Public, immediate actions

A material that has a high toxicity does not necessarily present a severe toxic hazard. For example, a ton of lead arsenate spilled in a busy street is unhkely to poison members of the public just a short distance from the spiU, because it is not mobile. It could be carefully recovered and removed and would present a low risk to the gener pubhc, even though it is extremely toxic. On the other hand, a ton of liquefied chlorine spilled on the same street could become about 11,000 fF of pure gas. The IDLH for chlorine is 25 ppm. This is a concentration such that immediate action is required. Thus, the one ton of chlorine, if mixed uniformly with air, could create a cloud of considerable concern, having a volume of about 4.4 X 10 fF or a sphere 770 ft in diameter. This could quickly spread over downwind areas and... 

The chairman of the committee also has the responsibility and authority to assure that, where Dow products are involved, immediate action is taken anywhere in the world when necessary to protect employees, customers, the public, and the environment. 

Untitled and warning letters provide 10 to 15 days for the company to respond and present a plan of action. Companies may appeal the FDA s finding and discuss the appropriateness of the remedial action, but the FDA always retains the authority to seek more stringent action such as a consent decree. Warning letters are made public immediately upon issuance by the FDA, and thus become a potential source of negative publicity. Untitled letters also are publicly available. 

Any report indicating that schools are failing in certain areas will require immediate action. If this action is not forthcoming, then the Health and Safety Executive may be alerted. As OFSTED reports are public documents, any serious breach of statutory requirements may, in due course, lead to an increase in litigation. 

Risk Ranking 1 Hazard or accident scenario poses a high risk to the public, collocated workers, workers, or the environment. Immediate actions should be taken by the facility manager to reduce the potential consequences or likelihood of these events. Risk Ranking 1 events are analyzed quantitatively in the accident analysis. 

This is a formal document generated as a contractual document by the agencies, or it could be utilized in the organization to draw the attention of senior executives towards the emerging risk for immediate actions. There is no unique format for risk register and also it varies with organizations and basic intention for the analysis. Standard formats are available in public domain. However, as shown in Fig. 1/3.2.1-1, it shall include the information discussed as follows as basic requirements. Inclusion of risk matrix, or risk level is a choice—as applicable for the project. Some use risk levels with subdivisions for yearly or quarterly periods to show how risk levels are changing after each review. 

An understanding is necessary of the actions to be taken immediately by the supervisor responsible, and other management personnel, after knowledge is received that an incident has occurred. First priority is to properly care for the safety of employees and members of the public. In outlining immediate actions that supervisors and others are to take, consideration would be given to including these points as applicable. 

The plume exposure Emergency Planning Zone is that area requiring possible immediate action to reduce risk to the public in the event of an accident. It is an area approximately 10 miles in radius around the power plant. This size is based primarily on the following considerations. 

As we have already seen in Figure 8.2, the four major traffic safety policy changes in Victoria between 1970 and 2001 followed an apparent spike in deaths, each painted by the media as a crisis. Each spike was relative to the total to the same point in the prior year. Unfortunately, in a crisis that is of short duration, the public demand is for immediate action, not for long-term systemic changes. The lesson for traffic safety professionals, however, is to have available one or more measures of known effectiveness but previous unacceptability to be promoted to government when a crisis—real or apparent—provides the opportunity. A media-reported crisis is an excellent indicator of a problem on the cusp of acceptance. 

Review available site information to determine if there have been complaints off-site (due to vapors, gas, dust, etc.). Reports for these problems are not likely available for most abandoned sites. Review r ulatory site inspection reports. If airborne emissions are known to be impacting neighboring properties and possibly endangering the public, some immediate action (including characterization of emissions) should be initiated to curtail hazardous emissions or otherwise reduce or eliminate exposure. 

When the real problems with benoxaprofen emerged, however, they were more serious It was apparently killing elderly patients with hepatic disorders, inducing massive photosensitivity, and causing oncholysis (separation of the nail plate from the bed) in about 15% of patients. It seems probable that at least 70 elderly patients died, and many more people suf-fered. ° Shortly after its well-publicized entry into the U.S. market, the manufacturer of benoxaprofen voluntarily withdrew its product as it caused fatal cholestatic hepatitis. " This action immediately followed news of suspension of the license to sell benoxaprofen in the United Kingdom. ... 

If a recommendation asks for a change in the process, the action must undergo a formal process hazard analysis (PHA) study, such as a HAZOP or other methodology, before implementation. This systematic and formal approach identifies and evaluates hazards associated with the proposed revisions. The study may uncover failure scenarios, adverse consequences, and obscure relationships that are not immediately apparent. The CCPS publication Hazard Evaluation Procedures i is an excellent guide to selection and proper application of PHA methodologies. 

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