Travel and work in remote hostile locations requires careful planning and preparation to reduce the threat to safety. Circumstances and events which are commonplace in well-populated regions can become life-threatening in the bush and desert. No one should be employed in such locations without proper training and equipment.
It is unacceptable to expect an employee to work alone in a remote area, dense bush or deserts. People should traverse these areas at least in pairs. Before allowing an employee to work alone in the field—and this is not encouraged—any hazards and potential hazards should be thoroughly assessed before a decision is made.
Previous sections of this guidance note have covered many of the planning issues for work in the bush. These include:
• Section 5, Inductions and training. Good induction courses will include basic issues related to first aid, communications, driving techniques, bush sense and survival.
• Section 6, Personal care and hygiene. Issues related to health and hygiene are extremely relevant to work in remote areas.
• Section 8, Camp management. Adoption of relevant points will improve comfort and safety in remote camps.
• Section 9, First aid. First aid training and equipment relevant to the work and location are required.
• Section 10, Communications and emergency procedures. Compliance with this section will reduce the possibilities of becoming isolated from the field party and ensure that communications with emergency assistance are maintained.
• Section 14, Vehicles and travelling. Correct choice, preparation and equipping of vehicles for use in remote areas, together with good driving techniques and maintenance, will reduce the chances of being stranded or an incident arising.
Preparation and planning
Essentials to be considered when planning a field trip include:
• prior training for outback work and in survival skills
• selecting the vehicle carefully so that it is suitable for all expected road, terrain and weather conditions
• planning the route carefully to ensure prior knowledge of conditions, food and water sources, emergency services and local inhabitants
• obtaining any necessary maps, aerial photos, etc. and studying them in detail before leaving
• preparing and equipping the vehicle with necessary tools, spares, recovery equipment, winches, dual batteries, fuel, fire extinguishers, etc.
• knowing how to use a compass, maps, global positioning system (GPS), radios, signalling devices and emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRBs)
• making sure radio communications work and are adequate for the area to be travelled
• considering timetable, schedule, camping spots, and allowing safety margins
• establishing reporting schedules with base and police, if necessary
• packing emergency food, water, clothing and survival kits
• loading vehicle correctly
• knowing, and periodically checking, contents of first aid and survival kits.
Proper attention to these points will ensure that, even in an emergency, the least amount of time is spent in a survival situation.
Survival
The chances of being lost or stranded and experiencing a life-threatening situation are low if proper planning has been carried out. However, field crews do become stranded for various reasons, such as vehicle breakdown, becoming bogged in sand, or flooding.
The first rule of survival is ‘don’t panic’. The best way of avoiding panic is to be prepared and trained to overcome the hazards that may be encountered. Training will help in development of a positive mental attitude. Water, shelter, warmth and food will always be required, but the priorities may vary.
Basic training for survival and how to prepare a survival plan includes:
• making sure a survival kit is always available
• assessing the situation and determining a course of action
• being aware of water requirements, fluid loss, minimum daily requirements, and water collection and purification methods
• finding shelter from extremes of temperature, and how to build shelters from natural materials; how to light fires
• finding natural food sources if needed, but food is not essential
• staying with the vehicle or aircraft and using vehicle or aircraft parts in a ‘stranded’ situation to build shelter, etc.
Let people know your itinerary before venturing out on foot
• not sending someone, particularly alone, to find help
• training in radio communications and emergency signalling, using mirrors, fires,
flares, ground to air codes, etc.
• direction finding, navigation, map reading and use of global positioning systems (GPS)
• surviving in bush fires and floods.
Survival kits, including water, should always be carried when leaving a vehicle or
aircraft, even for short periods.
Survival kits should include:
• survival instruction booklet protected from the elements
• water bottle, water and water purifying tablets
• knife, cord, matches, signalling mirror, compass
• plastic bags, tape, rescue blanket, aluminium foil
• high energy foods
• first aid kit, pencil and paper.
All field crew members should be encouraged to use and carry personal survival kits,
particularly if a person has individual medication needs. In remote locations,
personal survival kits and EPIRBs are essential.