Student Handout

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
Larry C. Alzaga OSHP Engr. Elmer P. Veluz OSHC

What are the potential losses in an emergency?

- Personal Injury or Death
- Property Damage
- Environmental Damage
- Business Losses

What is the best way to minimize potential losses?

- Advanced planning for emergencies

Who is ultimately responsible for emergency planning?

- The highest levels of management who know the facility’s resources, operations
and capabilities.

What then is the part of the Safety Professional in emergency planning?

- Act as the consultant
- Guide line management through the process of identifying potential emergency
events
- Develop primary and alternative plans of emergency response

First Concerns in emergency planning

a. Safety of employees and the public
b. Short-term and long-term needs
c. Methods of protecting operations, property and environment
d. Restore business to normal operations

Emergency Plans involve organization and training on:

1. Evacuation
2. Firefighting
3. Rescue
4. Spill Response
5. First Aid

Basic Elements of an Emergency Plan

 Command Functions
 Communications and alarm / detection
 Emergency Staff Personnel
 Procedures that deal with:
1. Environmental conditions
2. Hazard control
3. Evacuation
 4. Power Interruption

Common types of emergency plans used in industry

- Action guides or Checklists
- Response Plan
- Emergency Management Plan
- Mutual Aid Plans

Developing an Emergency Plan

1. Identify and evaluate potential disasters.
2. Assess the potential harm to people, property and environment
3. Estimate the needed warning time to mobilize the plan
4. Determine what changes must be made in company operations
5. Consider power supplies and utilities needed to handle the emergency.

An Emergency Plan must clearly state:

1. Who does what, where and when
2. “How” - before, during and after the disaster

Types of emergencies
1. Fires and Explosion
2. Natural Calamities
a. Flood
b. Hurricane and Tornadoes
c. Earthquake
d. Typhoon
3. Man-made Disasters
a. Civil Strife
b. Sabotage
4. Work Accidents and Rumors
5. Shut-downs
6. Wartime Emergencies
7. Hazardous Materials
8. Radioactive Materials
9. Weather-Related Emergencies

Plan of Action Considerations

- Program considerations;
- Establishing a chain of command
- Training
- Hazardous Waste / Spills Emergencies
- Shut-downs and evacuation procedures
- Command Headquarters
- Auxiliary Power Systems
- Emergency Equipment
- Alarm System
 - Fire Brigade
- Facility Protection and Security
- Emergency Medical Services
- Warden Services and Evacuation
- Transportation
- Communications

Justification

- Weight the cost of preparedness against the possibility of yearly losses from fires,
floods and other emergencies.

Outline of an Emergency Manual / Handbook

1. Company policy, purpose, authority, principal control measures and emergency
organizational chart showing positions and functions.
2. Description of expected disasters with a risk statement.
3. Map of the plant, office or store showing equipment, medical and first aid, fire
control apparatus, shelter, command center, evacuation routes and assembly
areas.
4. List of cooperating agencies and how to reach them.
5. Plant warning signs.
6. Central command center, including home contacts of employees.
7. Shut-down procedures, including security protection
8. How to handle visitors and customers
9. Locally related and necessary item.
10. List of requirements and resources and where they can be reached.

Responsibility of the Director of Emergency Management

- Emergency operation center management
- Communications
- Fire-fighting
- Security and law enforcement
- Rescue operations
- Transportation
- Emergency medical services
- Damage assessment
- Mitigation and investigation
- Public information and media briefing
- Rumor control
- On-the-scene safety functions at the emergency site
- Warning and evacuation of plant and community personnel
- Utilities and engineering functions
- Sheltering, feeding and counseling functions
- Morgue establishment and notification of survivors
HAZMAT Teams
- Consists of an organized group of employees, designed by the employer, who are
expected to perform work to handle and control actual or potential leaks, or spills
of hazardous substances requiring possible close approach to the substance.

Sample Emergency Exit Notices for general posting

IN CASE OF FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY:

- KEEP YOUR HEAD –avoid panic and confusion
- KNOW THE LOCATION OF EXITS – be sure to know the safest way out of the
building no matter where you are.
- KNOW THE LOCATION OF NEARBY FIRE EXTINGUISHERS – learn the
proper way to use all types of fire extinguishers
- KNOW HOW TO REPORT A FIRE OR OTHER EMERGENCY – send in the
alarm without delay, notify the CHIEF OF EXIT DRILLS.
- FOLLOW EXIT INSTRUCTIONS – stay at your workplace until signaled or
instructed to leave; complete all emergency duties assigned to you and be ready to
march out rapidly according to plan.
- WALK TO YOUR ASSIGNED EXIT –maintain order and quiet; take each drill
seriously – it may be the “real thing”
- REMEMBER – IT IS PART OF YOUR JOB TO PREVENT FIRES.

Basic Guidelines to Follow in Establishing the Chain of Command

1. Keep the chain as small as practical.
2. Appoint personnel to crisis management positions based not on their title but on
their ability to respond to situations under extreme stress.

Essential considerations in preparing an Emergency Preparedness Program

1. Company Safety Policy
2. Assessment of present hazards and possible emergency situations from company
operations, materials, processes and activities. These include fire, natural
calamities, security threat, hazardous materials, environmental damage,
biological contamination, earthquakes, etc.
3. Assessment of resources needed for each emergency. This includes facilities,
materials, transport, communications, medical and handling equipment
4. Assessment of personnel qualifications to be posted to emergency response
positions
5. Assessment of available government or other organizational support.
6. Assessment of personnel training needs and drills
7. Assessment of required personal protective equipment for each emergency
8. Establish overall Emergency Control Organization and specific Emergency
Response Teams.
9. Establish communications procedures
10. Establish emergency action procedures
11. Establish evacuation, rescue and medical procedures
12. Establish coordination / support protocol with government or other organizations