Use of UHF Radios in the Field Procedure. Issue Date: 02/05/2012 Review Date: 02/05/2014

Transcription

1 Use of UHF Radios in the Field Procedure Issue Date: 02/05/2012 Review Date: 02/05/2014 PROCEDURE: REV: 0 STATUS: ISSUED FOR USE DOC OWNER: HSE SYSTEMS MANAGER Purpose This Procedure details the safe use of hand held UHF radios in the field by Arrow Energy staff and contractors. During site assessments, personnel will be required to work on their own and away from a vehicle. UHF radios provide a method for communicating business messages and emergency contact when mobile reception is not available. Scope This Procedure applies to Arrow Energy employees and contractors carrying out fieldwork. This includes but is not limited to: ecological assessment; spotter/catcher work; at river crossings and other designated locations on production fields; and work in locations where mobile telephone reception is limited or unavailable. This Procedure relates to vehicle mounted UHF devices when travelling in light vehicles to hail operators when travelling in heavy machinery traffic areas and for emergency situations in accordance with the emergency response manuals for each region. Due to the isolated nature of fieldwork activities this Procedure also relates to the use of hand held UHF radios when carrying out fieldwork on foot. The requirement for UHF radios when carrying out fieldwork does not replace the need for staff to carry satellite phones when carrying out work of any kind in areas with limited or no mobile phone reception. This Procedure is to be used in conjunction with other communications, emergency response and safety procedures. Procedure This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 1/8

2 Steps Responsibility When / Frequency 1. Be familiar with the specifications of the UHF to be used. Read the instruction manual and be aware of the following: On/off switch Volume control Channel selection Channel display Emergency button Charging Squelch Mute Use of repeater channels Battery life Signal range on flat terrain, most devices can transmit from 5-12km, but on hilly terrain this range is greatly reduced. Prior to conducting field work 2. Ensure all devices are fully charged and operational. Before travelling to site 3. Complete a Journey Management Plan that includes a communication failure emergency plan. Refer to the Journey Management and Driver Safety Procedure 1. Upon arrival at site and prior to commencing fieldwork, site access conditions and all relevant SOP s should be reviewed by all staff. 4. A JSEA 2 shall be completed to identify possible hazards that are not addressed in SOP s. 5. Be aware of the UHF channel to be used for communications and all hand held UHF devices must be set to the correct channel, volume and squelch. Check all devices again in the field, by sending a radio check call using the radio, to ensure all devices are operational and all parties have communication with each other. Establish check in times to maintain regular communication between the groups. 6. Vehicle mounted UHF devices are to be switched on at all times. Before travelling to site Prior to starting Prior to departing from the start point Travelling This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 2/8

3 Steps Responsibility When / Frequency 7. Hand held UHF devices are to be carried at all times. For field work conducted by a team one member from each group must carry a hand held UHF device and the device must be switched on as soon as the group leaves the vehicle. For field work conducted by a lone individual - carry a hand held UHF device, to be switched on when outside of the vehicle. 8. Where spotter/catcher work is to be carried out, follow this procedure in conjunction with Fauna Spotter/ Catcher Procedure 3. Channel Selection 1. Vehicle mounted UHF radios are to be set to channel 50 (Dalby region) or channel 20 (Moranbah region) When travelling through areas of heavy machinery operation the UHF radio shall be set to the channel specified in the Land Access Conditions approval or on signage at the entrance to the site. 2. Selecting hand held UHF radio channels shall be done in accordance with Appendix 1. Do not use the following channels, where possible: Those in use by landholders and other nearby sites, companies or activities Repeater stations (channels 1-8) Designated emergency channels (channels 5 and 35) 3. Conduct a radio check to verify no other users are on the channel. Note: Intermittent traffic is acceptable if it does not interfere with staff communication. If a landholder attempts to engage in conversation follow the Land Access Rules in relation to communicating with landholders. If an unknown person attempts to engage in conversation Ignore them and continue to communicate as normal, or switch to an alternative channel. Outside of vehicle Fauna relocations Travelling On foot Radio channel selected This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 3/8

4 Sending and Receiving a Message Steps Responsibility When / Frequency 1. Depress the Push to Talk (PTT) key. Call the person you wish to contact. Release the PTT key and wait for confirmation that your transmission has been received. When confirmation has been received, depress the PTT key again and transmit your message in a clear, concise manner. Release the PTT key and wait for confirmation. Repeat as many times as necessary until you have completed your transmission and all information has been relayed. Advise the person that you have completed your transmission, and await confirmation that the receiver has also finished communicating. 2. Upon receiving a transmission, wait for the caller to release their PTT key before replying. Depress the PTT key and confirm that you have received their transmission, then release the PTT key. Wait for the caller to reply and when they have finished transmitting, confirm that you have received their transmission. Repeat as many times as necessary until you have completed your transmission and all information has been relayed. When the caller advises that they have finished their transmission, confirm that you have finished your transmission and release the PTT key. River Crossings (Moranbah Production Fields) 1. When approaching a river crossing, stop and observe any signage, following all instructions. Using either the vehicle mounted UHF or a hand held UHF device set to the channel specified on the signage, announce the name of the river, the crossing number, type/s and number of vehicles that will be crossing and the direction in which you are crossing. For example, Two light vehicles crossing Isaac River 2 south. If work is to be carried out on the river crossing on foot, ensure that you announce that personnel will be on foot on the river crossing and advise the number of personnel to be carrying out the work. One person should be designated to listen to the UHF for oncoming vehicles. Sending a message Receiving a message River crossing This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 4/8

5 Steps Responsibility When / Frequency Emergencies 1. Stop all works, if it is safe to do so, and evacuate to a safe area. Call 000 on a mobile phone for emergencies that require the fire department, an ambulance or the police department. For all other types of emergencies contact the 24 hour Arrow emergency hotline ( ). If there is no mobile phone reception, use the UHF radio to call Emergency, Emergency, Emergency. Do not use the names of an injured person on the radio. All other radio users must maintain silence. The radio can be used to contact someone with mobile phone reception. This person can then dial Implement the Communication Failure Emergency Plan. A hand held GPS unit shall be used to navigate back to the point of origin or alternative predetermined rendezvous point. should go back to the defined point after a time period, established by the team in the field. Additional Notes 1. Users must be competent in the operation of the hand held UHF device to be used. Avoid transmitting over the top of another transmission as this will generally result in neither transmission being received. Wait until all transmissions have ceased before transmitting. Wait until your transmission has been acknowledged before transmitting again. Speak slowly and clearly, and avoid unnecessary conversation. Keep language straight to the point. Maintain professionalism at all times when transmitting. Maintain privacy and confidentiality where necessary at all times, as transmissions can be heard by anyone. Ensure a radio message is transmitted when it is mandatory. Emergency situations Loss of comms between users Ongoing This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 5/8

6 References Referenced Documents Reference Document Title 1 99-H-PR Journey Management and Driver Safety Procedure 2 99-H-PR JSEA Development Procedure 3 99-H-PR Fauna Spotter/ Catcher Procedure 4 Land Access Approval Conditions Supplementary Information Sources 99-H-FM JSEA Form 99-H-GDL Hazardous and Restricted Area Classification Guideline 99-H-MN-0007 Brisbane - Emergency Response Manual 99-H-MN-0007 Dalby - Emergency Response Manual 99-H-MN-0007 Moranbah - Emergency Response Manual Land Access Rules Document Control Revision Revision Date Reviewer Approver A 22/08/2011 H Wood 0 19/09/2011 H Wood H Wood 1 30/04/2012 H Wood This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 6/8

7 Appendix 1 - UHF Channel Information CHANNEL FREQUENCY USE Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output (Emergency use only) Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output Channel Repeater Output Channel Simplex Channel Simplex 4WD Drivers - Convoy, Clubs & National Parks Channel Simplex Call Channel Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Caravan & Campers Convoy Channel Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Data Only (No Voice - No Packet) Channel Simplex Data Only (No Voice - No Packet) Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 7/8

8 CHANNEL FREQUENCY USE Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Pacific Hwy (NSW) & Bruce Hwy (Qld) Road Channel Channel Simplex UHF CB Broadcasts Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input (Emergency Use Only) Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Repeater Input Channel Simplex Channel Simplex Highway Channel Channels 1 to 8 - Repeater Channels Press the DUPLEX button on your radio to use any available repeaters Channel 5 - Emergency use only - Monitored by CREST Volunteers, no general conversations are to take place on this channel Channels 22 & 23 - Data transmissions only (Excluding Packet) Channels 31 to 38 - Repeater inputs - Do not use these channels for simplex transmissions as you will interfere with conversations on channels 1 to 8 The Australian Government has legislated that channels 5 & 35 on the UHF CB Band are reserved for emergency use only As at January 2007 the maximum penalties for the misuse of the legally allocated CB emergency channels are: For general misuse - if an individual 2 years imprisonment, otherwise $165,000 (a $220 onthe-spot fine can be issued in minor cases); or For interference to an actual call - if an individual 5 years imprisonment, otherwise $550,000 (no on-the-spot fine can be issued, must go to court) (Source: UHF CB Australia, < 19/08/2011) This document is UNCONTROLLED when printed 8/8