If your property has suffered damage please be aware of the potential risk which may be present.
As the bushfires continue to worsen across Australia, we wanted to reach out to let you know that we are available if/when assistance is required.
We are prepared to quickly respond to claims and any emergency assistance that will be required.
If you have been affected by the fires and require assistance, please contact your account manager or our office on (02) 9587 3500 or theteam@wsib.com.au.
In the meantime, if your property has suffered damage please be aware of the potential risk which may be present.
- Be wary of structures that may contain asbestos. When disturbed by external forces, asbestos fibres can be easily spread. If in doubt as to whether a property contains asbestos it is best to seek advice from professionals such as a hygienist or asbestos experts. Please click here for additional information.
- Fire damaged structures may be unstable. This may not be immediately noticeable and may pose a risk to safety in the event of a collapse. Trees that have been impacted by fire also pose an additional threat of collapse so please be vigilant.
- Appropriate PPE should always be worn. Air quality is extremely poor and can pose a serious threat to individual health.
- Be mindful that fire impacted areas are often left without utilities such as power, water, phone and internet reception. Should travel to impacted areas be unavoidable, consider advising family members or friends of your intended plans and expected return dates.
- The threat of fire remains ongoing and conditions may change rapidly and unexpectedly. With utilities down in impacted regions, emergency services warnings such as SMS or the Fires Near Me App may not be reliable or up to date. If you are in doubt it is best to steer clear and wait for formal confirmation from emergency services that the threat has cleared.
- Impacted regions may be hindered by road closures, reduced visibility, reduced speed limits, traffic and other changes.
- Should the need to travel to impacted regions be unavoidable bear in mind that supplies such as petrol, groceries and water may be in limited supply or unavailable at all.
- Unfortunately, we have already seen cases of looting. A teenager has allegedly been charged with stealing a vehicle from a property in Batlow. Please ensure all property is locked and secured where possible.
This check list has kindly been provided by one of our key suppliers, AJ Grant Group.
Our thoughts are with those impacted by these bushfires.
The entire WSIB team, insurers and supplier are ready to assist when you need us.
