Protect the safety of AQIS workers in remote and rugged areas

The safety issues affecting any workers operating in remote and rugged areas are unique in that if something does go wrong, the results can be life-threatening. Help can be a long way off in terms of distance and time, and the environment itself can turn relatively minor accidents into serious ones.

Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) officers in Far North Queensland are regularly required to work in remote and rugged areas that are only accessible by four-wheel drive vehicles.

Vehicle accidents and exposure are just two of the safety issues that the officers need to be prepared to deal with in an emergency situation. To combat these hazards, AQIS determined that its officers needed proper training in navigation, survival, four-wheel driving and a host of other skills.

Eight officers recently participated in some extreme safety training designed to prepare them for a range of emergency situations. The Far North division of the quarantine watchdog approached the Australian Army's 51st Battalion to provide the remote area training to the officers, on Queensland's Atherton Tableland.

The training brief included theoretical and practical exercises in orienteering; navigating by Global Positioning System, the sun and the night sky; four-wheel drive operation and recovery; communications and night vision equipment; bush survival; first aid; and aerial search techniques.

There are a number of remote area training providers in Australia, but AQIS had a past association with the Cairns-based 51st Battalion. Several AQIS officers are members of the Battalion in Cairns and Torres Strait and AQIS has provided quarantine training to the troops in the past.

To receive their accreditation as Remote Area Operators, the eight officers had to endure five gruelling days and nights to develop their skills.

Team leader for the exercise, AQIS Far North Seaports Supervisor Mick Kelly said that: "Much of what we learned is common sense training and advice on survival, including the important component of maintaining morale.

"By simulating real-life situations, if we were to find ourselves at risk we'd be better equipped to assess the situation and maximise our chances of survival."

Locating and purifying water and finding bush foods and medicines in harsh environments proved popular with participants, as did - unsurprisingly - a session on attracting the attention of a rescue mission.

The effectiveness of the time spent on signalling training became evident when the owners of Woodleigh Station, where the training was based, contacted the army after spotting a signal fire.

According to AQIS Far North regional manager Gary Maroske, "The Army's training has increased our officers' knowledge and confidence in remote areas.

"It's not only useful for our staff; there's always the possibility we'll come upon people who need help. We're grateful to the Australian Customs Service for inviting our officers and to the Army trainers for their knowledge and experience."

When they arrived back in Cairns after finishing the training, the officers headed straight for a hot shower and a good night's sleep having endured several days of wet conditions, high midday temperatures harsh terrain and wading through creeks.

As Gary Maroske says, "We hope the emergency elements of this training will never be put to use, but we're determined to do everything we can to ensure our officers can deal with any emergency."