Product Overview

Summary: This Seasonal Operation Adjustments SOP provides a structured approach for preparing your workplace, people and plant for changing weather and seasonal conditions across Australia. It helps organisations anticipate and control seasonal WHS risks—such as heat stress, severe storms, bushfire smoke, reduced daylight and cold exposure—while maintaining business continuity and compliance.

Australian workplaces face very different risk profiles across the year: extreme summer heat and bushfire smoke, intense storm seasons, cyclone risks in the north, shorter daylight hours in winter, and increased slips and trips during wet periods. This Seasonal Operation Adjustments Safe Operating Procedure gives your organisation a clear, repeatable framework for planning and implementing operational changes ahead of each seasonal shift. It ties together WHS obligations, facilities management, rostering, training and communication so that seasonal risk management becomes business-as-usual rather than a last‑minute scramble.

The SOP sets out how to assess seasonal hazards, update risk controls, adjust work schedules, manage PPE and equipment, and communicate changes to workers and contractors. It also integrates with your emergency planning and business continuity arrangements, ensuring that seasonal issues—like heatwaves, severe storms, or prolonged poor air quality—are anticipated and managed in a defensible way. By implementing this procedure, your business can reduce incident rates, protect worker health and wellbeing, and demonstrate due diligence under Australian WHS laws while keeping operations running smoothly throughout the year.

Key Benefits

• Anticipate and control seasonal WHS risks such as heat stress, storms, bushfire smoke and reduced daylight.
• Ensure consistent, documented adjustments to work schedules, staffing, and controls before each seasonal change.
• Reduce incidents and near misses linked to weather, visibility, temperature extremes and wet or slippery conditions.
• Demonstrate due diligence and compliance with Australian WHS legislation and relevant Codes of Practice.
• Streamline cross‑functional coordination between WHS, operations, facilities, HR and senior management.

Who is this for?

• WHS Managers
• Operations Managers
• Facilities Managers
• Site Supervisors
• HR Managers
• Maintenance Managers
• Business Continuity Managers
• Risk and Compliance Managers

Hazards Addressed

• Heat stress and heat-related illness during hot weather and heatwaves
• Dehydration and fatigue associated with high temperatures and humidity
• Cold stress and reduced dexterity during winter or cold-front conditions
• Slips, trips and falls due to rain, wet floors, mud and reduced visibility
• Storm-related hazards including high winds, flying debris and localised flooding
• Bushfire smoke and poor air quality affecting respiratory health
• Increased traffic and mobile plant risks in low light and shorter daylight hours
• Electrical hazards from water ingress during heavy rain and storms
• Psychosocial risks associated with extreme weather events and disrupted work patterns

Included Sections

• 1.0 Purpose and Scope
• 2.0 Definitions and Seasonal Context (Heat, Storm, Bushfire, Cold/Wet Periods)
• 3.0 Roles and Responsibilities
• 4.0 Seasonal Risk Assessment and Planning Process
• 5.0 Summer and Heatwave Adjustments (Work Scheduling, Hydration, PPE)
• 6.0 Storm, Cyclone and Severe Weather Adjustments
• 7.0 Bushfire Season and Air Quality Adjustments
• 8.0 Winter and Wet Weather Adjustments (Lighting, Slips/Trips, Cold Exposure)
• 9.0 Operational Changes (Rostering, Remote Work, Critical Tasks and Shutdowns)
• 10.0 Communication, Consultation and Training Requirements
• 11.0 Integration with Emergency Management and Business Continuity Plans
• 12.0 Monitoring, Review and Continuous Improvement
• 13.0 Recordkeeping and Documentation Requirements
• 14.0 References and Related Documents

Legislation & References

• Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Cth) and corresponding state and territory WHS Acts
• Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 and equivalent state and territory regulations
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Work Environment and Facilities
• Safe Work Australia – Code of Practice: Managing the Risk of Falls at Workplaces
• Safe Work Australia – Guide for Managing the Risk of Fatigue at Work
• Safe Work Australia – Guidance: Working in Heat
• AS/NZS ISO 45001:2018 Occupational health and safety management systems
• AS 3745:2010 Planning for emergencies in facilities