Evacuation Assembly Areas

Evacuation assembly areas used as part of the emergency evacuation plan should be clearly demarcated. Notices indicating their locations are used in conjunction with demarcation where practicable. 

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Site evacuation routes and other alternative routes should be made available for reaching any site of emergency from inside and outside. Personnel accounting, procedure, assembly areas, safety zones, and exits should be known to everyone. 

Emergency Evacuation Training Preparing for the Future First responder, pre-planning, notification systems, exit routes, assembly areas, all-clear signals, and lines of authority. 

Some emergencies, like a fire, explosion, or even toxic cloud, may cut off people from their assembly areas. Therefore, routes of evacuation and alternate routes should be clearly understood by all site personnel and visitors. All persons entering the site should be given a thorough explanation of the routes and alternate means of exit. The alternate and primary route should lead in different directions from each other. 

The Station Administrative Officer will have coordinated the results of the station personnel roll call from the nominated assembly areas and any missing personnel should have been identified and their normal place of duty ascertained. Evacuation of non-essential personnel is then arranged via safe routes to rest centres. 

Accident response for HCF activities is addressed In the TA-V Emergency Plan. In the event of an accident, all personnel evacuate to the Emergency Assembly Point, the Emergency Control Room, or the Emergency Response Team assembly area, depending on their assignments. 

A designated gathering point defined in facility evacnation procedures. Normally located so that individuals would not be affected by incidents occurring at the evacuation location and also so that emergency responders have immediate access to the incident location without impact from evacuees. Figure A.5 provides and an example of an Assembly Area identification sign. See also Evacnation. 

Following an evacuation, my assembly area/head count location is ... 

In req )onse to the sounding of the evacuation alarm, personnel have been instructed and trained to evacuate the area immediately, without running, through the nearest exit and proceed to the primary evacuation assembly stations located safe distances outside the buUding. 

Accounting for all employees following an evacuation is critical. Confusion in the assembly areas can lead to delays in rescuing anyone trapped in the building, or unnecessary and dangerous search-and -rescue operations. 

Designate assembly areas where employees should gather after evacuating ... 

Evacuation Immediate faculty evacuation should be considered a prime safeguard for all personnel from an incident. Exit routes and areas of safe refuge or assembly areas should be identified. AH onsite personnel should be fully trained and where required, certified for such an eventuality (e.g., offshore evacuation mechanisms). 

Evacuation procedures should identify both primary and secondary evacuation routes for all hazardous locations, personnel accounting procedures, assembly areas, internal member responsibilities, requirements recommended by local policy, MSDSs, code directives, and manufacturer standards. In addition to the area overview, a specific plan should be outlined for each hazardous location. This will ensure that response is not hindered by irrelevant information. Not only should there be emergency evacuation routes for the facility, but evacuation routes from the facility to other locations in the community are a must, should the need arise to vacate the area in an orderly and efficient manner. 

Warn occupants of nearby and adjoining areas that an emergency exists and that there may be a potential hazard. If evacuation is necessary, give the alarm to notify building occupants. Establish an outside assembly area where evacuated personnel can gather, in order that all building personnel can be accounted for. 

Key aspects of the facility emergency action plan (or other emergency plan), at minimum covering the facility s major hazards, emergency alarm system, evacuation routes, and assembly areas. 

Personnel protection procedures including evacuation, assembly and accountability of the reactor protective and limited areas. 

The staff reviewed the RAEP and its implementing procedures, which address sheltering, evacuation, assembly, and Protected Area accountability. The staff noted that Protected Area personnel accountability, in the event that crash gates are used and/or the key card reader system fails, is not addressed even though the use of crash gates is specifically addressed in the RAEP. 

The staff notes that on May 31, 1990, WSRC instituted a General Employee Training (GET) Program for the reactor area. The 8-hour course provides information on personnel evacuation, assembly, and accountability for the reactor areas. All reactor area employees are required to attend GET and obtain proof of successful completion of the training (i.e., sign-off by the instructor). If they fail the course, reactor area employees are not permitted unescorted access to the protected area. The staff noted that the GET course lesson module, while satisfactory, lacks information on how personnel accountability will be handled. 

Assembly areas and accountability. Obtaining an accurate account of employees after a site evacuation requires planning and practice. To ensure the fastest, most accurate accountability of your employees, you may want to consider including these steps in your emergency action plan ... 

The nominal test period must be twice the maximum expected time period under normal circumstances for a vehicle to stop completely and safely from its maximum operating speed, plus the time necessary to evacuate all the vehicle s occupants to a safe area. The nominal test period must not be less than 15 min. Only one specimen need be tested. A proportional reduction may be made in the dimensions of the specimen, provided it serves to truly test the ability of the structural flooring assembly to perform as a barrier against under-vehicle fires. 

If TA-V site evacuation is required, personnel are instructed to leave TA-V (on foot) through the perimeter gate. Personnel then can either use personal vehicles, which are parked outside TA-V, or if time permits, the SNIVNM transportation group will provide buses outside TA-V for the transport of personnel. In any event, a member of the SNL/NM Security Forces will escort vehicles from the area. Everyone must proceed to the designated assembly point to accomplish accountability checks and debriefings. 

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