11.3 Risk vs Gain
Purpose
To outline the process for assessing risk versus gain during search and rescue (SAR) operations involving SLS personnel, services, and resources.
Overview
SAR operations are often time critical and may require urgent action to locate, support, rescue, or recover persons in distress.
SLS personnel have a responsibility to take reasonable action to save life where they are trained, equipped, authorised, and able to do so safely.
However, SAR activity must not expose SLS personnel to unacceptable risk where the likely gain does not justify the risk, or where the task exceeds SLS capability.
Risk versus gain assessment must be applied throughout all SAR stages and should be continuously reviewed as conditions, information, tasking, capability, survivability, or operational objectives change.
SAR responsibilities and Control Agency arrangements are outlined in SOP 11.1 – SAR Responsibilities.
SAR activity must also be undertaken in accordance with:
- Directions from the Control Agency,
- The National Search and Rescue Manual,
- The South Australian State Emergency Management Plan,
- SLS command, control and coordination arrangements,
- Standard Operating Procedures,
- Approved training and operational capability, and
- Applicable legislation, policy, and agency direction.
Definitions
Risk versus gain means assessing the potential benefit of an action against the risk to personnel, the public, patients, and supporting services.
Gain may include the likelihood of saving life, preventing serious injury, locating a missing person, providing emergency care, supporting the Control Agency, protecting responders, or preserving important operational information.
Risk may include hazards to SLS personnel, the public, patients, vessels, aircraft, vehicles, equipment, and supporting agencies.
Risk tolerance means the level of risk that may be accepted for a task after considering the likely benefit, urgency, survivability, available controls, and capability of the personnel and resources involved.
Unacceptable risk means a level of risk that exceeds the likely operational benefit, cannot be reasonably controlled, or is beyond the training, equipment, capability, or approved arrangements of the personnel or service involved.
Search Team means a person, team, vessel, aircraft, vehicle, or other resource tasked to undertake SAR activity.
Procedure
General Principle
SLS personnel and equipment must not be placed at unacceptable risk.
SAR activity should only be undertaken where:
- Lives are known or reasonably believed to be at stake,
- There is a realistic prospect of achieving the intended outcome,
- The task is within SLS capability,
- Personnel are appropriately trained and equipped,
- Suitable resources are available,
- Communications and coordination arrangements are in place,
- The risk can be reduced to an acceptable level, and
- The task is consistent with Control Agency direction and SLSSA procedures.
Where the likely gain is low and the risk to personnel is high, the task must be reconsidered, modified, delayed, escalated, or declined.
Risk Tolerance
Risk tolerance may vary depending on the nature of the task and the likely gain.
A higher level of risk may be considered where there is a realistic prospect of saving life and the task can be performed within training, equipment, capability, and approved arrangements.
A lower level of risk should apply where:
- The likelihood of survival is low,
- The task is primarily recovery or evidence preservation,
- The task is not time critical,
- Specialist capability is required,
- Environmental conditions are deteriorating,
- Communications or support arrangements are inadequate,
- Personnel are fatigued or distressed, or
- The task would exceed approved SLS capability.
Risk tolerance does not permit SLS personnel to undertake tasks outside their training, equipment, capability, or approved operational arrangements.
Where there is uncertainty about the acceptable level of risk, the matter must be escalated through the SOC, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, Lifesaving Department, or Control Agency, as appropriate.
Continuous Assessment
Risk versus gain is not a one-off decision.
Operational leaders must reassess risk throughout the SAR operation, particularly when:
- Conditions change,
- Visibility reduces,
- Information changes,
- Personnel become fatigued,
- Communications degrade,
- Equipment fails,
- The task changes,
- Additional resources arrive,
- The likelihood of survivability changes,
- The operation moves from rescue to recovery,
- The Control Agency changes tasking, or
- Personnel identify new hazards.
Where the risk profile changes, SLS personnel must communicate this to the SOC and relevant SLS command role as soon as reasonably practicable.
Decision-Making Considerations
When assessing risk versus gain, operational leaders should consider:
- What outcome is being sought,
- Whether the task is search, rescue, emergency care, recovery, support, observation, or information gathering,
- Whether a person is known or reasonably believed to be in distress,
- The likelihood of a successful rescue,
- The likely survivability of the person in distress,
- The time since last known position,
- The accuracy of available information,
- The environmental conditions,
- The capability and limitations of available SLS resources,
- Whether specialist resources are required,
- Whether the task is authorised by the Control Agency,
- Whether SLS personnel can safely enter, operate in, and exit the area,
- Whether communications can be maintained,
- Whether backup or contingency support is available,
- Whether public safety can be maintained, and
- Whether the risk can be reduced by changing the task, method, timing, or resources.
Environmental Risk Factors
Environmental risk factors may include:
- Surf size and power,
- Rip currents,
- Sweep,
- Tides,
- Wind,
- Swell,
- Current,
- Weather,
- Lightning,
- Reduced visibility,
- Darkness,
- Cold exposure,
- Heat exposure,
- Marine creatures,
- Floodwater,
- Pollution or contamination,
- Rocks, reefs, cliffs, or unstable terrain,
- Vessel traffic,
- Debris,
- Fire, smoke, or hazardous materials, and
- Access or egress limitations.
Where environmental conditions exceed SLS capability, SLS personnel must not continue the task unless risk controls are implemented and the task remains within approved arrangements.
Personnel and Capability Factors
Personnel and capability factors may include:
- Qualifications,
- Currency and proficiency,
- Experience,
- Fatigue,
- Physical readiness,
- Psychological readiness,
- Team size,
- Supervision,
- Available equipment,
- Vessel or aircraft capability,
- PPE,
- Communications,
- Local knowledge,
- Time of day,
- Duration of task,
- Backup arrangements, and
- Ability to withdraw safely.
Personnel must not be directed to undertake tasks outside their training, equipment, capability, or approved operational arrangements.
Personnel may raise safety concerns at any time.
Risk Controls
Risk controls may include:
- Delaying or modifying the task,
- Reducing the search area,
- Changing the search method,
- Using a different resource,
- Waiting for specialist resources,
- Deploying additional personnel,
- Establishing a buddy system,
- Improving communications,
- Using PPE,
- Establishing exclusion zones,
- Using land-based observation instead of water-based search,
- Using CSCN or aerial surveillance where available and approved,
- Rotating crews,
- Limiting exposure time,
- Operating from a safer location,
- Confirming tasking with the Control Agency,
- Escalating to the SOC, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, Lifesaving Department, or Control Agency, and
- Standing down or withdrawing where risk remains unacceptable.
Task Acceptance
Before accepting a SAR task, the responsible SLS command role should confirm:
- Who is requesting the task,
- Whether the task is authorised by the Control Agency,
- The objective of the task,
- The location or search area,
- The expected duration,
- The required resources,
- The available communications method,
- Known hazards,
- Required PPE or equipment,
- Any limitations on SLS capability,
- The reporting pathway, and
- The withdrawal or emergency plan.
Where tasking is unclear, the responsible SLS command role should seek clarification before commencing the task, unless immediate action is required to save life and can be undertaken safely.
Approval and Escalation
Some SAR tasks may require escalation or approval before SLS personnel commence or continue the task.
Escalation or approval may be required where:
- The task is outside normal patrol activity,
- The task involves significant risk,
- The task may exceed approved SLS capability,
- The task involves reduced visibility or night operations,
- The task involves aircraft, underwater search, floodwater, fire, contamination, or other specialist risk,
- Additional SLS resources are required,
- There is disagreement about risk,
- The task may result in significant operational, reputational, legal, media, or welfare implications, or
- The task requires direction beyond the authority of the person currently managing the response.
Escalation should occur through the SOC, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, Lifesaving Department, or Control Agency, depending on the incident, urgency, and command arrangements.
Where time allows, approval should be confirmed before the task commences. Where immediate action is required to save life and can be undertaken safely, action may commence while escalation occurs.
Declining, Modifying or Withdrawing from a Task
SLS personnel or services may decline, modify, pause, or withdraw from a SAR task where:
- Conditions are unsafe,
- The task exceeds SLS capability,
- Personnel are not appropriately trained or equipped,
- Communications cannot be maintained,
- Equipment is unsuitable or unserviceable,
- Fatigue creates unacceptable risk,
- The task is unclear,
- The task is inconsistent with SLSSA procedures,
- The risk cannot be reduced to an acceptable level, or
- The likely gain no longer justifies the risk.
Where a task is declined, modified, paused, or withdrawn, the reason must be communicated to the SOC and, where relevant, the Control Agency.
The decision and reason should be recorded in the incident log.
Rescue, Recovery and Evidence Considerations
Risk versus gain may change significantly when an incident moves from rescue to recovery.
Where there is a reasonable prospect of saving life, SLS personnel may take appropriate rescue action within their training, equipment, capability, and approved arrangements.
Where the incident involves body recovery, evidence recovery, underwater search, or other specialist activity, SLS personnel must not undertake tasks outside approved capability.
Where police or another Control Agency has identified evidence or scene preservation requirements, SLS personnel must follow agency direction and avoid disturbing the scene unless required to save life or prevent further harm.
Escalation Triggers
Risk versus gain concerns must be escalated where:
- A task appears unsafe,
- A task exceeds SLS capability,
- There is disagreement about risk,
- Conditions deteriorate,
- The task requires specialist resources,
- Personnel are fatigued or distressed,
- A rescue may become a recovery,
- The task involves reduced visibility, night operations, aircraft, underwater search, floodwater, fire, contamination, or other specialist risk, or
- Approval is required from a more senior operational role.
Escalation may be through the Patrol Captain, Senior Lifeguard, Duty Officer, State Duty Officer, SOC, Lifesaving Department, or Control Agency, depending on the incident and operational arrangements.
Documentation
Risk versus gain decisions should be recorded where practicable.
Records may include:
- Identified hazards,
- Risk controls implemented,
- Tasking received,
- Task acceptance or refusal,
- Task modifications,
- Safety concerns raised,
- Decisions to pause or withdraw,
- Personnel or equipment limitations,
- Changes in conditions,
- Communications with the SOC or Control Agency, and
- Follow-up actions.
Documentation should be provided to the SOC for inclusion in the incident log.
Where a SAR operation involves a specific hazard, task, or process covered by another SOP, that SOP must be applied.
Examples include:
- Command, control and coordination,
- Lost or missing persons,
- Body recovery,
- Reduced visibility operations,
- SAR stages,
- SAR information factors,
- SAR briefings,
- Search patterns,
- Underwater search and rescue,
- Transfer of command,
- Conclusion of SAR operations,
- SOC coordination,
- SERS tasking,
- RPAS operations,
- Critical incidents,
- Operational debriefing, and
- Member welfare and critical incident support.
References