In addition , I ’ ve spent the better part of the last 30 years travelling around Australia in a variety of 4WDs and RVs . Many of my travels have been to some of the most remote parts of the country . I ’ ve faced my share of emergency situations and I reckon I ’ ve learnt a lot from them .
ASSESSING AND MITIGATING RISK
Nothing happens in the emergency services without someone first doing a risk assessment . I ’ m not talking about an administrative process to produce a 120-page report . It ’ s more of a mindset or a conscious decision-making process . In its most simplistic form , risk assessment involves six basic steps :
A modest tool kit will ensure you can fix small mechanical problems before they turn into big ones .
A well stocked first aid kit is essential when travelling through the outback .
1 . Identify the risk .
2 . Determine the likelihood of that risk occurring .
3 . Consider the consequences of the risk occurring .
4 . Identify what can be done to mitigate or lessen the risk .
5 . Reassess the risks with the mitigation strategies in place .
6 . Make a judgement as to whether the risk is worth taking .
Here ’ s an example of how this might work . Let ’ s say we are considering travelling down a 4WD track we are unfamiliar with in a remote location . We are travelling alone . What would be some of the risks associated with this activity ? Let ’ s list them in a table ( see next pages ) and apply the risk management steps .
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