Incident Ground Health, Safety and Welfare

Scope

This Operational Guideline is for health, safety, and welfare considerations when firefighters are operating on an incident ground.

Fundamental Protocols underpin the actions of all NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) members and must be adhered to at all times. They outline the Principles of being an RFS member and provide guidance on conduct to support the safety and wellbeing of members.

Guiding Principles

• Take standard precautions and use infection control practises incidents involving the handling of casualties or possible contact with bodily fluids. This includes general hygiene, safe handling of the casualty, and the use of Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment (PPC/PPE) where possible to reduce the risk of exposure.
• Officers are to keep track of the location and activities of units or personnel assigned to their immediate command. At larger incidents or when staging or assembly areas are established, a T-card or other resource management system, is to be used to keep track of units and personnel assigned to the incident.
• Officers are to maintain awareness of the location and safety of members of other agencies or the general public within their area of control on the incident ground.
• Officers must maintain situational awareness of existing, emerging, or potential hazards during an operation by conducting a Dynamic Risk Assessment (DRA).
• Officers should stay aware of the condition of firefighters under their control and arrange for rest, rotation, refreshment, and welfare of those firefighters as needed.
• Members of the RFS are not to work alone on an incident ground unless they have reliable two-way communication with another unit and maintain regular contact with them (at least once every 30 minutes).
• A Safety Officer (SO) in the field or Incident Management Team (IMT), reporting directly to the Incident Controller (IC) or Divisional Controller, should be appointed to larger incidents. The SO is to monitor safety conditions (e.g., fire behaviour, weather, strategy, and tactics, etc.) on the incident ground and may stop activities that they believe present an inordinate risk.
• Crews should be available to provide timely assistance to other crews who get into difficulties at an incident. At large incidents, crews may be kept in reserve to provide such assistance, and an Ambulance on stand-by should be considered.
• Sufficient welfare for all crew is to be carried in firefighting appliances and personnel carriers for all crew over a 24-hour shift.
• All safety incidents/accidents, are to be reported in Incident Control Online (ICON) and a relevant safety incident report/form is to be completed within 48 hours.

Special Considerations

For members attending a Potentially Traumatic Event (PTE), consider engagement with the Mental Health Services Team and Critical Incident Support Services (CISS) following the incident.

Related Information

• OMP 4.03.01 Notifiable incidents
• Operational Protocol 1.4.4 - Fatigue Management
• Report a Workplace Safety Incident
• RFS Mental Health Services
• RFS OPG - Incident Ground Organisation
• Service Standard 7.1.2 Critical Incident Support Services (CISS) 
• Work Health & Safety Fact Sheets & Checklists