 | Worldwide aviation incidents are a regular
occurrence. Fortunately, disasters are less frequent but have far more
devastating impacts. Major aviation incidents have shown that an air crash may
cause hundreds of fatalities and injuries and be hazardous to rescuers. Crash
sites may also contain a wide variety of hazardous materials. In Australia, 14
commercial airline accidents since 1950 have resulted in injury or death.
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 | Agriculture is a major industry within Western Australia,
representing about 10% of the state’s economy. Agricultural products are the
second largest export commodity. Animal or plant: pests or diseases can
threaten the industry, causing major economic loss, while also affecting the
state’s environment, social amenity and human health.
To learn about this hazard, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Primary Industry and Regional Development's website.
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 | Biological substances are organic substances
that pose a threat to the health of humans, environment and property.
Worldwide, it is estimated that about 320,000 workers die each year from
communicable diseases caused by work-related exposure to biological substances. To learn about this hazard visit the Department of Health's website. |
 | There is a risk of a chemical substance
emergency wherever chemical substances are manufactured, used, stored, or
transported. These substances are capable of causing loss of life, injury to
people, impacts to the environment and property. To learn about this hazard visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website.
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 | The collapse of natural landforms or built
infrastructure such as buildings, bridges or subsurface commercial operations
is a risk. A landslide in 1996 near Gracetown in the south-west of Western Australia
resulted in nine deaths and a further three injuries, after 30 tonnes of rock
and soil was dislodged. |
 | On average, Western Australia experiences five
large-scale cyclone events that threaten the coastline each year. Two of these
cyclones cross the coastline, one at high intensity. These have the potential
to cause deaths and injuries along with major damage to homes, infrastructure and
industry. To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website.
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 | Western Australia has experienced at least one
significant earthquake each decade since 1900. Earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or
greater are relatively common and occur about every five years in the South
West Seismic Zone, which is adjacent to the main population centres of the
state. The 1968 Meckering earthquake was magnitude 6.5. To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website.
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 | Electricity supply disruptions are inevitable.
There is a wide variety of hazards that can disrupt electricity supplies,
including cyclones, storms, floods and bushfires. A severe disruption can
potentially have serious, costly and distressing consequences. |
 | Each year in Western Australia, thousands of
fires occur that destroy or damage houses, sheds, garages, commercial and
industrial buildings, vehicles and vast areas of bushland. Some of these become
critical events, subject to size, location or prevailing weather conditions. To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website for bushfire and structural fire.
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 | Western Australia
has a history of floods, often causing widespread impact. Floods are a natural
phenomenon. After heavy rainfall, rivers, creeks and catchments may be unable
to cope with water volumes and overflow causing flash flooding or slower rising
riverine flooding, which is the most common cause of floods in Australia. To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website.
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 | Industry
and communities rely heavily upon natural gas. A gas supply disruption
threatened Western Australia in 2008 when an
explosion occurred at the Varanus offshore plant that supplies over 30% of the
state’s gas needs, including large mining companies. |
 | Heatwaves
kill more people than any other natural hazard in Australia. On average, all
areas of Western Australia will experience
heatwave conditions annually. Heatwaves can cause increased sickness and death,
increase bushfire risk and disrupt electricity supply and train services. To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Health's website. |
 | There
have been nine human epidemics in Australia since 2000. Historically, Australia
has experienced several epidemics – including the bubonic plague, H1N1,
poliomyelitis and the 'Spanish flu'. Experts consider the next influenza
pandemic to be inevitable. To learn about this hazard, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Health's website. |
 | Remote,
harsh terrain and extreme temperatures create a challenging environment for
people who undertake search and rescue missions. The need for specialist
skills, equipment, medical care and interagency cooperation could elevate such
searches to a critical level.
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 | The
world is heavily dependent upon energy products and a disruption to liquid fuel
supply would significantly impact both industry and the community. Natural
hazards such as floods and storms continue to demonstrate that liquid fuel
supply disruptions affect the whole community. |
 | Marine
oil pollution can have severe impacts on the environment and economy, with the
response phase lasting months and the recovery phase sometimes lasting for
decades. Marine oil pollution events in Western Australia include the 2009 Montara oil spill that lasted
for 76 days with about 60 tonnes of oil entering the environment each day.
To learn about this hazard, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Transport's website. |
 | Marine
transport emergencies can threaten lives and have significant consequences for
the economy and environment. Marine transport emergencies in Australian waters
include the 2007 Pasha Bulker incident which grounded the ship for almost a
month.
To learn about this hazard watch the hazard video. |
 | Sinking, lost and distressed vessels and
aircraft, along with marine searches, occur frequently off our coastline. Australia
has a search-and-rescue service that covers 52.8 million square kilometres of
the Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans. Plans are in place to coordinate
efforts where Commonwealth and state responsibilities intersect. |
 | Other
substances not covered under the biological, chemical or radiological hazards
which are capable of causing loss of life, injury to a person or damage to the
health of a person, property or the environment. These substances include
dangerous goods and petroleum and can also take the form of emissions from
fires, or odours from situations including mixed products that may involve
plastics, tyres, mixed chemicals as well as wastes and scrap metals.
To learn about this hazard visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website. |
 | There
is a risk of a radiological substance emergency wherever radiological
substances are manufactured, used, stored or transported. These substances are
capable of causing loss of life, injury to people, and impacts to the
environment and property. |
 | If
when traversing Western Australian waters, the fuel in a nuclear-powered
warship melted, hazards could result from direct radiation from the vessel,
radiation from a drifting cloud, inhalation of airborne particles and ingestion
of contaminated food and water. Arrangements are in place to limit the
consequences. |
 | Western Australia has more than 5000 km of freight rail network. There is a risk of derailment, collision, malicious act or other rail incidents on the network. Such an event could significantly disrupt the flow of vital services. On a typical weekday, more than 1000 passenger train services operate within Western Australia, with additional trains servicing regional centres. A derailment or collision on such a service could result in a mass casualty incident requiring substantial resources and coordination. |
 | On
average, 192 people are killed in car crashes every year in Western Australia.
A single road crash can result in numerous fatalities and injuries such as the
road crash in Kempsey, NSW, in 1989 that caused the deaths of 35 people and
injured 41. |
 | Space
debris has descended out of orbit at an average rate of about one object per
day for the past 50 years (2011). In 1979 debris from Skylab was found between
Esperance and Rawlinna. |
 | Storms
can be both deadly and destructive. Storms have killed over 770 people in
Australia since 1824. Hailstorms in Perth in 2010 were the costliest event in Western
Australian history causing over $1 billion worth of damage.
To learn about this hazard, click here, watch the hazard video or visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services' website. |
 | A
number of terror organisations and cells have been identified as operating or
having a presence in Australia. Their activities have varied from fundraising
and providing material support for terror activities overseas to plotting and
undertaking domestic terrorism. |
