The Need for Emergency Response Planning

Emergencies have occurred in tlie past mid will continue to occur in tlie future. A few of the iiimiy common sense rciisons to plan ahead are provided below.  

Emergencies will happen it is only a question of time 

When emergencies occur, the minimization of loss and tlie protection of people, property, and tlie environment can be achieved tlirough Uie proper implementation of an appropriate emergency response plan 

Minimizing tlie losses aiused by an emergency requires planned procedures, understood responsibility, designated autliority, accepted accountability, and trained, experienced people. With a fiilly implemented plan, tliese goals can be acliicved 

If an emergency occurs, it may be loo late to plan. Lack of preplanning can turn an emergency into a disaster 

An emergency plan cmi minimize loss by helping to assure the proper responses. Accidents become crises when subsequent events, and the actions 

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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. 

With the distribution of federal dollars to promote preparedness activities, health departments have purchased and stockpiled personal protective equipment (PPE) for their team members. The ability to quickly locate and properly use the PPE necessary to protect staff when needed is just as important as having access to the department s emergency response plan. For optimum protection, fit testing should be conducted on a regular basis. The nurse must be included in all demonstrations of proper use of personal protective equipment to assure her ability to use more complex apparatus. (See chapter 26 for further discussion.)... 

In the planning stage, the following should be prepared a list of medical facilities at the local, regional, and national levels, a list of specialized medical facilities in other countries, a list of medical and support staff with telephone numbers and addresses in each respective location, a list of specialized medical centers for treating patients with radiation-induced skin lesions or immunosuppression, a list of equipment and supplies needed for emergency response, and agreements with ambulance transport services. 

Before we discuss the basic goals of an effective emergency response plan from an OSHA compliance point of view, we should define emergency response. Considering that individual facilities are different, with different dangers and different needs, defining emergency response is not always easy. However, for our purposes, we use the definition provided by CoVan (1995, 54) ... 

Other means of evaluating the toxic effects of vapors, and their potential impact on exposed people, can be found in the Emergency Response Planning Guidelines for Air Contaminants (ERPGs), issued by the American Industrial Hygiene Association (1992). The documents define values of exposure to toxic vapors needed to produce specific health effects. Three levels of vapor concentration are defined ... 

Recommendation 6-4. The PMACWA should prepare a prototypical emergency response plan for hydrolysate slupment, including the possibility of a fire or the occurrence of natural disasters such as floods. Tliis plan would be the starting point for setting contractual requirements for the TSDF and the shipper. The prototype plan needs to be completed to facilitate discussions with the public and regulators about the hydrolysate offsite shipment alternative. 

In preparing emergency response plans for petroleum liquid spills or fires, it should be taken into consideration that the required water rates could be needed for long periods of time. Provisions for an uninterrupted supply at a suitable volume must be built into the plans. The rates stipulated in the foregoing do not include amounts... 

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