Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedure

Nomenclature

Term	Definition
DWER	Department of Water and Environmental Regulation — the Western Australian environmental regulator.
EEP	Emergency Evacuation Plan — the site-specific plan that applies this procedure at a particular workplace, covering evacuation routes, assembly points, equipment locations and local emergency contacts.
PASS	Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep — the sequence for operating a portable fire extinguisher.
PCBU	Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking — the primary duty holder under the Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA).
SDS	Safety Data Sheet — the document that describes the hazards of a chemical and the precautions for its safe handling, storage and emergency response.
WHS	Work Health and Safety.

Purpose

This procedure ensures that Westlink prepares for, responds to and learns from reasonably foreseeable emergencies. It sets out how the organisation plans for emergencies, assigns emergency roles, resources and tests its response, and the actions workers take when an emergency occurs. The objective is a practised, swift and effective response that protects life first and then limits harm to people, the environment, assets and the continuity of operations.

Scope

This procedure applies to all workers, contractors, sub-contractors and visitors at any Westlink workplace, and to Westlink personnel working on client-controlled sites. It covers the credible emergency scenarios that may arise from Westlink activities, including fire, medical emergencies, chemical spills, bomb or suspicious-object threats, robbery or theft, severe weather and extended loss of power.

This procedure sets the emergency-management standard for the organisation. Site-specific detail — evacuation routes, designated assembly points, the location of fire and first-aid equipment, local emergency-service and medical-facility contacts, and any client-site arrangements — is held in the current site Emergency Evacuation Plan (EEP) for each workplace, which applies this procedure locally. Where Westlink works in client-owned facilities, the client’s emergency arrangements apply and the site EEP records how Westlink personnel integrate with them. Site EEPs attach to this procedure as annexes rather than duplicate it — the planned QHSE-PRO-008 Perth-office annex being the first.

Definitions

Terms and acronyms used in this procedure are defined in the Nomenclature table at the front of this document.

Responsibilities

Securing the safety of all personnel and others who may be affected by an emergency is the highest priority. The following roles apply to the preparation for, and response to, emergencies.

Role	Responsibility	When
CEO	Provides the resources (people, facilities and equipment) needed to prepare for and respond to emergencies; receives the post-incident review report and approves resulting corrective actions.	Ongoing; after each emergency
Operations Manager	Owns this procedure; ensures each workplace has a current site Emergency Evacuation Plan, that emergency wardens and first aiders are appointed and trained, and that drills are scheduled, run and reviewed.	Ongoing
Site Manager / Supervisor	Is the person in control during a site emergency; ensures workers and visitors know the site EEP, directs the response and evacuation, and accounts for personnel at the assembly point.	During an emergency
Emergency Wardens	Take control of an evacuation, conduct headcounts at the assembly point, and liaise with emergency services on arrival.	During an emergency
First Aiders	Provide first aid within the limits of their training and maintain a current first-aid certificate.	During an emergency; certificate kept current
Workers, Contractors and Visitors	Follow the site EEP and emergency instructions, raise the alarm and report emergencies, and take prompt action to make safe any hazard within their capacity without placing themselves at risk.	Ongoing; during an emergency

Emergency Planning

Westlink takes all reasonably practicable steps to minimise the risk of an emergency, but cannot assume a major incident will never occur. Westlink therefore maintains documented emergency arrangements that identify the credible emergency scenarios for its sites, define the emergency organisation (people and duties), and specify the response arrangements (systems and procedures).

Resources

The resources needed to prepare for and respond to emergencies — people, facilities and equipment — are made available to comply with WHS and environmental obligations and to protect the health and safety of workers and others. Emergency personnel receive initial and refresher training.

Site Emergency Arrangements

Each workplace maintains the following, documented in its site Emergency Evacuation Plan:

• A current site Emergency Evacuation Plan, reviewed by a competent person and approved by the Operations Manager, covering exit signage, the type and quantity of fire equipment, and first-aid equipment;

• Designated emergency evacuation assembly area(s), signposted and numbered, with the route to each shown on the plan;

• Emergency personnel displayed for the site — emergency wardens, first aiders and the WHS representative;

• A register of emergency equipment and its locations (for example first-aid kits and spill kits), maintained in the WMS;

• A hazardous-substances register holding the Safety Data Sheets for chemicals held at the site, located near chemical storage and use areas and maintained in the WMS;

• Current emergency telephone numbers and the local emergency-service and medical-facility details for the site;

• A current list of qualified first aiders and emergency wardens; and

• Arrangements for coordinating with other occupants of a shared workplace during an emergency.

Fire-fighting equipment is inspected and tested six-monthly, and first-aid kits are checked and replenished six-monthly against the site first-aid-kit checklist, with contents kept within their use-by dates. Inspection and test records are maintained in the WMS emergency-equipment register.

Any concern a worker has about the emergency arrangements must be reported to a supervisor promptly. Westlink will investigate and address the concern.

Testing the Plan

Westlink tests its emergency arrangements through drills scheduled in the WMS emergency-drill schedule. Testing confirms the arrangements are current, known to the workforce and effective. The Site Manager is responsible for organising and running each drill, which may involve some or all workers and visitors.

Drills are relevant to the site and, where practicable, rotate through different credible scenarios. The Operations Manager (or a delegate) observes the drill and monitors the actions taken. At the end of the drill a review identifies improvements, which are raised in the corrective-action register and tracked to completion.

Emergency Response Procedures

The actions below apply to the credible emergency scenarios. In every case the site Emergency Evacuation Plan governs site-specific detail — routes, assembly points, equipment locations and local contacts. Where a building must be evacuated, workers move to the nominated assembly point and an emergency warden conducts a headcount to account for all personnel and visitors.

General Evacuation

When an evacuation is called, workers leave the building by the nearest safe emergency exit and proceed to the assembly point shown on the site EEP. Workers do not re-enter the building until an emergency warden or emergency services advise it is safe. Each worker is trained in the location of their assembly point, refreshed annually through a drill or equivalent activity.

Fire Emergency

Fire-fighting equipment is located throughout Westlink buildings, complies with the relevant Australian Standards and is signposted. Nominated workers are trained annually in its use. If you discover a fire:

• Assist anyone in immediate danger to move to a safer location, but only if it is safe for you to do so. Never put yourself at risk.

• Raise the alarm and notify the emergency warden and administration so the fire brigade can be called and an evacuation announced if needed. From this point the emergency warden takes control.

• If the fire is small and it is safe to do so, fight it with the correct extinguisher, staying between the fire and your escape route and with someone backing you up. Use the PASS sequence: Pull the pin, Aim the nozzle, Squeeze the handle, Sweep across the base of the fire.

• For a larger fire, concentrate on containment until the fire brigade arrives, and ensure vehicles are moved so emergency access is clear.

• Evacuate to the assembly point if directed; the emergency warden decides on evacuation from a situation assessment and any professional advice. All workers should prepare to evacuate.

• The emergency warden conducts a headcount. Once the fire brigade arrives and takes control, follow their instructions.

Fire-fighting equipment is used only for its intended purpose and is regularly inspected and serviced, including external testing by approved contractors. Extinguisher selection follows AS 2444:2001. The site EEP identifies extinguisher types and their appropriate use.

Medical Emergency

A medical emergency may result from an incident (fire, chemical exposure, an industrial accident) or from a medical event such as a cardiac arrest. First-aid requirements are determined from a risk assessment that considers the number and distribution of workers, the nature of the work areas, and the provision and maintenance of first-aid facilities and trained first aiders.

Workers who hold a first-aid role maintain a current first-aid certificate from a registered training organisation. First-aid kits are accessible whenever workers are at work, checked six-monthly and kept within use-by dates. The site EEP identifies the location of defibrillators and other first-aid equipment, the nearest medical centre and the nearest emergency department.

When a medical emergency occurs:

• Ensure the scene is safe before approaching, and provide first aid within the limits of your training.

• Notify the site supervisor or emergency warden.

• If professional assistance is needed, call 000 for an ambulance and clearly state the site address (held in the site office) and all relevant information about the casualty.

• Arrange to meet and guide the ambulance, and record the treatment provided so it can inform prevention of future injury and illness.

Chemical Spill

On a chemical spill, refer to the site Emergency Evacuation Plan and the Safety Data Sheet for the chemical. Take the following actions:

• Identify the chemical, notify the emergency warden and begin to isolate the area. The warden refers to the SDS in the hazardous-substances register to confirm the correct isolation and clean-up method.

• Switch off nearby electrical equipment to reduce the risk of ignition, and increase ventilation in the affected area if it is safe to do so.

• For a major spill, notify the Area Supervisor and emergency warden immediately, evacuate where required, and call 000. Keep the site entrance clear for emergency services.

• Place a containment barrier (sand, soil or absorbents and broom/mops, from the site spill kit) so that no liquid escapes to stormwater or wastewater. The spill kit’s location is recorded on the site EEP and it is kept readily accessible.

• Once the spill is contained and absorbed, have the waste removed by a licensed waste contractor.

• If anyone is affected by fumes, treat them in accordance with the SDS and seek medical treatment.

After any spill, raise an incident report under QHSE-PRO-001. Where the discharge of waste has caused, or is likely to cause, pollution or environmental harm, the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) s.72 requires the occupier to notify the CEO of the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation as soon as practicable — first orally or electronically, then in writing with the prescribed details. This statutory notification is separate from, and in addition to, internal incident reporting.

Bomb Threat or Suspicious Object

Although rare, all workers should know how to handle a bomb threat. Keep a copy of the Bomb Threat Checklist near reception telephones for immediate use. On receiving a threat by telephone, remain calm and do not alarm others:

• Keep the caller talking for as long as possible and record what they say — the location and description of the device, the time it is set to explode, and what will detonate it.

• Note the caller’s voice, accent, apparent age, the tone of the threat and any background sounds, and the caller-ID display if available. Do not hang up, even if the caller does.

• Signal a colleague to contact the authorities, or notify them yourself as soon as the call ends.

If a suspicious object or package is found:

• Do not touch or move it; keep the area clear and contact the authorities.

• Do not use a mobile phone or two-way radio near the object, as it may trigger a device.

• Be aware of the signs of a suspicious package — no return address, excessive postage, stains, odours, unexpected delivery, or restrictive markings.

A threat assessment is made by site management with the authorities, weighing the legitimacy of the threat against the risk of evacuating through areas where a device may be placed (entrances, corridors and assembly areas). Immediate total evacuation is not always the safest response. Where evacuation is directed, it is conducted in an orderly, pre-planned manner; workers may be asked to take their personal belongings with them. An incident report is completed for every reported threat and reviewed by management.

Robbery or Theft

A robbery involves the taking of property under threat or use of force. Westlink manages this risk through site risk assessments, with controls communicated to workers at affected sites. To stay safe, follow site procedures and the risk-management plan, stay alert to changes in site risk, and report them.

If you are confronted by an armed offender and a threat is made to your life:

• Your safety comes first — comply with the offender’s demands.

• Stay as calm as you can and do not invade the offender’s personal space.

• Observe and remember as much detail as you safely can for the authorities, and report the incident as soon as it is safe.

Severe Weather

Australia’s weather can range from extreme heat to cyclones, and varies by work-site location. Where severe weather may affect operations — extreme heat or cold, electrical storms, heavy rain or hail, or cyclonic winds — site management puts arrangements in place to keep workers safe and, where practicable, maintain operations. Severe-weather arrangements for a site are recorded in its EEP.

Extended Loss of Power

A power loss can occur at any time, so each site ensures back-up equipment is available for an extended outage — for example mobile phones, torches, spare batteries, spotlights and, where warranted, a generator. During an extended outage:

• Turn off non-essential electrical equipment so that a power surge on restoration does not damage sensitive equipment; and

• Where generators are available, use them to restore power to essential areas, depending on the site and its environment.

Response Review

After an emergency, the Site Manager convenes a review attended by senior management and, where appropriate, representatives of emergency services. The review examines the events leading up to the emergency and the efficiency and effectiveness of the response.

The outcome is recorded in minutes held in the WMS. Improvements to the response, training or equipment are raised in the corrective-action register and tracked to completion by the Operations Manager, with the CEO endorsing actions arising from the review.

Applicable Standards and Legislation

This procedure was developed with regard to the following standards, legislation and codes of practice:

• Work Health and Safety Act 2020 (WA) — s.19 (primary duty of care), Part 3 ss.35-39 (incident notification: notifiable incident, serious injury or illness, dangerous incident, duty to notify the regulator, duty to preserve the incident site)

• Work Health and Safety (General) Regulations 2022 (WA) — emergency plans and hazardous-chemical management

• Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) — s.72 (occupier duty to notify the CEO of DWER of a discharge of waste that has caused or is likely to cause pollution or environmental harm)

• AS 2444:2001 Portable Fire Extinguishers and Fire Blankets — Selection and Location

• ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems — Requirements — cl. 5.2 (policy), cl. 6.1 (hazard identification), cl. 8.2 (emergency preparedness), cl. 10.2 (incident investigation)

• Code of Practice: First Aid in the Workplace (WA, 2022)

• Code of Practice: How to Manage Work Health and Safety Risks (WA, 2022)