Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
community emergency response plan and the development and distribution of
public information and education are discussed.
EMERGENCY PLANNING FOR INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
One of the reasons for having an emergency preparedness plan is that the stress
induced by a crisis severely limits cognitive ability. In plain language, when peo-
ple become frightened or anxious, their ability to process information and make
judgments appropriate to the circumstances is severely degraded. This happens
to everyone to some degree. By planning for emergencies, one can make deci-
sions while in a calm state, unaffected by stress, and outline rational response
activities commensurate with the events that have been defined and prepared for
in advance.
Initially, the emergency planning process focuses on analysis of the situation.
Members of the planning team use analytical skills to approach the problem.
They will, for example, analyze the hazards associated with the facility, assess
the resources currently available to control a potential emergency event, determine
the facility command structure, determine what external resources exist, collect
information on applicable codes and regulations, and analyze existing plans and
assess their validity.
Once this initial work has been completed and relevant material has been col-
lected, emphasis switches toward the preparation of the actual plan document.
This includes allocation of the resources needed to control emergency events,
procedures to raise the alarm and assess the severity of the situation, establish-
ment of a chain of command and emergency response structure and definition of
response strategies to protect people, the environment, and property while miti-
gating an event. These activities lead to synthesis of the previously accumulated
information into a cohesive emergency response organization and structure.
An effective emergency response plan should include the following:
Pre-emergency planning and off-site coordination
•
Identification of roles and responsibilities of assigned personnel
•
Training programs
•
Communication structure
•
Emergency recognition and prevention
•
Identification of safe distances
•
Places of refuge and evacuation routes
•
Decontamination procedures
•
Emergency medical treatment and first-aid training
•
Locations, emergency alerting and response procedures
•
Identification
of
personal
protective
equipment
(PPE),
and
emergency
•
equipment
