Emergencies Procedure

In this procedure, words in italic text are defined terms which have the specific meanings set out in Gowrie Victoria Policies and Procedures – Definitions and Abbreviations.

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to set out the stages for preparing an emergency management plan for each of Gowrie Victoria’s services.

The procedure does not include emergency planning for excursions or disaster recovery planning.

Scope

This procedure applies to all staff members, volunteers, students on placement and contractors/labour hire employees of Gowrie Victoria.

Procedure statement

What is an emergency?

An emergency is the actual or imminent occurrence of an event which significantly:

• endangers or will endanger the safety of or health of a substantial number of people
• damages or threatens to cause damage to property
• endangers or will endanger the environment

Emergency evaluation and planning framework

The emergency evaluation and planning framework involves eight distinct stages:

1. assembling an emergency assessment and planning team
2. preparing a site-specific emergency event assessment
3. preparing a site-specific emergency risk mitigation plan
4. creating a site-specific Emergency Management Plan
5. approving the plan
6. communicating the plan
7. rehearsing the plan
8. revising and updating the plan

DE resources

DE produces:

• a Guide To Developing an Emergency Management Plan
• an Emergency Management Plan Template
• Evacuation Plan diagram icons
• an Assessment Tool and Evidence Guide

All these resources can be found on the DE website and should be used as required.

Stage 1: Assembling the emergency assessment and planning team

Appointment and responsibilities

The early years manager of each of Gowrie Victoria’s services is responsible for:

• assembling an emergency planning team to carry out all stages of the emergency evaluation and planning framework
• giving the team the mandate and authority to complete the plan efficiently and effectively

Required skills and knowledge

Between them, the members of the emergency planning team must:

• have detailed knowledge of the physical attributes of the service and its surrounds
• be able to carry out a comprehensive emergency event assessment
• have strong emergency planning expertise and experience
• be able to access knowledge and experience from other services operated by Gowrie Victoria
• have the time to prepare good documentation

Stage 2: Preparing a site-specific emergency event assessment

The Emergency Risk Mitigation Plan (stage 3 of the emergency evaluation and planning framework) and the Emergency Management Plan (stage 4) need to be based on a good understanding of the emergency events which might affect the service (Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 s20, s21(1) and s23(1)).

To make sure that potential emergency events are understood as well as possible, the emergency assessment and planning team must complete a site-specific emergency event assessment to (National Regulations r97(2)):

• identify all possible emergency events specific to the service and its location, find what might cause them and the harms likely to result if they occur
• analyse each emergency event and work out what, if anything, can reasonably and practically be done to minimise the likelihood of it happening and the consequences if it does

The emergency event assessment can be completed either by following DE’s ‘Guide to Developing an Emergency Plan’ or by using the process set out in the Early Learning Risk Assessment Procedure. If using the Early Learning Risk Assessment Procedure, note that an emergency event is just a type of risk event and follow the assessment stages accordingly.

A copy of all emergency event/risk event analyses must be kept on the Emergency Management Plan file for future reference and review (stage 8).

Stage 3: The site-specific emergency risk mitigation plan

Using information from the site-specific emergency event assessment, a site-specific Emergency Mitigation Plan should be prepared for each service. For each identified emergency event, this plan should document:

• existing measures to reduce the likelihood and harms
• propose measures to reduce the likelihood and harms
• how, when and by whom the identified mitigation measures will be completed

The early years manager is responsible for ensuring that mitigation measures are completed.

A copy of the Emergency Mitigation Plan must be kept on the Emergency Management Plan file for future reference and review (stage 8).

Stage 4: Creating a site-specific Emergency Management Plan

Services should follow the format of DE’s current Emergency Management Plan template, together with DE’s Guide to Developing an Emergency Management Plan as the basis of the site-specific Emergency Management Plan.

The Emergency Management Plan and any associated emergency response practices must:

• set out instructions for how to respond to an emergency event
• include an emergency and evacuation floor plan (National Regulations r97(1)).

The DE template should be adapted as required to suit each service’s requirements.

Stage 5: Approving the Emergency Management Plan

When the service’s emergency planning team has finished their Emergency Management Plan this should be given to the Operations Manager for approval.

Stage 6: Communicating the Emergency Management Plan

The early years manager must ensure that:

• all staff members are made aware of the contents of the Emergency Management Plan and its emergency response procedures, and know their responsibilities if an emergency event occurs
• visitors to the service are told what to do if there is an emergency event
• a copy of the emergency and evacuation floor plan and instructions are displayed in a prominent position near each exit at the service (National Regulations r97(4)).

Stage 7: Rehearsals

The early years manager must ensure that:

• emergency and evacuation procedures are rehearsed every 3 months by the responsible person, staff members, volunteers and children present at the service at the time of the rehearsal; and
• the rehearsals of the emergency and evacuation procedures are documented (National Regulations r97(3)) and kept on the Emergency Management Plan file for future reference and review (stage 8).

Stage 8: Revising and updating the emergency management plan

The emergency assessment and planning team must ensure that the following documents are reviewed, revised and updated as required as least once each year, and following any significant emergency event:

• the site-specific emergency event assessment
• the site-specific Emergency Risk Mitigation Plan
• the site-specific Emergency Management Plan

Authorisation

Approved by the Executive Manager, Early Learning

Name	Nicole Pilsworth
Signature
Date	24/01/2020

References