Many parts of NSW and the ACT remain subjected to extreme heat conditions and covered by a blanket of toxic smoke this afternoon.
The Air Quality Index, or AQI, used by governments to communicate with the public on how polluted the air is, or forecast to become.
Today has seen the worst ever recorded AQI measurements across Sydney and many of our regions. Readings in Mona Vale, in Sydney’s northern beaches, were at one point the worst in the world. By comparison, these readings were four and a half times higher than those recorded at midday today, in Shanghai – the world’s worst polluter.
If forecasters are right, conditions tomorrow should improve, to a degree.
Your rights and responsibilities
Under relevant legislation, employers are obligated to provide you with a safe work environment. Equally, workers are obligated to take reasonable care of their own health and safety.
In conditions such as those experienced across many of our regions over the past few weeks, it is imperative that members who undertake duties outdoors request to remain, or return, to duties indoors at their workplace. For those who work indoors, or those who return to an indoor workplace that is also unsafe, go home.
Will I be docked?
You are not just entitled to take reasonable steps to minimise any risk to your health and safety at work, you are obligated to.
For those who undertake duties outdoors, making yourself available to undertake meaningful work in a safe environment indoors is reasonable. Should your workplace become unsafe due to smoke inundation or malfunctioning air conditioning, going home is also reasonable.
You will not lose pay for taking reasonable steps in this regard.
IF YOUR EMPLOYER REFUSES TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR REASONABLE REQUESTS TO MINIMISE THE RISK TO YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY, CONTACT THE BRANCH OFFICE ON (02) 9893 7822 IMMEDIATELY, FOR ASSISTANCE.
How do I know if I am in an affected area at any given time?
We intend to keep members up to date through our website and Facebook page with data that is progressively released by the NSW and ACT governments.
Members should check both resources frequently for updates throughout the day. Bookmark the following links in your devices: http://www.cepu.org and https://www.facebook.com/CEPUcomms/
Note: You do not need a Facebook account to access the post we publish on the platform – they are available publicly with, or without, an account.
Thank you to our emergency services
Lastly, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary men and women of our paid and voluntary emergency services. They have never before been tested under such conditions and have selflessly thrown themselves on to the front line to defend our communities.
The job they are doing is extraordinary and I am confident that I can speak on behalf of our whole organisation when I say “thank you”. Thank you to the thousands of professional and volunteer firies out there fighting these devastating fires, to our police officers, to our ambulance drivers and to medical professionals in our hospitals who are treating the most vulnerable in our communities affected by these conditions.
If you require any further information or advice, please contact Branch Assistant Secretary Peter Chaloner or Branch Officials Cade Anderson, Gil Enzon, Elly Huttly, Phil Kessey, TK Ly, Peter O’Connell, Dharmpal Singh or Dennis Williams on (02) 9893 7822.
Yours faithfully,
SHANE MURPHY
BRANCH SECRETARY
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