Below is a brief overview of the legislation which relates specifically to Emergency Plans and information relating to emergency planning:

  • Regulation 43 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012
    Regulation 43 details the duty of a person conducting a business or undertaking at a workplace to prepare, maintain and implement an emergency plan.
  • Regulation 361 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012
    Sites with Manifest Quantities of Hazardous Chemicals as detailed in Schedule 11 of the WHS Reg. are subject to the provisions of Regulation 361 of Work Health and Safety Regulation 2012 (WHS Reg).
    Regulation 361 requires an emergency plan to be prepared if the quantity of hazardous chemicals used, handled or stored at a workplace exceeds the manifest quantity for that hazardous chemical as detailed in Schedule 11 of the WHS Reg.
    Regulation 361 requires that a person conducting a business or undertaking at the workplace must give a copy of an emergency plan prepared under Division 4 of Chapter 3 Part 2 in relation to the workplace to a primary emergency service organisation. If the primary emergency service organisation gives the person a written recommendation about the content or effectiveness of the emergency plan, the person must revise the plan in accordance with the recommendation.
  • Regulation 557 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs) or provisionally registered MHFs that are registered with SafeWork SA are subject to the provisions of Regulation 557. The operator of a determined major hazard facility must prepare an emergency plan for the major hazard facility. In preparing an emergency plan, the operator must consult with the emergency service organisations with responsibility for the area in which the major hazard facility is located.
    The operator must give a copy of the plan to the emergency service organisations consulted. The site operator must ensure that the emergency plan addresses any recommendation made by the emergency service organisations consulted. The operator must test the emergency plan in accordance with recommendations made by the emergency services organisations consulted.
    Regulation 557 requires the site operator to notify the emergency services consulted of the occurrence of an incident or event.

The above clauses require an Emergency Plan to be developed for the site and submitted to the SA Fire Services. The site operator must take note of any written advice received from the SA Fire Services regarding deficiencies or inclusions required in the final Emergency Plan.

For further comprehensive information on the requirements of the Work Health and Safety Regulations please visit SafeWork SA or the South Australian Legislation website.

The Work Health and Safety Regulations, requires employers, controllers of premises, occupiers of Dangerous Goods sites and operators of Major Hazard Facilities (MHFs) to carry out a thorough risk assessment to identify, eliminate or control hazards and risks at the site.

An emergency plan is a written set of instructions that outlines what workers and others at the workplace should do in an emergency. An emergency plan must include the following:

Emergency procedures, including:

  • an effective response to an emergency
  • evacuation procedures
  • notifying emergency service organisations at the earliest opportunity
  • medical treatment and assistance, and
  • effective communication between the person authorised to coordinate the emergency response and all people at the workplace
  • Testing of the emergency procedures—including the frequency of testing, and
  • Information, training and instruction to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures.

Local emergency services should also be invited to participate in emergency exercises to increase familiarisation with your site. Invitations for Fire Services participation in exercises can be sent to mfs.emergencymanagement@eso.sa.gov.au

An Emergency Plan will also contain critical information which can assist emergency services personnel formulate appropriate incident management strategies and tactics when attending an emergency involving your facility. The development of an Emergency Plan will assist in ensuring that the effects of any incident are minimised.

If you are unfamiliar with the process of assessing hazardous chemical dangers and risks, or not sure that you will be able to develop a comprehensive document, the SA Fire Services recommend that you engage the services of a qualified hazardous chemical consultant. They will be able to assist you in the development of a comprehensive and functional Emergency Plan.

It is important to ensure that any consultant used understands your business and its requirements when writing an emergency plan that is appropriate for your workplace.

What will the SA Fire Services do when they receive your plan?

The SA Fire Services will review only the components of the emergency plan and ESIP that contribute to Fire Services operational outcomes. If no ESIP is provided, you may be asked to provide one.

If the primary emergency service organisation gives the person a written recommendation about the content or effectiveness of the emergency plan, the person must revise the plan in accordance with the recommendation.

The Emergency Plan/ESIP will then be forwarded to a local MFS or CFS station, depending on the area the business is located in. The receipt of a facility’s Emergency Plan/ESIP at a station may initiate a familiarisation visit by local fire crews and enable them to develop a Fire Service Pre-Incident Plan for firefighter use, which is tailored to your site.

The information you include in your Emergency Plan and ESIP will enable responding crews to formulate appropriate initial actions on arrival at an incident involving a notifiable site or MHF.

Will my draft Emergency Plan be reviewed by the MFS and/or CFS?

As there are an estimated 5,000 notifiable sites throughout South Australia it is not anticipated that the SA Fire Services will be able to review every Emergency Plan/ESIP submitted.

Emergency Plans/ESIPs reviewed will be prioritised according to the quantity and nature of the dangerous goods stored/processed on site.

Circumstances at my facility have changed, a new on-site risk has arisen that is not currently addressed by the existing Emergency Plan, do I need to revise or amend my Emergency Plan?

Yes, Regulation 43 of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2012 requires your Emergency Plan to be revised if there is a change in circumstances at your premises.

Circumstances at my facility have not changed, is there any need for me to revise my Emergency Plan?

Yes, Regulation 43 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 requires Emergency Plans to be maintained so they remain effective.

What should an organisation do about "storing the manifest" so it is accessible to emergency services?

There is a requirement in the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2012 Section 347 (3) for the person (as defined in the Act) to keep the manifest:

  • In a place determined in agreement with the primary emergency service
  • Available for inspection under the Act
  • Readily accessible to the emergency services organisation.

A copy of the Emergency Plan and ESIP is to be kept easily accessible to the SA Fire Services at all times.

The following are acceptable locations for the manifest:

  • At the hydrant booster assembly, if fitted
  • At the main site entrance adjacent to the outer warning placard
  • Inside the security gatehouse or similar if staffed 24 hours 7 days
  • At alternative vehicular entrances adjacent to the outer warning placard (where provided).

The plans should be provided within a prominently labelled weather proofed container (e.g. a lock box), secured with a 003 lock if unauthorised access needs to be prevented.

The container should be:

  • Easily identifiable
  • Coloured red
  • Prominently labelled with white "Emergency Information" and "HAZMAT" lettering (minimum 40mm height), across the front of the container.

Inside an office or building is not an acceptable location due to the inability to access these documents easily in an incident.

At sites where there may be security concerns regarding the provision of plans in a locked container on site (e.g. schools etc), applications can be made for alternative locations or means to provide responding emergency services with copies.

Emergency Services Information Package (ESIP) Template

Guideline to the Emergency Services Information Package (ESIP)

SafeWork SA – Hazardous Chemicals

SafeWork SA – Work Health and Safety Act and Regulations (SA)

Safe Work Australia – Emergency Plans factsheet

Safe Work Australia – Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals in the Workplace

Safe Work Australia – Guide for Major Hazard Facilities Emergency Plans

Safe Work Australia – Guide for Major Hazard Facilities Providing Information to the Community

Safe Work Australia – WHS Schedule 11 Placard and Manifest Quantities

Australian Standard AS 3745 – Planning for Emergencies in Facilities

Australian Standard AS 4083 – Planning for Emergencies in Health Care Facilities