Emergency response actions

To maintain adeqnate site control, the site safety and health snpervi-sor mnst have the anthority to enforce the SSAHP s rnles on any individ-nal present at the site, whether that individnal is an employee or an ontside contractor. If there is more than one SSAHP (i.e., if each contractor develops its own), OSHA considers it essential that the plans he integrated and enforced consistently to ensnre that on-site personnel have a clear nnder-standing of safety and health expectations, lines of anthority, and emergency response actions. 

An emergency response action for handling major chemical spills or incidents requiring immediate action, usually only at the surface of a site (e.g., to avert an explosion, to clean up a hazardous waste spill, or to stabilize a site until a permanent remedy can be found) these action are limited to 12 months or USD 2 million in expenditure, although in certain cases these limits may be extended. 

Timelines do not have to end at the time of the occurrence or incident. Sometimes post occurrence data can be valuable. Often, it is important to understand how the emergency response actions affected the ultimate outcome of the occurrence. This type of data can be used to improve emergency response actions in the future. 

Note. From Emergency Response Action Steps, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2007 from http //www.fema.gov/ plan/ehp/response.shtm. 

Waste shipments are to be managed in accordance with DOT regulations for appropriate state and local emergency response actions.... The CMA facility needs to work in concert with the receiving TSDF and the waste shipper to ensure that there are adequate response capabihties to respond to an emergency in route. 7... 

DOE O 151.lA, Attachment 1, 9 NFPA 471, Chapter 6 NFPA 471, Chapter 8 4.3.1. Ensure immediate mitigative and corrective emergency response actions and appropriate protective actions to minimize the consequences of the emergency, protect worker and public health and safety, provide security, and ensure the continuance of such actions until the emergency is declared terminated. 

Labels on containers of hazardous chemicals provide immediate information about the contents of the container and the hazards associated with the contents. Labels are important for use in determining handling methods and immediate emergency response action. All containers of hazardous chemicals must be appropriately labeled to show the hazards of the contents and other necessary information. The two most common labels are the NFPA and HMIS labels. 

The Incident Commander (IC) is the leader that directs the emergency response actions. Typically, in chemical plants and oil refineries, a shift supervisor acts as the incident commander, but this is not always the case. In emergencies, decisions have to be made quickly, thus the IC should have the full support of management. The IC must... 

Incident Commander (IC)—The leader that directs the emergency response actions. 

Mitigation of severe accidents up to core meltdown accidents in order to restrict offsite emergency response actions (evacuation or relocation of the population) to the nearby plant vicinity for a very limited duration — No food restriction at the site limits for the second harvest following a severe accident. 

Evacuation routes and emergency response/action plans... 

Short-term recovery— A process of recovery that is immediate and overlaps emergency response actions. 

This may be one of the first sections that your instructor has you read in this book. Even before knowing much about chemicals and the wide variety of hazards that they can pose, you may be working in a chemistry lab during the first week of your college chemistry course. Since lab accidents can happen at any time, it is best to learn first some basic emergency response actions. This section of the book gives the first set of basic answers to the question, What do I do if... Most of the information in this section applies to other emergency situations at home or elsewhere, too. 

The optimal emergency response strategy, which describes the expected timing of required emergency response actions and their sequence... 

The emergency response classification system should not be confiised with the lAEA/NEA International Nuclear Event Scale (INES). The INES is designed for communicating the severity or estimated severity of an event to the pubhc and cannot be the basis for emergency response actions. 

Emergency response—actions taken when an emergency occurs in an industrial environment follows a specific set of standards. Drills are carefully planned and include preparations for worst-case scenarios (e.g., vapor releases, chemical spills, explosions, fires, equipment failures, hurricanes, high winds, loss of power, and bomb threats or bombings). 

Capability to survive all postulated accident scenarios, including those caused by natural or human-induced external events, without requiring emergency response actions arising out of unacceptable radiological consequences in the public domain and without compromising the transportability of reactor back to the manufacturers ... 

Emergency response Action to safeguard the health and safety of persons on or near the unit or installation. 

Personnel staffing and headcount levels ( distribution of personnel, levels of supervision, etc.) Evacuation routes and emergency response/action plans... 

Have the required emergency response actions been defined clearly and are they communicated to all personnel at risk, including visitors and contractors ... 

Emergency Response Action Plan (an easily accessible stand-alone section of the overall plan) including the identity of a qualified individual with the authority to implement removal actions ... 

The NRC relays information to an ERA or U.S. Coast Guard On Scene Coordinator (OSC), depending on the location of the incident. After receiving a report, the OSC will evaluate the situation and decide if federal emergency response action is necessary. 

Detailed emergency response procedures, call plans and call trees, and other emergency response actions are included here. Though business continuity is related to emergency management, those business continuity actions and activities that have safety implications are also included here. 

---