Implications for nursing workforce of catastrophic fire rating days in rural South Australia

Researchers: Paul Arbon

This project explores whether or not there is an increase in the absentee rate of nurses from health services in rural South Australia, when a catastrophic fire rating day is declared and what the factors are that influence nursing staff absences on a catastrophic fire rating day.

In Australia, following the recent devastating Victorian bushfire disaster, a New Fire Weather Warnings were introduced in South Australia towards the end of 2009 and now refer to Fire Danger Ratings of Severe, Extreme and Catastrophic (Code Red). In November 2009 the Country Fire Service (CFS) and the Department of Education and Children’s Services in South Australia developed a policy for schools and pre‐school to be temporarily closed and school buses to be cancelled on days of declared 'catastrophic' bushfire weather conditions.

On these days the public are informed to implement their bushfire plan which may include evacuation of their home, and schools may be closed. Members of the community who are local Country Fire Service volunteers may be required to leave their jobs to standby at rural fire stations. The community is recommended not to travel on the roads in the regions where there is a catastrophic warning. This may affect the ability of services and businesses to remain open on these days.

The proposed research will inform, workforce planning in rural areas, and the contingencies that may be required for catastrophic fire rating days to enable health services to be adequately staffed. This research will assist by identifying what the pattern of work attendance is for health settings located in rural areas on catastrophic fire rating days compared to non‐catastrophic fire rating days and the issues which may influence workforce availability. This research will help to determine what issues and circumstances affect the availability of the nursing workforce and what strategies may mitigate against the impact of the new fire risk ratings on workforce availability.