Comcare issues safety alert for transportable buildings

A recent Safety Alert issued by Comcare warns employers using transportable buildings or dongas to be aware of the hazards of using these buildings in areas prone to cyclones and high wind gusts.

Given the cyclone season has already commenced, employers should consider the recommendations below issued through a joint Safety Bulletin by WorkSafe WA and WA Department of Mines.

In 2007, two people died and 20 were injured while they sheltered in their donga from a cyclone that crossed the Western Australian coast.

Some of the recommendations made in the safety alert include:

• Employers who provide dongas or accommodation units for their employees must develop emergency procedures and plans in conjunction with their relevant regional emergency planning groups.
• The emergency plans should include details for making the site safe for personnel and the removal/restraint of loose objects and structures as well as evacuating personnel.
• All accommodation units, dongas and transportable buildings on worksites and camps in cyclone-sensitive regions should be secured and anchored. Employers should seek engineering advice on the construction standards applicable to each wind region.
• All personnel should be trained and inducted in emergency evacuation procedures. These procedures should be regularly tested.
• During the Red Alert Cyclone Warning phase (ie, damage or interruption to power, telephone and other communication systems), a reliable emergency backup communication system should be on site to ensure contact with external emergency services.