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Controlled Burning and Bushfire Hazard Reduction Risk Assessment

This risk assessment covers controlled burning and bushfire hazard reduction activities, from planning and ignition through to patrol and post-burn inspection.

Activities covered include

  • Planning authorisation and pre-start coordination
  • Managing flame, heat and fuel exposure
  • Patrolling, blacking out and inspecting post-burn areas

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If your client or principal requests changes during document review, BlueSafe will help revise the document at no extra cost and support resubmission until it is accepted.

Controlled Burning and Bushfire Hazard Reduction Risk Assessment
  • 100% Compliant with Australian WHS Acts & Regulations
  • Fully Editable MS Word & PDF Formats Included
  • Pre-filled Content - Ready to Deploy Immediately
  • Customisable - Easily Add Your Logo & Site Details
  • Includes 2 Years of Free Compliance Updates

Product Overview

This risk assessment covers controlled burning and bushfire hazard reduction activities, from planning and ignition through to patrol and post-burn inspection. It supports planning and risk management for changing fire conditions, smoke, equipment, access and emergency response.

Activities & Risks Covered

This assessment addresses activities and risks including:

  • Planning authorisation and pre-start coordination
  • Managing access, traffic and public interfaces
  • Monitoring weather, fire behaviour and changing conditions
  • Establishing burn-area controls and ignition readiness
  • Conducting ignition operations
  • Managing flame, heat and fuel exposure
  • Managing smoke, airborne contaminants and visibility
  • Using plant, pumps, hoses and mobile equipment
  • Managing remote work, fatigue and welfare
  • Responding to emergencies and arranging evacuation
  • Patrolling, blacking out and inspecting post-burn areas

Who is this for?

Suitable for contractors, workers, supervisors and businesses carrying out controlled burning and bushfire hazard reduction activities.

Activities & Hazards Covered

Activity Potential Hazards
Planning, authorisation and pre-start coordination
  • Burn proceeding without current approval, site checks or clear task boundaries
  • Unidentified hazards such as nearby residences, public roads, utilities, fuel loads, unstable ground or sensitive areas
  • Workers or contractors not understanding roles, communication methods, escape routes or emergency triggers
  • Inadequate consultation where multiple duty holders are involved
Access, traffic and public interface
  • Collision with plant, light vehicles or heavy vehicles on tracks and roads
  • Members of the public entering the burn area
  • Reduced visibility from smoke affecting road users and workers
  • Poor site access delaying emergency response or evacuation
Weather, fire behaviour and changing conditions
  • Rapid fire spread due to wind change, slope or fuel conditions
  • Entrapment or burnover from unexpected fire behaviour
  • Loss of control of the burn causing exposure to workers, adjacent land or infrastructure
  • Lightning, heat or deteriorating weather affecting safe operations
Establishing burn area controls and ignition readiness
  • Premature ignition before crews, equipment or boundaries are ready
  • Ignition near unprotected assets, flammable storage or unburnt escape paths
  • Workers exposed to open flame, heat or radiant energy during setup
  • Inadequate separation between ignition crews, plant and holding crews
Ignition operations and flame exposure
  • Direct contact with flame, radiant heat, embers or hot surfaces
  • Fire spread across control lines or spotting beyond the planned area
  • Loss of footing, slips or falls while moving with ignition equipment in rough terrain
  • Exposure to fuel, gas or ignition chemicals during use or refill
Smoke, airborne contaminants and visibility
  • Exposure to smoke, particulates, carbon monoxide and other combustion products
  • Reduced visibility causing vehicle incidents, trips or separation from crew
  • Aggravation of asthma or other respiratory conditions
  • Smoke drift affecting nearby workers, road users or the public
Plant, pumps, hoses and mobile equipment
  • Struck-by or run-over incidents involving tankers, dozers, utes or trailers
  • Hose failure, pressure release, slips around wet ground or manual handling injuries
  • Plant rollover on slopes, soft ground or uneven terrain
  • Mechanical failure or defective equipment during active fire operations
Remote or isolated work, fatigue and welfare
  • Delayed assistance due to remote location or communications failure
  • Fatigue, heat stress, dehydration or reduced decision-making during prolonged operations
  • Workers becoming separated from the crew
  • Limited access to amenities, first aid or recovery breaks
Emergency response, medical treatment and evacuation
  • Burn injuries, smoke inhalation, trauma, snake bite or medical events during field work
  • Delayed rescue or evacuation from remote terrain
  • Confusion during escalation, loss of containment or entrapment risk
  • First aid equipment not available where crews are working
Patrol, blacking out and post-burn inspection
  • Re-ignition, falling limbs, hidden hot spots or ash pits during mop-up and patrol
  • Trips, slips and burns from hot ground, debris and damaged vegetation
  • Fatigue or reduced attention at the end of the shift
  • Controls not maintained after the main burn front has passed

Need to tailor this risk assessment?

Use the BlueSafe Portal to add site-specific activities, hazards, controls, responsibilities and review details before the assessment is put into use.

Acceptance Guaranteed: If your client or principal requests changes during document review, BlueSafe will help revise the document at no extra cost and support resubmission until it is accepted.

Legislation & References

The template records model guidance used to inform the documented controls. Applicable WHS/OHS laws and adopted Codes vary by state or territory, so confirm the current local requirements when tailoring the assessment:

  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: First aid in the workplace — 3. First aid equipment, facilities and training; p. 12.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing risks of plant in the workplace — Plant hazard identification — Traffic movements in the workplace; p. 17.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the risk of fatigue at work — Provide sufficient breaks while at work; p. 30.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: How to manage work health and safety risks — 3. Step 2 — How to assess risks; p. 15.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Managing the work environment and facilities — 2.8 Heat and cold; p. 21.
  • Model guidance: Model Code of Practice: Hazardous manual tasks — 4.1 The hierarchy of control measures; p. 31.
Standard Risk Assessment Features (Click to Expand)
  • Activity-specific hazard identification and control measures
  • Initial and residual risk ratings
  • Assigned responsible persons for each activity
  • Risk matrix and assessment classification
  • Review, monitoring and sign-off fields
  • Site-specific customisation before use

Suitable for Industries

Landscaping ContractorsArboriculture and Tree ServicesFarming and Agriculture

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