Safety on the road and at home.

Be sure to take all the precautions you can to ensure your personal safety - this can include things like bushcraft, and good communications, right down to simple things like wearing suitable footwear to save your feet from injury.

Leaving home for the holidays:
Scams to look out for:
Advice from Royal Australian Flying Doctor
Outback driving hints
Signalling for help if you are in trouble
Water (Dehydration)
In An Emergency
Snake Bites
How do you get medical help

Leaving Home for the holidays or just on the move, here are some hints and suggestions to assist you stay safe:
Crime prevention Tips from NSW Police - Crime prevention, scroll down the page for videos and helpful suggestions.

Police recommend: if you are Going away
Ensure the house is securely locked, including windows usually left open.
Cancel newspapers and redirect your mail or have it collected by a friend.
Put pets into a boarding kennel or have friends visit them often.
Tell neighbours or friends who can check on the house, you are away and whom will be at the house legitimately - e.g. gardeners, pet minders.
Secure your garage or, if unable - move items such as bikes inside the house.
Consider security devices, including light timers etc.
Do not leave cash in the house and locate jewellery in a safe place.
Ensure your lawn is cut, the property tidy and stop all deliveries.
Avoid leaving the answering machine on and turn the phone volume down

For more information and videos about crime prevention suggestions from the Police Click here

For a form to use if you are going to notify the police of a prolonged absence  Print and fill it in and take to the nearest Police Station to register it. For some practical advice from the Victorian Police and for a list to assist do an inventory for insurance purposes

Scams to look out for: be on the look out for unscrupulous people ScamWatch . They come in many guises, so always be vigilant.

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AUSTRALIA ALL OVER – Advice from the Royal Australian Flying Doctor
Emergency Contacts
Call triple zero (000) first. This will connect you to an operator if you are within range of your normal GSM mobile phone network.
If your mobile phone is out of range, dial 112. This will connect you directly to emergency services - if you are within the range of another GSM operator.
Dialling 112 will connect you to emergency services even if the phone keyboard pad is locked. 112 cannot be dialled from the fixed phone network, and may not be available for CDMA phones - you should check with your phone provider. Exploring the beauty of Australia away from the cities can be quite an adventure but we urge you to pay attention to some safety tips and general information which should make your trip more enjoyable and very importantly - safer.

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Outback driving hints: For more information on Road conditions also this Outback Safety Manual
The Outback of Australia is very remote, and at all times should be considered hostile. Care should always be taken when driving through these vast and unique areas. Follow these important tips for safer outback motoring, and carry these items in the vehicle rather than in the caravan, in case you leave the caravan to travel on rougher roads:

• Before leaving for your trip, give someone a copy of your itinerary and agree dates and times to contact them to let them know that all is well, and you have arrived safely. Make sure you do contact them, or a search may be instigated, which is not necessary.
• Bring all medication and repeat scripts. See your doctor before you go. Get a summary of your medical history.
• A first aid kit with bandages, plasters, an antiseptic cream, sunblock cream, a broad spectrum antibiotic, insect repellent, a pain reliever, a booklet on first aid and anything else you feel you may need e.g. needle, tweezers triangular bandage.
• Take a hat (with fly screen attached), sunscreen, sunglasses and insect repellent.
• Clothes - two changes, one for the heat, one for when it becomes cold. When travelling in outback areas temperature extremes can be experienced within one day. Evenings can be very cool after a warm day so in addition to packing a shady hat, long sleeved shirts and comfortable walking shoes or boots, it is a good idea to take a sweater for the nights
• Check your route carefully, with the most up-to-date maps available, containing the most detail.
• Carry the best maps you can, but always check with the locals on road conditions, fuel availability and weather conditions.
• Satellite Navigation is good and should be carried if possible, but also have a compass and know how to use it.
• Check the best time of year to travel, with regard to weather conditions. Don't travel in the North during the hottest part of the year.
• Be careful of how much you pack on your roof rack. A heavy load on top increases the chances of a roll-over.
• Do not overload the vehicle, and carry some spares where possible.
• Ensure your vehicle is suitable for outback travel, and is mechanically sound.
• Carry an HF radio compatible with the RFDS (Royal Flying Doctor Service). Mobile phones and CB radios will not work in remote areas. You can buy a Flying Doctor HF radio from most two-way communication centres or you can hire one from RFDS bases.
• When travelling on very remote roads, inform local authorities of your route, and intended arrival time.
• Wear your seatbelt at all time when the vehicle is moving, as you never know what to expect.
• In the vehicle, especially if leaving the caravan carry sufficient supplies of food, water for each person, and fuel, for at least two days. Check all water and fuel containers for leaks. Consider storing water in smaller containers instead of one large tank. Take plenty of water. Someone unaccustomed to the Outback might need one litre of water every hour. Also carry equipment to collect water, if stranded.
• Plan your fuel consumption and refuelling points very carefully. Remember that service stations in the outback may have limited opening hours.  They may also have closed for business, so are no longer there.
• Do not stray from your intended route as you may get lost, and will consume extra fuel.
• Try to avoid driving at dusk, night or dawn. Wild or farm animals may stray onto the road and their behaviour can be unpredictable.
• When driving on an unmade road towards an approaching vehicle, pull off to the left of the road, keeping the right-hand wheels on the road surface at all times. Slow down but do not stop, as the road shoulders may be soft.
• Be aware of dust on the road which may conceal potholes and washouts.
• Carry emergency beacons, and fire making equipment to attract attention and know how to use them.(see below)
• Pack a fire extinguisher.
• Tools - a complete set, especially a jack and check that all are in working order. The main towns are well equipped with motor mechanics and parts retailers but this is not always the case in remote areas, so be prepared. If going off the main roads, take an extra jack with a large base (or suitable flat metal base to put it on)  to stop it sinking in the sand or mud, preferably two spare tyres correctly inflated, engine oil, axe, shovel, globes, fanbelt, fuses, coil, condenser, radiator hoses, tow rope, distributor points and one or two big flashlights.
• Radio - one that can pick up at least one station, so you'll get those all important weather reports
• If you break down, stay with your vehicle. It is much easier to locate a vehicle than a person.

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Bushcraft and proper signalling for help if you are in trouble: Like many bush survival techniques, signalling for help is a skill you should practice before you actually have to use it. If you ever find yourself lost and alone in the bush, signalling for rescue is one of your highest priorities.  Survival usually means staying with the vehicle if possible as it may be easier to spot from the air than a person can be.  The vehicle is a source of shelter, and perhaps food and water.  If required, the tyres can also be used to create a very smoky fire to attract attention.

If you must leave the vehicle, leave details of your name, direction travelling, how many people are travelling, plus time & date. Other information which might be included could be ages and the state of health, food & water carried and what survival methods you have with you etc.  If the vehicle is found before you are, rescuers may then gauge your possible survival skills, and likely outcomes, based on this information.

Visual signals: If you don't carry a two way communication radio, a mobile phone or even a whistle as an emergency signalling device, you mainly will have to use visual signals. Depending on your situation and the material you have available.  You can use fire and smoke, signal mirror, flares and a torch or strobe light to create your visual distress signal.

Signal site: For best results when signalling for help select a signal site close to your shelter with good visibility such as a clearing, or on higher ground.

Search: Will there be a search for you? Put yourself in the searchers place. Will they be looking for you from air or ground? A search will probably start from your last known location and sweep on the proposed route.

SOS signal: SOS (Save Our Souls) is the best known internationally distress signal. Everyone who ventures into the bush should be at the least familiar with SOS. The SOS signal can be transmitted by any method, visual or audio. The code for SOS is 3 short, 3 long and 3 short signals. Pause. Repeat the signal.

SOS signal is:


The SOS signal can for example be constructed as a ground to air signal with rocks and logs, or whatever material you have available. At night you can use a torch or a strobe light to send an SOS to for example to an aircraft. During the day you can use a signalling mirror. 

Almost any signal repeated three times will serve as a distress signal. Use your imagination.

Signal fires: When signalling for help the most noticeable signal is your fire. It is easily seen at night and during the daytime the smoke from your fire can be seen for many miles.  Use some green wood & leaves for maximum smoke.
Build three fires in a triangle or in a straight line with about 30 meters (100 feet) between the fires. Three fires is an international recognized distress signal.

Signal mirror: On a sunny day, a mirror is your best signalling device. Any shiny object will serve this purpose, a metal cup, glasses, even your belt buckle, or a similar object that will reflect the sun's rays. Check out your survival kit, or use one of the side mirrors from the vehicle.

A torch can be seen at a great distance. Sweep the horizon during the day. If a plane approaches don't direct the beam in the aircraft's cockpit for more than a few seconds as it may blind the pilot. Use the code for SOS.  Use only when there is a likelihood of it being seen, as you may also need it to help you move around.

Use your signal mirror properly when signalling for help. Determine where your signal is going, use your free hand as a sight line, in order for it to be effective and readjust as you, or the sun moves around the sky. As with any bush survival skill this one also requires some practice to master long before you really have to rely on it.

Aerial signal flares: Small hand-held aerial signal flares should be part of your survival kit and will help you signalling for help. Study the instructions before finding yourself in an outdoor survival situation and use wisely.

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WATER (Dehydration): Wherever you are visiting you should be aware of, and take into account the climate and its effect on your body. Water is the cheapest and most effective cooling agent for the body and in hot weather it is important to consume adequate amounts of water to prevent dehydration.

Most people should drink at least eight (8) glasses of water a day to maintain an adequate level of hydration. If active (eg walking, climbing etc) you will need to consume additional water at regular intervals. Remember, don't wait to feel thirsty before taking a drink!

As you tour, you'll find that most towns have water but at some places you may not be able to get drinking water. So we recommend that you carry drinking water with you - in very hot conditions carry 10 litres of water per person per day. It may seem a lot, but when it's hot, you should drink about a litre an hour. Don't rely on waterholes, dams, bores, mills, tanks or troughs. Carry your own water and water purification equipment for emergencies. Soap or detergents should not be used in any natural water course or stock watering point.

Exploring on Foot: A favourite way to explore parts of Australia remember when you are out and about:

• carry plenty of water and some food
• take notice of signs at ALL times
• take notice of tour guides and rangers
• carry personal protection - hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and a reliable insect repellent
• carry a map of the area, a compass, a whistle and a lighter
• if it's hot take a little salt
• wear good walking shoes and appropriate clothing and whatever the temperature, and carry clothing to protect you from the cold

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IN AN EMERGENCY
If correctly planned your trip will go smoothly and happily but from time to time people do get lost and find themselves in difficult situations.

Whether you are out driving or walking and find yourself in trouble there are a few key things to remember.

• If you get stranded while driving - stay with the car. Never leave it. Use it for shade. This is the most important advice anyone can give you.
• If your become lost while out walking just sit down and study your maps. Work out where you came from and slowly take that route back. If you can't find the way, back, move to higher ground.
• In both situations, share out the food and water, listen for rescuers and signal if you hear them. Signal with three torch flashes and with your whistle. During the day, light a small fire, smoky with green leaves. As night comes, light a small bright fire with dry materials. Be prepared to wait.
• Watch for exposure. From heat - people become pale, clammy and breathe rapidly. They should rest in the shade, be sponged with cool water and drink cool water with a little salt dissolved in it. From cold - they become slow and irritable, may stumble, get cramps, shiver and get blurred vision. They should rest in shelter from the wind and rain, wrap up as warmly as possible, share a sleeping bag, and have warm drinks.

SNAKE BITES
Of the world's 25 most deadly snakes, Australia is home to 21 of them. The perceived threat of snake bites is one of the most common fears for people planning to travel in Outback Australia, especially overseas tourists.

Contrary to popular belief, however, snake bites are not a major cause of death for people in Australia. In 1997, six people died of snake bites (Australian Bureau of Statistics)

It is important for everyone to know what action to take after a real or suspected snake bite. The action taken immediately is crucial for the patient's recovery.

As with snakes, Australia houses some of the most poisonous spiders in the world.  There is very little known about the majority of Australian spiders and their toxins. ALL spiders should be treated with respect. Even those less venomous can inflict a painful bite. Treat in the same way as snake bites.

What snake is it?: Being able to identify the snake will help the doctor pick the right anti-venom quickly. But if you don't know what type of snake it was, don't guess. Doctors can use a 'venom-detection kit' to determine what type of snake bit you and which anti-venom to use.

Don't assume because it was brown that it was a 'brown snake'. It could be disastrous if the doctor gave you anti-venom for the wrong snake bite.

Stay still and apply pressure: Most snake bites are to the lower limbs. It is most important that you stay still and apply pressure to the bitten area, preferably with firm bandages, about as tight as you would bind a sprained ankle. Do not apply a tourniquet. Splint the whole area to immobilise.

Don't take off jeans or other clothing, as the movement involved could help the venom enter and travel through the bloodstream. Do not try and force the venom out of the bitten area. This will only push the venom further into the bloodstream.

Once the area is bandaged and splinted, it will be comfortable and can be left on for several hours. Do not take off the bandage until you reach medical care, or it reaches you. The doctor will decide when to remove the bandages, usually when the anti-venom is prepared and ready to be administered.

Taking this action will help prevent venom from spreading through your body and bringing on severe symptoms. It also means you will need less anti-venom and will suffer from less anti-venom side effects.

Have you been bitten?: Australian snake bites often are not painful and you might not realise you have been bitten. Take note of the following symptoms:

• Continued bleeding from bite site
• Tender or painful regional lymph nodes
• Headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
• Sudden and perhaps transient hypotension (abnormally low blood pressure) which may cause partial loss of consciousness
• Blurred or double vision
• Facial paralysis
• Voluntary muscle weakness and the diaphragm may be paralysed progressively.

Spider bites
Some may be painful and may cause unpleasant side effects, but the two most dangerous are:

Funnel Web spiders: Although funnel-web spiders are widely distributed throughout the south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, the only species so far proven to be dangerous to humans are largely limited to the eastern part of New South Wales and southeast Queensland. The only known killer is the funnel-web spider, which is found mostly in the Sydney region, north to Newcastle and south to the Illawarra region.

Though there have been 13 recorded deaths from funnel-web spider bites, some cases do not always develop severe symptoms. However, the same precautions and first aid should be administered because, if untreated, a major bite may cause death within an hour. First aid treatment involves the application of a pressure-immobilization bandage, the same treatment as applied to a snake bite. The entire affected limb is bandaged firmly and, wherever possible, is further restricted in movement by the application of a splint.

The large fangs and acidic venom make the bite very painful.  Bite symptoms start early, beginning with tingling around the mouth, twitching of the tongue, profuse salivating, watery eyes, sweating and muscle spasms. Hypertension and an elevated heartbeat occurs which, when combined with respiratory distress may be very severe and potentially lethal. Prior to the first availability of the antivenom in 1980, bite victims faced an uncertain outcome, and deaths were common in cases of severe envenomation. Since the advent of the antivenom however, there have been no further deaths attributed to bites from this - the world's deadliest spider.

Red-back Spider: Only the female red-back spider is dangerous. While the female is large and distinctive with her shiny black body and bright red abdominal stripe (though not all specimens posses this marking), the male red-back is small and insignificant and has a complex pattern including white and, occasionally, yellow markings. As the red-back is not a wanderer, most bites occur when the spider's web has been pulled down or disturbed. Less than 20% of all red-back spider bites actually result in significant envenoming.

Red-back spiders usually make their webs under objects, with droplines to the ground or another flat surface. They are found most commonly under shelves, bottom rails of fence lines, under outdoor furniture or outdoor toilet seats, even in cupboards indoors. If you have red-backs in your area check thoroughly before putting your hands underneath items such as flower pot rims, bricks, tables, etc.

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How do you get medical help?
If you are travelling in Outback Australia and you are bitten by a snake, contact the Flying Doctors on your HF radio as soon as possible. They will give you advice and make arrangements to fly in to provide medical assistance.

In many parts of Australia, access to adequate health care can mean long journeys by road. The RFDS not only provides general health care and emergency services to local communities, but also to travellers.

It is essential that you have adequate Ambulance cover insurance, and that you check with your specific health fund as to what is covered by that fund.  The rules in each State are different, so be sure you have the most up to date information from your own fund.  Get the rules in writing and make sure you understand them. Being airlifted from a remote area is very expensive, so think about what sort of cover you might need before you leave as there may be a waiting period if you are not already covered.  Just one trip in an ambulance can cost from about AUD$300 to over $5,000, if an air ambulance is necessary.

If you are an Australian you need to be aware that the Australian Government has introduced Lifetime Health Cover.

Under this system of health cover, individuals are rewarded with a lower premium for their private health insurance if they join up for lifetime health cover before they turn 30 years of age.

Those who decide not to purchase private health insurance will pay a higher premium of 2 per cent a year for every year they haven't joined since turning 30 years of age. Lifetime health cover only applies to registered Australian funds.

NO RESPONSIBILITY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR ACTIONS TAKEN AS A RESULT OF INFORMATION CONTAINED HERE.

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