Knowledge gave me power.  Understanding the mechanisms of fire and what was needed to put a fire out successfully and being able to use the equipment competently assisted greatly.  I am still not 100% comfortable being around fire… truthfully I think that played a huge decision in our creating online fire training courses.


Online Fire Training Courses

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Discover why precautions are better than consequences

Podcast with Janeen Vosper and Guest Speaker Corrina Lindby

Having provided safety advice to business for seven years, Corrina Lindby sees risks everywhere. Whether a sole trader, start-up, a small or large business, Work Health & Safety issues should important to all.

Were you aware that every business MUST complete a Hazard and Risk Assessment and document? Yes, even if it is a home business.

In this interview, Corrina explains why you need to treat your home like a work environment then consider and document every task and then consider whether a hazard is foreseeable.

Are you prepared for fire or injury?

Do you have an extinguisher and fire blanket? And know how to use them?

Do you have an up to date first aid kit in your home and vehicle? And know how to use it?

Discover why there is a lot to consider when you do due diligence and assesses your work environment. And it is legislated.

Corrina reminds us that “Precautions are better than consequences.”

To contact Corrina you can visit her website www.answeryes.com.au or email info@answeryes.com.au or phone her personally on 07 31804422 if you would like to have a chat about your business WHS.

Mention this interview as Corrine is offering a complimentary fire audit of your business.


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Category: Safety and Wellbeing Capability

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