Managing your Employees Through a Bushfire Season

Any part of Australia could come under threat from bushfire.  Employers should be aware of their obligations and their employee’s entitlements during a bushfire season.

This summary outlines:

• standing down of employees due to threat of a bushfire;
• taking of leave as a result of a bushfire; and
• who can access community service leave during a bushfire season.

Assistance for those affected by bushfires

The following links may be useful for businesses and their employees affected by bushfires:

• Australian Government DisasterAssist website;
• Australian Government Emergency Management webpages; and
• Australian Government Department of Human Services: Bushfires – Support for people directly affected by bushfires in disaster declared areas.
• Ai Group Health and Safety Resource Centre: Advice Alert: Protecting your workers from bushfire smoke health effects;
• Safe Work Australia: Outdoor air pollution;
• Safe Work Australia: Working outside;
• NSW Department of Health: Protect yourself from bushfire smoke;
• Victorian Department of Health: Bushfire aftermath safety tips;
• Victorian Department of Health: Community factsheets – Bushfires. (A range of factsheets to help after a fire covering topics such as the safety of drinking water, Personal Protective Equipment, power outages, trauma reaction and recovery);
• WorkSafe Victoria: Bushfire recovery: Bushfire hazards;
• WorkSafe Victoria: Bushfire recovery: Recycling of metal and other material from bushfire damaged properties;
• WorkSafe Victoria: Bushfire recovery: Using hired equipment or machinery;
• WA Department of Health: After a bushfire – hazards on your property;
• Asthma Australia: Asthma and Smoke;
• Australian Red Cross: Information on how to manage stress after a distressing event;
• Ai Group Health and Safety Resource Centre: Heat Stress; and
• Ai Group Health and Safety Resource Centre: Fatigue.

Of course, members and their employees can also speak with their EAP if one is in place.