As cyclone Alfred edges closer like in many other towns the people of Nambucca are filling sandbags to protect their properties.
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00:00So you might have been hearing and seeing a lot about sandbags recently, and yourself,
00:07you might have even filled a few to put in front of your home or business.
00:11But what you might not know is how to pack them properly and install them.
00:15So we're here at the SES headquarters to show you exactly how you should place them down
00:21and what to do.
00:22And joining me is Jason Jones, who's the unit commander here at the Nambuka headquarters.
00:28Jason, tell me, you're going to show us how we do this, right?
00:32Exactly.
00:33Yeah.
00:34So what do we do?
00:35So with the sandbags, they will come either two thirds full or half full, depending on
00:41how they've been set up in the hopper.
00:43Most of the time, instead of tying them up, we will just fold them over because it's just
00:48as quick to do it.
00:50So the bag will come like that, fold it over.
00:54You'll see on one side, there is a seam.
00:58Where you want to put that seam is up against what you're trying to protect.
01:01So I can demonstrate that on this door here.
01:05So we've got the seam on the side there.
01:07You'd put this on the outside of what you're trying to protect.
01:10So you put the first one down, part up against the door, push it down.
01:16The second bag that you will place will be partially overlapped the first bag.
01:22So again, with the seams in, partially over top of the first bag, like so.
01:30I find it actually easier to push them down with your feet, because you make them then
01:35level with the next bag.
01:37You just continue this process along the length of your door.
01:41So for a standard house door, it's usually three to four bags.
01:46Garage doors, depending on the door itself, can be bigger.
01:51So that is how you would do your first level.
01:53If you need to go higher, it's the same process again.
01:58And so, if people are filling their own bags, how much sand should they be putting in the
02:03bag?
02:04Should they be filling it to the brim, or should they be at least half?
02:07About half to two thirds.
02:09If you go more than three quarters of a bag, they're extremely heavy, hard to manoeuvre,
02:19you end up with a lot more sand than you actually need.
02:21For laying them down like this, it's actually better to have probably a two thirds bag.
02:26They're a lot easier to move, they're a lot easier to squash down.
02:30Okay, so the three key takeaways for people to keep in mind, what would they be?
02:35Number one?
02:36Number one is to two thirds fill the bag.
02:39Number two?
02:40Number two would be to place the seams hard up against what you're trying to protect.
02:44And number three?
02:45And number three, as you lay them down, lay them down as flat as possible.
02:49Do probably about a 10 centimetre overlay on each one, and the easiest way to do it
02:54is once you put the second one on top, is to stand on it.
02:57That's great.
02:58Because it doesn't matter how heavy you are, you only need enough weight just to push it
03:02down so it's flat with the one that you've just covered.
03:05And there's no gaps.
03:06Well, you heard it here first, that's how you lay down a sandbag, and that's how you
03:10pack a sandbag.
03:11Stay safe.