Check out the new DELTRA Australia website

Now accepting on-line bookings for training in our Fire Safety Advisor course, PM20406 Cert ii in Asset Maintenance (Fire Protection Equipment), Emergency Control Organisation (Warden) Training, Emergency Response Training, Blue Card 30215 QLD General Safety Induction, First Aid Training and more. All of this training is conducted in accordance with the relevant legislation and Australian Standards, such as AS3745, AS4083, AS1851, AS2444, The Queensland Building Fire Safety Regulation (2008), the Queensland Workplace Health and Safety Act and Regulation.

The site also has Emergency Response Training News and Updates.

Check out the DELTRA Australia Website at:

www.deltraaustralia.com

ATM robbery ends with a bang

Readers may remember our story about the Bank of Queensland at Aspley being blown up earlier this year by thieves attempting to steal the ATM. This story shows that Sydney thieves aren't any smarter...

Thieves blow up ATM, damage own car

November 25, 2008, 9:00 am

Four thieves who blew up an ATM in Sydney's eastern suburbs were forced to flee on foot after the explosion damaged their getaway car, police say.

The four males set off the explosion at the Bendigo Bank street-front ATM in Clovelly Road, Clovelly, at about 1.45am (AEDT) on Tuesday.

The bank was extensively damaged with debris spewed out across the street.

The thieves had to abandon their Audi getaway car and escaped the scene on foot.

Bomb squad officers were called in to ensure several gas cylinders found in the car were safe.

The incident was one of three ATM-explosions across Sydney during the night.

About the same time, three males were seen blowing up an ATM on Waldron Street, Chester Hill, in Sydney's west, damaging the front of a bank.

Police believe the bandits fled in a late-model silver Audi .

In the third incident, an ATM on Guildford Road at Guildford was blown up at about 2.15am.

The area of Guildford Road between Cross Street and Station Street has been cordoned off due to a large amount of debris.

Police did not yet know whether any cash was taken in the three incidents.

(Source: Yahoo News)

Wild Weather

A couple of posts back we discussed External Emergencies (also known as Code Brown). This post has turned out to be sadly prophetic considering the recent wild weather. Our thoughts are with those who have lost homes and had property and lives destroyed.

Paul (our resident expert in First Aid and Security), as some of you may know, is an officer with St John ambulance. Paul will be assisting the disaster relief effort in this capacity.

Read more about the recent storms below:

PM likens Brisbane's storm areas to war zone

BY DAVID BARBELER

19/11/2008 1:00:00 AM

Soldiers, prisoners, the Red Cross and more than 1000 volunteers have joined forces to clean up the devastation left by Brisbane's worst storm in 25 years, amid warnings of more severe weather.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited the worst hit north-western suburb of The Gap at first light yesterday and despite more than 24 hours of mopping up, he was shocked by the evidence of the storm's fury.

''It looks like a war zone and feels like a war zone,'' Mr Rudd said after diverting to Brisbane on his way home from Washington where he had attended a G20 summit on the global financial crisis.

''What is good about it is the people pulling together and neighbours looking after each other.''

The Prime Minister announced extra Centrelink help for families and named Human Services Minister Joe Ludwig as cabinet's point-man for the clean-up operation.

Brisbane City Council said the State Emergency Service had cleared 923 calls for help in the past 24 hours, bringing the number of outstanding jobs to about 200.

Overall, 4000 homes were damaged, with about 240 seriously damaged and at least 85 deemed unlivable.

SES members, whose hotline received 17,000 calls, were again out in force yesterday, with 310 volunteers from Queensland and NSW putting tarpaulins on roofs and clearing debris in The Gap, Upper Kedron, Arana Hills and Keperra. Another 190 SES volunteers were to arrive in Brisbane by this morning.

Seventy Queensland police recruits and more than 750 personnel from the Australian Defence Force were also helping to clear trees and debris.

RACQ Insurance chief executive Bradley Heath estimated claims worth at least $25 million would be lodged. A spokesman for the Insurance Council of Australia said 6000 claims had been made by yesterday morning, with numbers likely to double later in the week.

The Queensland Government has donated $500,000 to kick-start a new disaster fund to help those affected.

The Premier's Disaster Relief Appeal, announced by Premier Anna Bligh yesterday, will supplement other government support packages. Ms Bligh said times would be tough for families leading up to Christmas and encouraged others to donate money at any Commonwealth Bank branch.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said the disaster was unparalleled and defended the time it took to respond after angry calls from residents to talkback radio.

''If you go back to Sunday night, the power was out, streets were dark, there were 560 cables down across the greater Brisbane area, the mobile phone network was affected and landlines were also out in this area,'' he said. ''Could we have done things better? Well, if we all had cell phone implants in our ears or something like that and could have got the message out, maybe.''

Queensland's Gold Coast hinterland, hit hard by Sunday's storm, was in the path of another severe weather event last night, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The weather bureau issued a severe weather warning for heavy rain and flash flooding for coastal areas south of Brisbane. More storms were expected to lash south-east Queensland tomorrow.

(Source: Canberra Times)

North Lakes ABC child centre to re-open in four months after fire

By Robyn Ironside

October 21, 2008 08:00am

THE parents of children who attend the ABC Learning Centre at North Lakes have been told it will be four to five months before the centre reopens.

The meeting was called last night to discuss arrangements following yesterday morning's devastating fire which destroyed the babyworld area and damaged the pre-schoolers' building.

Parents were told children could be accommodated at other ABC Learning Centres in the area but they would have to re-enrol their kids and groups of friends may be split up.

ABC Learning could also offer no assurance the children would remain with their current teachers.

The company said it was investigating the possible use of a vacant childcare centre in the area but this would take some time.

Parents said they would be happy to drive further to keep their children together and with the same carer.

Police are continuing to investigate the cause of the fire which looks to have been deliberately lit.

A firebug struck in North Lakes just a few weeks ago, starting fires in wheelie bins and a portaloo.

Source: The Courier Mail

External Emergencies - Code Brown

The area of external emergencies is one that seems to cause some confusion more than fire or bomb threats. The reason for this is that External Emergencies mean different things to different sites. For those who have attended DELTRA Australia's Fire Safety Adviser course it comes as no surprise that a site risk assessment needs to be completed to identify which emergencies are most likely to occur at that site. If you live on a mountain, then flooding is not usually an issue. By the same token Bush fire is unlikely to occur to a building in the middle of the CBD. So likely external emergencies are dictated by our surrounds.

External Emergencies (aka Code Brown) can include any emergency coming from outside our site which causes us to have to initiate an emergency response. External Emergencies can include flooding, fire, bomb threat, chemical spill, storm, earthquake and many others. Obviously our emergency response will differ slightly with each of the types of emergencies. The reason is that we need to move people to safety and our 'point of safety' will differ for each of these emergencies. We cannot always send people to the external Assembly Area, as this may actually place people in greater danger than if they were to 'shelter in place'.

Hospitals have their own unique understanding of 'external emergency'. To a hospital a code brown means that an incident has occured off site and casualties will be arricing shortly. For this reason the emergency response undertaken by a hospital will be vastly different to other sites.

The story below is an example of an recent external emergency, in this case a 'dust storm'. How would an incident such as this affect your site?

Dust storm coats part of Snowy Mountains

September 22, 2008, 8:41 pm
Source: AAP

Parts of the Snowy Mountains are reportedly covered in "dirty snow" after dust storms from the Riverina and lower west deposited topsoil as a massive storm system crossed NSW.

The storm, which is heading for the NSW eastern seaboard, including Sydney, has kept State Emergency Service (SES) crews busy in western NSW with winds over 100 km/h tearing roofs off buildings and felling trees.

More than 150 requests for help have been made to the SES because of wind damage, abut 100 of them coming from the Broken Hill area.

Strong winds and some rain caused a large tree to fall and crush a car at Broken Hill, SES spokesman Phil Campbell said.

He said the Terminus Hotel at Hay and Tattersalls Hotel in Goulburn had been damaged in the storm.

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) duty forecaster Peter Zmijewski said the storm brought wind gusts of more than 100 km/h through the state's southwest and left a coating of thin dust over the skifields.

"Some of the dust has settled over the Snowy Mountains so I imagine, where there is snow, it would be dirty," he said.

A severe weather warning has been issued for damaging winds and severe thunderstorm warnings are current for most of the state.

The Bureau said damaging winds had been recorded west of the Great Dividing Range.

Wind gusts of 115 km/h were recorded at Fowlers Gap, near Broken Hill.

Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the northeast of the state.

The severe weather is expected to move to the southeast of the state and affect the Illawarra, southern Sydney suburbs and Central Tablelands on Tuesday before easing later in the day.

Hail is expected in the northwest of the state and gale warnings have been issued for Sydney, the south coast, the Hunter and the mid-north coast.

Mackay Bioterror Scare

Powder scare sparks post office evacuation

ABC - September 23, 2008, 8:22 am

A building was evacuated in Mackay last night and eight people were treated for skin irritations after a powder was found in a mail package.

Police say the powder was found by staff at an Australia Post office on Bridge Road in west Mackay, in north Queensland, about 9:00pm AEST.

Senior Constable Gavin Burnett says scientific testing of the powder revealed it was not a dangerous substance.

"Arrangements were made for an investigative chemist to attend the scene. Some tests were conducted on the substance and it was found to have been an ammonia salt which I understand is a type of fertiliser," he said.

"As a result of that, that was taken down to the Mackay Base Hospital and disposed off."

Note from DELTRA Australia: Although for most businesses this type of incident is not common, certain businesses such as courier or transport companies and postal services deal with this type of emergency on a weekly basis. What would you do if you received a package like this?

Brisbane Transport Bomb Threat

Threats made against Brisbane buses

September 13, 2008, 5:42 pm

Brisbane's public transport network is on high alert this weekend after police received threats against Brisbane's buses.

Police received a phone call at 4.15pm (AEST) on Thursday from a man at a Brisbane location making threats against services.

Acting chief superintendent Peter Crawford said police did not believe the threats were "credible" but warned people to be vigilant and report any suspicious packages or luggage.

"Police do not believe this is a credible threat," Supt Crawford said.

"We do not want people to be alarmed and we would like people to go about their normal business over the weekend."

The threats come as Brisbane hosts several activities this weekend including the Bledisloe Cup game and Valley Fiesta.

"What this incident does is highlight to us the importance of being alert in public places and on public transport for suspicious activity and suspicious articles.

"If you see unattended packages or unattended luggage or suspicious activity ... report to police or public transport officials."

Police are working closely with the Brisbane City Council and Translink to ensure security is increased this weekend.

A "significant number" of police are already manning Brisbane streets due to the public activities, Supt Crawford said.

A major incident room has been set up and a team of detectives are working on the incident.

Supt Crawford said the crime was "very serious" and carried a penalty of 14 years of imprisonment.

"The offender involved will be prosecuted," he said.

Brisbane's public transport network was shut down after several bomb threats were made to bus and train services on the same day in late 2005.

Those threats were found to be a hoax.

Anyone with information should phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: Yahoo7 News

Personal Threats at Work

"Attention, Attention...We have a Code Black in progress at reception."

Would your staff know how to cope with a situation in which their life was being threatened? Do you have procedures in place? It is an obligation of employers to ensure the safety of their employees under both federal and state law (Qld). See the story below for an example of how common these threats really are...

Centrelink staff receiving death threats

September 15, 2008, 8:15 am

More than 80 per cent of Centrelink employees say they have been threatened by a customer at work, with some even receiving death threats.

One Centrelink staff member had a customer threaten to cut them up with a chainsaw, while another was given a cartoon which depicted them hanging from a noose, a national survey released on Monday reveals.

The Community and Public Services Sector Union (CPSU) says its report proves the government must act together with Centrelink management to tackle the causes of customer aggression, such as long queues and waiting periods.

"Staff tell us while local managers are doing their best to protect and support frontline workers and customers, senior management need to do more to make offices safe," CPSU deputy president Lisa Newman said in a statement.

"The federal government needs to bring together Centrelink management, ComCare, the union and welfare groups to review the issue."

Around one in three Australians are Centrelink customers and the agency has 27,000 staff, mostly women, employed at over 1,000 locations, the union says.

Its survey of 330 staff members found 81 per cent reported being threatened by a customer, 32 per cent had received a death threat and 29 per cent had been physically assaulted at work.

The types of assault included customers jumping over desks to attack staff, tipping objects off desks and throwing office chairs, computers, garbage bins, food, telephones, pens, paper and magazines at employees.

Knives were brandished at staff who were sometimes slapped, hit and punched by customers.

The CPSU says on average one Centrelink employee is subject to serious workplace violence each week.

But Centrelink general manager Hank Jongen disputes the union's findings.

"Our figures indicate nowhere near that level of abuse, either verbal or physical, across our network," Mr Jongen told ABC Radio.

"On average we are required to call the police to our offices on about three occasions per year. That's about three call-outs per year, per office."

Intimidation of staff wasn't accepted, and Centrelink took any such incidents "very seriously".

"There's a whole process where we provide affected staff with free support.

"There's assistance and safety and security advisers. On top of that we've been working with the federal police."

Source: Yahoo7 News

Explosion danger at Vic housing estate

Methane gas leaking from a closed landfill into neighbouring houses is a problem almost without precedent on a world scale, fire authorities have told a public meeting.

Residents of a the Brookland Greens housing estate at Cranbourne, south-east of Melbourne , have been urged to leave their homes because of the leak, which is creeping through the ground to the surface in an area beside the old tip, which has been capped.

Dangerous concentrations of methane have been detected in confined areas including the wall cavity of a house, under the kitchen sink of another and in stormwater pits around the estate.

At a public meeting before a rowdy crowd of more than 500, Country Fire Authority assistant chief fire officer Stephen Warrington said there had been very few similar incidents.

"Unfortunately for us, this is quite unique for Australia and most of the world. We don't know the ramifications of it," he told the meeting.

An earlier incident in England had revealed a 250-metre cordon should be drawn around an affected house to ensure the safety of all nearby.

Following that rule, much of the northern section of the estate was in the highest risk zone, he said.

He warned the crowd of the "very real risk" of explosion but said there were ways to reduce the danger if residents decided to stay.

"The only 100 per cent sure way to eliminate this risk from residents is for them to relocate from their homes," Mr Warrington said.

"Should you choose not to relocate, and I suspect that would be a large majority of people in this room... then there is a range of actions you can take on your property to increase your safety.

"We are not saying panic and run for the hills, but we cannot give you a gilt-edged guarantee. We can give you enough information to mitigate the risk."

Tips included adequately ventilating all confined spaces to allow a build-up of methane to escape, reporting gas build-up quickly and avoiding the use of ignition sources in confined spaces, Mr Warrington said.

Checks revealed no houses had dangerous levels of methane but the situation could change any time, Mr Warrington said.

More than 70 monitors have been installed in houses, with a further 300 ordered for the neighbourhood.

The Victorian government had allocated $3 million to buy new monitors and assist with building vents and other engineering solutions.

The local council, the City of Casey, originally rejected parts of the residential proposal by developer Peet Ltd, but the decision was overturned by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in September 2004.

The president of the Cranbourne and District Residents Association, David Banner, told The Age: "Developers are getting their own way ... but once they've built it, once they've sold it and once they've moved on they've got the profit and the community and local council has to clean up the mess."

But in a statement, Peet Ltd said it had been advocating on behalf of residents for about two years, urging the council to improve management of the site to eliminate the risk of gas leaking.

Residents already angry that the meeting was hastily relocated because of a larger-than-expected turnout, were not satisfied.

Home owner Peter Turner said: "The Premier should have been here for a start. Peet should have been there. It was a waste of time."

Teresa La Paglia said: "Where is the machine to take home to make sure we are safe? Do we have to sleep with all the doors and the windows open?"

Police and Emergency Services Minister Bob Cameron said emergency grants of up to $1,067 each would be given to affected families.

Temporary accommodation and other support would also be provided as needed, he told parliament.

Source: Yahoo7 News

Fierce fire forces Channel tunnel evacuation, 14 injured September 12, 2008, 8:09 am

CALAIS, France (AFP) - Rescuers evacuated dozens of truck drivers from the Channel Tunnel on Thursday after an explosion and fire on a freight shuttle injured 14 people and forced the closure of the undersea link, officials said.

Six people suffered smoke inhalation and eight were slightly injured after the blaze took hold on a truck being carried from Britain to France, officials said.

It took about three hours to bring 32 people -- mostly truckers who moved from the burning train into a parallel service tunnel -- to safety at the Calais entrance on a special train. The fire was still burning more than five hours later though emergency services said it was under control.

The tunnel suffered serious damage in 1,000 degree Celsius (1,830 Fahrenheit) heat, a French government minister said.

Thousands of people were stranded in London, Paris and Brussels and huge traffic tailbacks built up on either side of the Channel after the tunnel was closed.

A statement on Eurostar's website said the company "does not expect to operate a service" on Friday, with a question mark placed over Saturday and Sunday schedules too.

It is the third major fire in the tunnel since it was opened in May 1994.

The train was about five kilometres (three miles) from the Calais exit on the French side of the 50.5-kilometre (31.4-mile) long tunnel when it caught fire, according to Francois Malhanche, director of the regional prefect's office.

"The fire appears to be accidental. It started in a truck brake system that overheated and spread to a tyre and then to two other trucks," Malhanche said.

One of the other trucks on the shuttle was transporting phenol acid, but this did not catch fire, officials said.

"There are six persons suffering from slight smoke inhalation and eight others who have minor injuries such as from shattered glass."

Helicopters and ambulances were waiting at the entrance to the tunnel on the French side to take the injured to hospitals in the region.

French Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie went immediately to the site in northern France.

"Two of the drivers said they heard an explosion and this was followed by flames," Alliot-Marie told reporters. "They tried to get out and could do so because of the structure of the tunnel which allows a rapid evacuation.

"It is probable that the damage is major as the firemen told me that the heat from the fire probably reached 1,000 degrees Celsius," the minister added.

The multi-billion dollar tunnel carries Eurostar express trains between London, Paris and Brussels, as well as freight and passenger shuttles between Folkestone and Calais.

There are two tunnels for passenger trains and shuttles and a service tunnel for maintenance and safety operations.

In the first serious incident on November 18, 1996, a fire broke out on a late-night shuttle train carrying trucks. Eight people were injured and the service was disrupted for several months.

On August 21, 2006, the tunnel was closed for several hours after a truck engine caught fire, sending smoke through the tunnel. Passengers, mainly drivers, were evacuated through the service tunnel which runs parallel to the main train route.

Long traffic tailbacks rapidly formed on the British end after the tunnel was closed.

Kent Fire and Rescue service, on the British side of the tunnel, said it sent seven fire engines to help French counterparts at the scene. A spokeswoman called it a "serious incident."

Kent police implemented "Operation Stack," which allows trucks to park along the main M20 motorway running down to the tunnel terminal from London.

The SNCF French state rail firm said four high-speed express trains had to return to Paris or London because of the tunnel closure.

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at the Gare du Nord rail station in Paris and the new St Pancras station in London.

Passengers waiting for the 5:13pm (1513 GMT) train from Paris to London were told by loudspeaker announcements that there would be no more trains for the rest of the day.

There was a rush for any remaining plane seats between London and Paris and for available hotel rooms.

Source: Yahoo7 News

Fire Safety Adviser Course

DELTRA Australia would like to congratulate all of the participants of our Fire Safety Adviser course which ran in August. DELTRA Australia will be running this course on a monthly basis in order to meet the demand created by the new Qld Building Fire Safety Regulation (2008) which has recently come into force.

High Occupancy Buildings are required to appoint a Building Fire Safety Adviser to look after areas such as fire training, evacuation diagrams, emergency response procedures and emergency plans. The Building Fire Safety Adviser is required to possess 8 Workplace Emergency Response units derived from the nationally recognised Public Safety Training Package. This units cover emergency prevention, establishment of an Emergency Planning Commitee and Emergency Control Organistion, training of Chief Warden and other Wardens, use of Fire Fighting Equipment, Compliance Auditing and the establishment of Emergency Plans and response procedures.

If you require further information on Fire Safety Adviser training, please contact us:

info@deltraaustralia.com

Evacuation as fire breaks out in Myer

Evacuation as fire breaks out in Myer

Andrea Petrie
September 10, 2008

THOUSANDS of people were evacuated from Myer's Melbourne store yesterday when construction workers sparked a fire in an area of the Bourke Street building being renovated.
More than 50 firefighters rushed to the scene about 3.30pm after workers in neighbouring buildings reported smoke from Myer's top floors.

Metropolitan Fire Brigade commander Wayne Garrard said about $20,000 damage was done. Construction workers had been cutting through metal pipes on the fifth floor in a services duct where the building's utilities pipes were located, he said.
"Over the years they've become clogged up with a lot of rubbish and the construction workers have been in there using cutting equipment and, of course, once the fire started up it was like a big chimney," he said.

"It's started on the fifth floor and it's gone right up to the roof which is on the ninth floor."
Myer chief executive Bernie Brookes said only the store's basement, where youth products were sold, and its ground floor cosmetics section were open to customers due to the refurbishment, which began in June.
About 2000 customers, 500 staff and construction workers were evacuated as soon as the alarm was raised.

Mr Brookes said while Myer's Lonsdale Street store stayed open during the emergency and would open as normal today, the Bourke Street store would remain closed until the fire brigade, WorkSafe and building inspectors declared it safe.

While the fire might have caused a setback to the renovations, he said he was confident the store's reopening would go ahead as planned in November next year.
The fire disrupted peak-hour traffic. Little Bourke Street between Swanston and Elizabeth streets was closed for several hours, as were parts of Swanston and Bourke streets, affecting 12 tram routes.

Probuild Constructions, the company doing the renovations, declined to comment yesterday.

Source: The Age

Brisbane Bomb Threats

Alsco Linen Factory received a bomb threat on 20th of August. Police used their robot to investigate the device:

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-au&brand=ninemsn&vid=1bcbe25d-251a-49b9-9a9d-c76b724fbe04&fg=rss

Home Grown Terror Recipe Book

Sydney man guilty of compiling DIY terror guide

Bellinda Kontominas September 10, 2008 - 3:48PM

A Sydney man who compiled a book described as a "do-it-yourself guide to terrorism" has been found guilty of a terrorist-related offence.

Belal Saadallah Khazaal, 38, from Lakemba, was found guilty of knowingly making a document connected with assistance in a terrorist act , after he compiled a 110-page book promoting violence against Christians, Jews and non-Muslims, and had it posted on the internet.
The jury has gone home this afternoon and will return tomorrow to deliberate on a second charge of attempting to incite a terrorist act.

The book, known as The Provisions On The Rules Of Jihad - short judicial rulings and organisational instructions for fighters and mujahideen against infidels, was compiled by Khazaal under the name Abu Mohamed Attawheedy.

It described methods of assassination, including shooting down planes, striking motorcades and booby trapping rooms.

Earlier, Crown Prosecutor Peter Neil, SC, had told the jury that there had been well-known terrorist attacks across the world and Khazaal's book was "urging [and] attempting to urge others to go out and do similar things".

Mr Neil said the book had "considerable antipathy" towards non-believers and singled out, in order of preference, countries to target. These included the United States, Britain and Australia.
Khazaal's barrister, George Thomas, had argued that, as a journalist, his client had compiled the book from material already publicly available on the internet and had written only three introductory paragraphs of the document.

Source: Brisbane Times

Hilton Fire

Hilton Hotel evacuated after fire

Shannon Molloy September 9, 2008 - 11:44AM

Up to 1000 people were evacuated from a Brisbane hotel this morning after an electrical switchboard malfunctioned and sparked a small fire.
Queensland Fire and Rescue Service crews were called to the Hilton Hotel at about 10am after receiving reports of smoke on the building's ninth floor.

They eventually located the small fire and used a dry powder to extinguish it, however all hotel guests and staff were evacuated as a precaution.
An Emergency Services spokesman said an estimated 1000 people poured out onto Elizabeth and Queen Streets when the fire alarm sounded. About half of the crowd was people from a business conference being held inside.

No one was injured and people were able to return to the building just before 11am.

Source: Brisbane Times

A case in point

As a trainer for DELTRA Australia, I have been speaking for a while now about Queensland leading the way in Australia for the illegal use of explosives. The statistics I base this on are from the 'Bomb Data Centre' of the Australian Federal Police. In these various training sessions (emergency response and bomb threat) I've been telling the wardens and emergency officers that often this illegal use of explosives is to aid in the commission of a crime or in the destruction of evidence. This week I'm vindicated by the following news story:

Bank robber may be injured by Qld blast

July 26, 2008 - 4:07PM

At least one of the robbers still at large after a bank heist on Brisbane's northside may be injured from his gang's own explosion, police say.

The Bank of Queensland Aspley branch, on Gympie Road, was gutted and charred by an explosion around 3.15am (AEST) Saturday.

The bank's automatic teller machine was thrown onto the footpath by the blast.

After initial investigations at the crime scene, police believe one of the men was standing near the explosion.

North Brisbane Police District acting superintendent Jeff Kelly said a paper delivery operator also saw a man dressed in dark clothing "stagger" from the bank.

"The gentleman staggered over to a late `90s model Holden sedan, dark colour, which was parked adjacent to the bank where two other persons dressed in similar clothing were standing behind the vehicle," Superintendent Kelly said.

"That vehicle was then seen to drive off at a high speed in a west direction towards Albany Creek."

Police said they were appealing to hospital staff and medical practitioners for assistance.

Any medical practitioners with information about a man or men with injuries consistent with an explosion, such as burns or shrapnel injuries, were asked to contact Crime Stoppers.

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service senior operation co-ordinator Paul Simmons said firefighters brought a resulting blaze under control within 30 minutes of the explosion.

It is not known if anything was stolen from the bank.

No bystanders or bank staff were injured.

The fire also damaged a neighbouring business and parts of the Fountain Shopping Centre bounded by Gympie and Albany Creek roads remain closed, but all roads are open.

Scientific officers remain at the scene to investigate the cause of the fire.

The Bank of Queensland has advised that the branch will be closed until further notice.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Source: AAP

Victory Hotel Fire

Fire authorities sift through Victory hotel ruins

Further checks will be carried out on the fire-ravaged ruins of the Victory Hotel in Brisbane's city centre today to determine if it should be demolished.

Around 700 patrons fled the hotel at around 3am AEST when a blaze broke out in the basement and spread to upper floors.

The walls of the Victory are still standing but it is not known how long they will stay that way.

The fire service says the exterior survived relatively intact.

Fire investigator Brett Finnis says this morning their first job will be to clear parts of the first floor that collapsed into the basement where the fire is believed to have started.

"So we've got to be able to move that material aside before we can determine where did this start, what caused the fire," he said.

He says their risk assessment of the site revealed there is severe damage.

"Part of our normal process to make sure that not only the public but the investigative teams, the police and the like are working in a safe as can be environment," he said.

"At this point it appears the building ... the structure ... has survived reasonably well but of course that is going to be determined further.

Source: ABC News

It is fairly certain that as a result of this Fire, the Qld Fire and Rescue Service will step up the number of inspections carried out on Hotels and Clubs. Now is a good time to make sure that all Evacuation Plans, Evacuation Diagrams, maintenance of fire equipment and staff training is up to date. Additionally, as the new Queensland Building Fire Safety Regulation has just been released, you will need to ensure compliance with this regulation. This may include the appointment of a Building Fire Safety Advisor, who must possess the 8 Workplace Emergency Response Qualifications that form part of the Public Safety Training Package. DELTRA Australia offers this training over four days, call us on 3274 6199 for more information.

Recent Gas Explosions highlight the need for regular emergency response training

Gas bottle explosion injures two at Mondo Organics, West End

Alex Dickinson

July 23, 2008 07:51pm

TWO men have suffered serious burns in a gas explosion at a Brisbane West End restaurant. The incident happened at a Hardgrave Rd business.

The two staff are believed to be a chef and a kitchenhand. The pair smelled gas in the kitchen that opens to the street shortly before the explosion which knocked them off their feet.

Neil Shaw was working at a neighbouring bottleshop and said one of the men ran into the street screaming.

"The walls shook and the next thing we know there's flames licking the sidewalk and a man out in the street yelling he was burnt," Mr Shaw said.

The men were taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital in a stable condition with burns to the torso, hands and arms.

Roma St fire station officer David Sutch said the explosion could have been a lot worse.

"Luckily we got there quickly and got it under control," he said. "Because it occurred early in the night the restaurant wasn't busy and there weren't as many staff in the kitchen as there would be later.

"The gas was still leaking when we got there but if the bottle itself had exploded there could have been some serious injuries."

It is believed there were two diners in the restaurant at the time.

The blaze was contained to the kitchen but the restaurant suffered extensive water damage. The street was blocked for several hours.

Source: Courier Mail

This is by no means an isolated incident, on 17/6/08 an Eagle Boys pizza shopped was damaged in an explosion believed to be caused by leaking gas. Additionally on the 9/6/08 a gas explosion at a gas plant in WA led to a 30% reduction in gas output for the entire state.

Training in responding to internal emergencies, such as gas leak, can lessen the incidence of death and injury. Also knowing that a gas fire/ leak is best handled by switching off the gas main.

Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008

The new Qld Building Fire Safety Regulation 2008 is now in effect. There are changes from the old regulation which will affect all commercial buildings. This new regulation has provided more specific guidelines for Evacuation Plans, Building Evacuation Arrangements, Evacuation Procedures, Evacuation Instructions, Practice Evacuations, Door Locking policy, Approval Documents, Occupancy Limits for Buildings, Critical Defects, Maintenance of Fire Safety Installations and the creation of a new role, the Fire Safety Advisor. This new role is compulsory for certain building types and requires a person with specific Workplace Emergency Response Qualifications.

For more specific information contact DELTRA Australia on 07 3274 6199.

Workplace Health & Safety in focus

Workers Fell to their Deaths

Lately there have been a spate of deaths related to 'working at heights'. In April a Qantas worker fell to her death from a plane at Brisbane Airport. This month at least 3 Qld workers have fallen to their deaths. Safety while working at heights is no joke! The Qld 'Blue Card' or Course in General Safety Induction (Construction Industry) aims to ensure all workers in the construction industry are aware of the obligations of all parties under the Qld Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995.

DELTRA Australia offers the Blue Card course. Call us on 07 3274 6199 for more information on this.

For more on the dangers of working at heights, see the story below:

Horrific 26-storey death fall

SUELLEN HINDE
and KAY DIBBEN

June 22, 2008 12:00am

TWO building workers screamed for help just seconds before they plummeted 26 floors to their deaths on a Gold Coast high-rise construction site yesterday morning.

The men slid off an outdoor swinging stage as one side slumped and left them dangling from harnesses before the platform collapsed and they fell.

Shocked workers at the almost-completed Meriton Pegasus apartment block at Broadbeach looked up as the men cried out for help, and saw them fall.

One of the dead workers, New Zealander Chris Gear, 36, was a father of two who sang in a Gold Coast band.

The other man, Steve Sayer, 52, had a partner and had just bought a house.

The two men had been patching concrete on outside walls, working from a swinging stage suspended from the top of the building, anchored by counterweights.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union state secretary Michael Ravbar said it appeared the counterweights had somehow come over the top of the building.

"The blokes screamed out and a lot of people turned around and saw them hanging from the harness and the next minute the counterweights have come over the top," Mr Ravbar said.

Three ambulances were sent to the scene but the men died instantly about 9.30am.

About 100 workers were on the site when the accident occurred, working on the 181-apartment resort-style building which is due to open in September.

A worker who witnessed the tragedy said: "I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life".

Work was suspended immediately, with many men leaving the site visibly upset.

"Everyone is really a mess," worker Bradley O'Carroll said.

Meriton's Sydney-based owner Harry Triguboff hired a private plane to get to the site yesterday after learning of the accident.

He said the cause of the fall was puzzling because there had been no wind, the workers were very experienced and they had "the best materials".

It was the first work site fatality for the company which had built more than 60,000 units, the billionaire said.

"I'm deeply shocked. It has never happened to us before," Mr Triguboff said.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd began his speech at the Queensland Labor conference at the nearby Gold Coast Convention Centre by mentioning the tragedy.

"As Labor people, our thoughts are with the families of those men and this terrible accident reminds us all . . . of the dangers which continue to affect so many of the work sites of Australia," Mr Rudd said.

Union delegate Garry Partridge said he knew the two men well.

"They were both such happy fellows. That makes it even harder to deal with.

"I spoke with both of them just yesterday, and Chris yelled out: 'It's a beautiful day'."

Source: Sunday Tasmanian