Safe Hands - Newcastle, NSW
Emergency Management Policy
This policy establishes Safe Hands’s approach to preparing for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies - including medical emergencies, natural disasters, fires, and critical service disruptions - to protect the safety of participants and workers.
1. Purpose
Emergencies are unpredictable but preparation saves lives. Safe Hands is committed to ensuring that all workers know how to respond swiftly, calmly, and effectively to any emergency situation - prioritising the safety of participants above all else.
This policy meets obligations under:
- Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW) - duty to manage workplace risks
- NDIS Practice Standards - Core Module (participant safety and wellbeing)
- Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) - reasonable steps to prevent foreseeable harm
2. Types of Emergencies Covered
| Emergency Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Medical emergency | Cardiac arrest, stroke, seizure, severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), serious fall, choking, loss of consciousness |
| Fire or smoke | Fire in a participant’s home, at a community venue, or in a vehicle |
| Natural disaster | Flood, severe storm, extreme heat event, bushfire affecting service areas |
| Mental health crisis | Acute suicidal crisis, severe psychotic episode, aggressive behaviour posing imminent risk |
| Missing participant | A participant leaves a support setting without staff knowledge and cannot be located |
| Vehicle accident | An accident during NDIS transport support involving workers or participants |
| Service disruption | Loss of key staff, critical system failure, or other event that prevents scheduled support delivery |
| Workplace violence | Serious assault on a worker or participant in a support setting |
3. Emergency Response - General Principles
In any emergency where life is at risk: Call 000 first. Do not wait for management approval. Do not spend time trying to call the office first. Emergency services - ambulance, police, fire - are always the first call in a life-threatening situation.
After calling 000 or once immediate danger is managed, workers should follow these steps:
1
Ensure Safety
Prioritise getting the participant and any other people out of immediate danger. Do not put yourself at risk - you cannot help others if you are harmed.
2
Call 000
For any life-threatening emergency - medical, fire, police - call 000 immediately. Stay on the line and follow the operator’s instructions. Provide the exact location, nature of the emergency, and number of people involved.
3
Provide First Aid
If trained and if it is safe to do so, provide first aid until emergency services arrive. Do not leave the participant alone. Keep them calm and reassured.
4
Notify Manager
Contact the Safe Hands on-call manager by phone as soon as it is safe to do so - not before calling 000. Phone: 0485 553 397. If you cannot reach the manager, leave a voicemail and send a text message.
5
Notify Emergency Contact
With guidance from your manager, contact the participant’s nominated emergency contact as soon as practicable. They should be kept informed of the situation and any medical treatment.
6
Document & Report
Complete an Incident Report Form as soon as possible after the emergency. The manager will assess whether the NDIS Commission must be notified (refer to Incident Management Policy POL-INC-001).
4. Medical Emergency Procedures
4.1 Cardiac Arrest or Unconsciousness
- Call 000 immediately
- If trained, commence CPR and use AED if available
- Do not leave the participant alone
- Send someone to meet the ambulance at the street entrance if possible
4.2 Seizure
- Stay calm and note the time the seizure starts
- Clear the area around the person of hard or sharp objects - do not restrain them
- If the participant uses a seizure mat or padding as per their individual health plan, use it
- Call 000 if: the seizure lasts more than 5 minutes; the person does not regain consciousness; they are injured; or it is their first seizure
- After the seizure, place the person on their side (recovery position) and reassure them as they regain awareness
- Follow any emergency medication instructions in the participant’s health plan (e.g. midazolam) - only if you are trained and authorised to administer it
4.3 Anaphylaxis (Severe Allergic Reaction)
- Call 000 immediately - anaphylaxis is life-threatening
- Administer adrenaline auto-injector (EpiPen) immediately if the participant has one and you are trained to use it, as per their action plan
- Lay the participant flat with legs raised (unless breathing is difficult, in which case have them sit upright)
- A second EpiPen may be given after 5 minutes if available and symptoms continue
- Do not leave the participant - even if they seem to recover, they must be assessed by paramedics
4.4 Mental Health Crisis
- Stay calm - your calm demeanour helps de-escalate the situation
- Do not leave the participant alone if they are at risk of harming themselves or others
- If there is an immediate risk to life, call 000
- Speak quietly and clearly - avoid arguing or challenging delusional statements
- Follow any crisis response plan in the participant’s individual support plan
- Contact the manager immediately
- Mental Health Line (NSW): 1800 011 511 (24 hours) - can provide advice for non-immediately life-threatening mental health crises
5. Fire Emergency
- Activate the nearest fire alarm if available
- Call 000 immediately
- Assist the participant to evacuate immediately - take the nearest safe exit; do not use lifts
- Account for all people in your care and assemble at the designated assembly point
- Do not re-enter the building until cleared by the fire brigade
- Participants with mobility impairments: be aware of their Individual Emergency Evacuation Plan (IEEP) in advance - know how to assist them safely before an emergency occurs
- Do not attempt to fight a fire unless you have been trained and the fire is very small - get people out first
6. Missing Participant
- Begin searching the immediate area systematically - call the participant’s name
- If not located within 10 minutes, contact the manager immediately
- Contact the participant’s emergency contact
- If the participant is at risk (e.g. cognitive impairment, night-time, unsafe area), call 000 to report a missing vulnerable person
- Do not leave the last-known location without ensuring another responsible person is present to coordinate
- Do not post on social media about a missing participant
7. Individual Emergency Plans for Participants
Participants with complex support needs or particular vulnerabilities in an emergency (e.g. mobility impairment, non-verbal communication, epilepsy, severe allergies) must have an Individual Emergency Evacuation Plan (IEEP) documented in their Individual Support Plan. The IEEP must be developed with the participant and must include:
- Any mobility aids or equipment required for evacuation
- Specific assistance the participant requires to evacuate (e.g. physical transfer technique)
- Known medications or medical devices that must be taken in an evacuation
- Communication strategies during an emergency (if the participant is non-verbal)
- Emergency contacts and their phone numbers
- Any specific triggers or de-escalation strategies for mental health emergencies
All workers assigned to a participant with an IEEP must read and understand it before their first shift.
8. Service Continuity & Disruption
If Safe Hands is unable to deliver scheduled supports due to a critical event (e.g. severe weather, a key staff member becoming incapacitated, system failure), we will:
- Contact affected participants as early as possible to advise of the disruption
- Make every effort to arrange alternative support coverage for participants with high-level daily support needs
- Contact the participant’s emergency contact or family if the participant cannot be reached
- Refer participants to alternative services if we cannot arrange cover within an acceptable timeframe
- Document and review all service disruptions as part of our continuous improvement process
9. Key Emergency Contacts
| Service | Number | When to Call |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency Services (Police, Ambulance, Fire) | 000 | Any life-threatening emergency |
| Safe Hands Manager | 0485 553 397 | All emergencies - after calling 000 where needed |
| NSW Mental Health Line | 1800 011 511 | Mental health crisis advice (24 hrs) |
| Poisons Information Centre | 13 11 26 | Medication overdose or poisoning |
| NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission | 1800 035 544 | Reportable incidents involving NDIS supports |
| NSW Child Protection Helpline | 132 111 | Concern about a child at risk |
| Lifeline | 13 11 14 | Immediate mental health support & crisis counselling |
10. Training
All direct support workers must:
- Hold a current First Aid and CPR certification (renewed annually for CPR, every 3 years for First Aid)
- Complete Safe Hands’s emergency response induction before their first unsupervised shift
- Read and understand the Individual Emergency Evacuation Plan for each participant they support
- Participate in any emergency preparedness exercises or drills conducted by Safe Hands
11. Related Documents
- Incident Management & Reporting Policy (POL-INC-001)
- Person-Centred Service Planning Policy (POL-PCP-001)
- Worker Screening & Training Policy (POL-WST-001)
- Medication Management Policy (POL-MED-001)
- Individual Emergency Evacuation Plan template (FORM-IEEP-001)
- Incident Report Form (FORM-INC-001)
This policy has been reviewed and approved by the Director / CEO of Safe Hands and is effective from 1 January 2026.
Approved by
Rujal S - Director / CEO, Safe Hands
Date Approved
1 January 2026
Effective date
Document ID: POL-EMG-001 | © 2026 Safe Hands Disability | ABN 31 315 518 918