Emergency response plans

Pre-emergency planning and coordination with outside parties Personnel roles, lines of authority, training, and communication Emergency recognition and prevention Safe distances and places of refuge Site security and control Evacuation routes and procedures 

Decontamination procedures not covered by the site safety and health plan 

Emergency medical treatment and first aid Emergency alerting and response procedures Critique of response and follow-up 

Emergency response plans must also include site topography, layout, and prevailing weather conditions as well as procedures for reporting incidents. Training requirements for responding personnel are extensive. For liability and expense reasons many companies choose to simply depend on outside agencies for response help. 

Employers deciding not to implement an emergency response team under this regulation should contact local authorities to learn of their options and know exactly what to do before the incident occurs. 

An OSHA emergency response plan (ERP) is a written plan to prepare for and handle anticipated emergencies prior to the emergency. If employees are expected to respond to spills or releases requiring an emergency response, OSHA requires the development of an ERP that contains required elements as outlined in 29 CFR 1910.120 (q)(2) and (l)(3)(iv). The following are the minimum type of procedures  

Site security and control Evacuation routes and procedures Decontamination 

Personnel actually working to contain or control the release are the first responder operations level (previously discussed), the hazardous materials technician level, and the hazardous materials specialist. 

Hazardous materials technicians are individuals who respond to releases or potential releases for the purpose of stopping the release. They assume a more aggressive role than the first responder. Many operators on processing units may have dual roles of first responder operations and hazardous materials technician. Hazardous materials technicians receive more training than first responder operations. 

Hazardous materials specialists are individuals who respond with and provide support to hazardous materials technicians. Their duties parallel the technician s however, their duties require a more specific knowledge of the chemicals they may be called upon to contain. They often act as the site liaison with local, state, or federal authorities in regard to the emergency. 

To support the IC, there are several onsite teams given specific tasks. Examples are a communication team, medical assist team, decontamination team, a team to report to regulatory agencies, a team to monitor onsite and offsite exposures, rescue team, and other teams as necessary. Each team should have a point person who is responsible for coordinating the activities of the team. 

Some plants rely on outside teams (contractors) to supply specialized functions such as rescue and shelter. Obviously, the time to arrange for outside contractors is before an emergency occurs. In selecting the offsite services, site mangers consider numerous factors, including the location of the offsite service (the company should be in close proximity of the plant), traffic on the highways, backup facilities, their insurance, and references from other plants in the area. 

Many possible incidents may affect the enterprise, both from within the boundaries of the organization and from without. Some of these incidents may be natnral, such as severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, floods, and severe winter weather. Many others may be manmade such as flammables, toxins, reactive gases, fire, power failure, explosion, bomb threat, and hazardous materials accidents. 

To be properly prepared to handle such conceivable incidents and to keep them in the realm of emergency rather than disaster, a Site Emergency Response Plan (SERP) with the following nine elements is recommended  

A list of emergency numbers for company team members, fire departments, medical and rescue services, and police. 

The first part of the SERP should be a list of emergency phone numbers for fire departments, medical and rescue services, police, and company team members. The list should be short in order to speed response and reduce confusion, but complete enough to ensure proper response. For relevant company personnel, home, work, or cellular telephone numbers should be listed. The situation will dictate which personnel will need to be called and which organizations will need to be contacted. Additional resources may be readily available. They include local and county emergency management officials, healthcare officials, media contacts, and national groups that provide assistance and response to emergencies and disasters. 

Site evacuation routes and procedures, both primary and secondary. 

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Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH). Not estabUshed foi acryhc acid value shown is the emergency response-planning guide-3 (ERPG-3) for exposure up to one hour without life-threatening effects. 

Install depressurizing system Install emergency relief device Develop emergency response plan... 

Are there appropriate planning, training, drills, and equipment for response to emergencies If yes, ask to review the emergency response plan and training records. Be aware that for some facilities, an acceptable plan is to evacuate and call the fire department. 

Emergency response plan procedures may need to be evaluated against new material hazards introduced by the toll. This is primarily a concern when the toller is handling a feedstock or product that introduces hazards that may not have been present previously at that facility. Most emergency response plan procedures are written at a high enough level of detail that they will be unaffected, but it is necessaiy to evaluate the plan s adequacy. 

Other information may also benefit the PHA. Standard operating procedures for processing equipment, safe work practices, maintenance or job safety analyses, emergency response plans could be appropriate review items for some PHAs depending upon the toll. 

Tollers may have an emergency response plan that requires their personnel to respond in an emergency such as a fire, explosion or release. Other tollers may call upon local responders and evacuate. It is essential that training for responders on the emergency response plan procedures should be up-to-date prior to startup of the new toll. For companies in the U.S. that are required to register... 

Emergency response plan new or modified unit included in the facility plan, maps and emergency plan procedures updated, training performed... 

Standard operating procedures, maintenance procedures, emergency response plan procedures, administrative procedures, safe work practices... 

Job Specific Job-specific topics include training on new or revised operating, safety and maintenance procedures related to the toll. It could include emergency response plan training or laboratory technician training as well if those procedures were changed. 

Emergency response plan A written plan which addresses actions to take in case of plant fire, explosion or accidental chemical release. 

The results indicate that 2000 people will be exposed to a concentration of ammonia greater than the emergency response planning guideline concentration (e.g., ERPG-2). 

The first part of this section is an edited version of Appendix K of the Technical Guidance for Hazards Analysis. This appendix is entitled "Evaluation Guide for Available Computer Applications Addressing Emergency Response Planning". (EPA document)... 

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE FOR HAZARDS ANALYSIS EVALUATION GUIDE FOR AVAILABLE COMPUTER APPLICATIONS ADDRESSING EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING... 

Section 5. Emergency Response Planning (assembling hazards, vulnerability analysis, and risk analysis information). 

SUGGESTED PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATING EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANNING SOFTWARE... 

Select the criteria on the checklist that most closely represent the local district s needs and priorities for emergency response planning. It is not expected that all criteria listed will apply. 

Prompts for information to update emergency response plans ... 

Emergency Response Planning Information (e.g., hazardous materials and facilities locations, characteristics, training) ... 

The community HAZMAT emergency response plan can be a valuable source of information in developing site-specific emergency response plans and emergency action plans as required by HAZWOPER. 

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