Commentary

Considerations:

• Prevention: eg fire and safety policy and procedures, maintaining housekeeping at a high level.
• Staff responsibilities during emergency situations, including receiving evacuees.
• The location of manual alarms, fire fighting equipment (hose reels, extinguishers and fire blankets) and how to use them.
• First aid requirements.
• Problem solving & scenario management for senior staff
• Compulsory core training needs.
• Remember to train and retrain. There is no substitute for training.
• Emergency procedure manuals are to be updated to reflect these requirements

• If not already in place, develop and implement staff training records and tracking systems, and ensure designated staff are responsible for relevant data collection, and the maintenance of this system. This role should be reflected in relevant job description and expectations of education participation should be captured in the performance appraisal system.
• Undertake a staff skills review and document capabilities/skills that are not routinely reflected in their current job description, to establish key tasks they could assist with, or be developed in, that could be used in emergency situation, such as:
  • Bus and truck or bobcat license holder
  • SES or Army reserves volunteer
  • Senior First Aid certificate holder
  • Bi-lingual or non-verbal language skills
  • Certificate IV who could be used as a trainer/facilitator
  • Working at height training
  • Limited electrical license holder
  • Emergency management and response experience
  • Occupational Health and Safety officer (past or present)
• Ensure that if these extra skills are to be utilised in an evacuation situation, the relevant staff are supported to maintain their skills through training and maintain tracking systems of the same.
• Identify and establish the training requirements to effectively maintain and enact the Evacuation Plan, ensuring it is reflective of all relevant stakeholders and the roles they play in the evacuation (key personnel, staff, residents/clients and their representatives, visitors, contractors and external service support services). These should include:
  • Induction procedures (staff handbook and associated literature, competency testing, induction checklist validation)
  • Orientation (integrate into buddy system and key performance attainment in probationary processes)
  • Annual staff training modules linked in with current fire and emergency management training
  • Informal education refresher opportunities
  • Resident/client and representative case conferencing refresher opportunities
  • Staff and resident/client meeting informal education refresher opportunities
• Develop an exercise and drill program
• Ensure the required and routine education of staff is monitored within the organisation’s own internal auditing systems.