EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND

RESPONSE PLAN

of

(Name of Establishment)

Prepared by:

Name of Pollution Control Officer

Pollution Control Officer

Approved by:

Name of Managing Head

Designation

_____________________
Date of Approval
 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Plan is prepared as part of the
Polychlorinated Biphenyl (PCB) Management Plan of (Name of Establishment) and
contains the following basic elements:

 Policy and scope

 EPR team organizational structure
 Potential emergencies involving PCBs
 Pre-emergency activities
 PCB incident notification
 Overall site control and PCB cleanup strategies
 PCB incident follow-up
 Training requirements
 Medical surveillance

2.0 POLICY AND SCOPE

This EPR Plan has been developed to minimize the severity of damage to human
health and the environment in the event of an unexpected PCB release. This Plan
shall also be applicable to any confirmed fire, suspected contamination, and
serious injuries and/or death as a result of a PCB-related incident.

3.0 EPR TEAM ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Figure 1 illustrates the organizational structure of the EPR Team of (Name of

Establishment) for PCB-related incidents.

Figure 1. EPR Team Organizational Structure

insert EPR Team Organizational Structure

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
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3.1 ON-SCENE COMMANDER

The Managing Head1 shall be the On-Scene Commander. In his/her absence, the
Safety Officer (SO) or Pollution Control Officer (PCO)2 shall assume his/her
responsibilities. Duties of the On-Scene Commander may include:

 Activating the EPR Plan for PCBs and PCB EPR Team
 Identifying hazards and risks involved in an emergency response situation
 Activating internal facility alarms or communication systems to notify all
applicable personnel
 Establishing a staging area for equipment, resources, and personnel
 Setting up an initial perimeter for security and entrance
 Notifying, if needed, the Police Department, Fire Department, and any
applicable City organizations
 Assuming overall authority for managing the emergency unless higher
command arrives (e.g., Fire Department)
 Performing emergency response termination procedures
 Conducting emergency response critique and arranging follow-up procedures

3.2 PCB TECHNICIANS/RESPONDERS

The PCB Technicians/Responders shall perform all duties assigned by the On-
Scene Commander consistent with their training. Duties of the PCB
Technicians/Responders may include:

 Implementing the EPR Plan for PCBs

 Selecting and using monitoring equipment
 Selecting and using specialized personal protective equipment (PPE)
 Performing advanced PCB control, containment, and/or confinement
operations
 Implementing decontamination procedures
 Participating in hazard identification and risk assessment of the site and
termination procedures
 Participating in the development of site safety and control plan

1Identify who will be the On-Scene Commander based on the PCB Owner's structure
2Depending on the organization, this can be a different position

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
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3.2.1 Emergency Medical Team/First Aider

The Emergency Medical Team/First Aider shall be responsible for providing

immediate medical attention to any worker affected by the incident. The
Emergency Medical Team/First Aider shall immediately bring the persons injured
to the (name of the clinic/hospital).

3.2.2 Safety Officer

The SO advises the On-Scene Commander on all aspects of health and safety, and
recommends work stoppage if any operation threatens worker or public health or
safety. Duties of the SO may include:

 Conducting periodic inspections to ensure safety

 Monitoring on-site hazards and conditions
 Controlling entry and exit at the access control points
 Selecting protective clothing and equipment
 Ensuring that protective clothing and equipment are properly stored and
maintained
 Periodically inspecting protective clothing and equipment
 Stopping an activity if a safety concern arises
 Ensuring proper disposal of wastes incurred during the emergency response

4.0 POTENTIAL EMERGENCIES INVOLVING PCBS

Table 1 presents the potential emergencies involving PCBs and the corresponding
response procedures based on the hazard identification and risk assessment
process being implemented by (Name of Establishment).

Table 1. Potential Emergencies Involving PCBs

PCB-related EPR EPR
Potential Possible Scenario Impact Areas Equipment/ Procedures/
Emergencies Material Protocols3
PCB spill Spills/leaks Spill boom Procedure for
Responding to
PCB Spill
PCB fire or Transformer Fire Procedure for
explosion caught fire or extinguisher Responding to
exploded PCB Fire

Immediately
contact electric
cooperative

3Should form part of the Plan as Annex or Attachment

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

5.0 PRE-EMERGENCY ACTIVITIES

The EPR Plan for PCBs shall be reviewed and amended on an annual basis or when
any of the following situations occur:

 Revisions on applicable regulations

 Changes in the list of emergency coordinators
 Changes in the list of emergency equipment
 Changes in the facility that would affect the plan

Apart from the annual review and amendment of the EPR Plan of PCBs, pre-
emergency activities also include the following:

 Conduct of EPR drills

 Provision of PCB emergency response equipment
 Provision of PPE
 Coordination with EPR government reinforcements

5.1 CONDUCT OF EPR DRILLS

Drills will be conducted to test all EPR instructions. The conduct of drills may be
announced or unannounced, and this will form part of the periodic assessment of
the capability of the organization in EPR.

At the beginning of each year; the EPR Team will come up with the Annual
Schedule of Drills based on risk and previous year’s records of incidents. Table 2
presents the schedule of drills for 2015.

Table 2. 2015 Schedule of PCB-related EPR Drills

EPR Potential Target Schedule of
Remarks
Procedure Emergency Participants Drill
Procedure for PCB fire EPR Team November
Responding to 2015
PCB Fire _______ Fire
Department
Procedure for PCB spills at the EPR Team November
Responding to location of the 2015
PCB Spill transformers

The EPR Team shall then decide on the type of drill to be conducted for the
emergency response plans; whether full-scale, functional, or tabletop. They shall
also identify and plan for those drills that will involve external organizations. In
addition, the Team shall conduct post-drill reviews and document the results,
using the EPR Drill Report presented in Annex 1. This should focus on response
effectiveness and ways to improve readiness, organization, and operational
efficiency.

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
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(Name of Establishment) shall provide the local fire department a set of

recommended procedures in the event of fires in the facility. The local fire
department shall be included in emergency drills in order for the officials and crew
members to be familiarized with the facility layout. Moreover, comprehensive
signage shall be posted at strategic sites in the facility.

5.2 PROVISION OF PCB EMERGENCY RESPONSE EQUIPMENT

All areas where PCB-containing equipment shall be provided with the following
emergency response equipment:

 Eye wash
 Shower area
 PCB spill kit
 Fire extinguishers containing fog/foam
 First aid kit

A drum containing the following materials shall serve as PCB spill kit:

 Vermiculite/dry sand/earth
 Scooper
 Organic solvent
 Rags
 Container with sealed cover

The emergency response equipment shall be regularly checked by the PCO/SO.

5.3 PROVISION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Emergency response personnel shall use appropriate PPE for each assigned job.
The following PPE shall be available for use depending on the requirements of the
situation and the training of the individual response personnel:

 Positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus

 Totally encapsulating chemical protective suits capable of maintaining
positive air pressure and capable of preventing inward gas leakage of more
than 0.5%
 PCB-resistant gloves and boots
 Air purifying half-mask or full-face respirator with appropriate cartridges
 PCB-resistant total body coverall suits
 PCB-resistant goggles

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

5.4 COORDINATION WITH EPR GOVERNMENT REINFORCEMENTS

(Name of Establishment) shall coordinate the company’s EPR Plan for PCBs and
applicable emergency services with the local authorities. Copies of the plan and all
revisions shall be submitted to the following authorities on an annual basis or as
the Plan is amended.

Community contacts include:

City of _____________ Police Department

Address: ____________________________________________

Tel: ________________________________________________

City of _____________ Fire Department

Address: ____________________________________________

Tel: ________________________________________________

6.0 PCB INCIDENT NOTIFICATION

The ________________________________ shall be notified immediately upon discovery

of a PCB emergency incident by dialing ________________.

6.1 INTERNAL NOTIFICATION4

In case of a PCB incident within (Name of Establishment), the personnel who

discovered the incident shall immediately notify the (person 1 - SO or supervisor or
whoever is appropriate). (Person 1) shall gather information pertaining to the
incident. Once information is obtained, (person 1) shall notify (person 2). (Person
2) shall advise the SO on the appropriate action to be initiated depending on the
incident.

6.2 EXTERNAL NOTIFICATION

When PCB is released into the environment, (Name of Establishment) shall report
to Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region the incident and provide the
following information:

 Location of the incident

 Name and telephone number of contact at the incident

4This is just a sample discussion. Need to follow the existing communication protocol of the
establishment

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

 Type and amount of PCB released

 Size of the area involved in the incident

In addition, a formal report shall be submitted to EMB Region within 24 hours,

using the Annex 4 of DAO 2014-02: Revised Guidelines for PCO Accreditation. The
report shall consist of the following additional information:

 Cause of incident
 Impact of incident
 Action taken/cleanup activities
 Equipment used to contain the discharge/spill
 Outside assistance (agencies with cleanup capabilities)
 Date/time contained
 Future plan of action (include compensation plan for affected communities,
if any)

The following outside agencies shall be notified and provided with the same
incident report as well:

 Nearby barangay
 Local government
 Philippine Coast Guard
 etc

7.0 OVERALL SITE CONTROL AND PCB CLEANUP STRATEGIES

To prevent employee/visitor contamination and harm during emergency response

activities, the following site control elements shall be used:

 Site maps (e.g., blueprints, floor exit plans)

 Designation of hot, warm, and cold zones
 Communication center (central location where all communications and plans
will originate)
 Emergency decontamination protocol

Annex 2 shows the site control map of (Name of Establishment) indicating some of
the above requirements. This site map is controlled and maintained by the
(indicate who in the organization is responsible for this).

The On-Scene Commander shall use information provided from the site
characterization and analysis survey to determine the three EPR zones (Hot Zone,
Warm Zone, and Cold Zone).

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

PCB accidental releases, such as leaks and spills, shall be cleaned up within 48
hours from their discovery in accordance with this EPR Plan. All active leaks shall
be addressed by employing containment or confinement strategies, whichever is
applicable. Daily inspection by PCO/SO shall be done to prevent exposure.

After spill cleanup, non-porous surfaces that have come in contact with PCB shall
be cleaned with an organic solvent. A trained responder of (Name of
Establishment) shall transfer spill cleanup wastes (including the solvent wash) to a
UN 1A1 approved steel drum and temporarily store this at (designated storage area)
prior to environmentally sound treatment and disposal in accordance with the
revised regulations on Hazardous Waste Management. Correspondingly, updating
of the PCB Inventory shall be done by the PCO.

8.0 PCB INCIDENT FOLLOW-UP

After each PCB incident, the EPR Plan shall be reviewed and revised as necessary.
This review shall involve answering the following questions:

 Cause: What caused the emergency?

 Prevention: Was it preventable? If so, how?
 Procedures: Were inadequate or incorrect orders given or actions taken?
Were these the result of bad judgment, wrong or insufficient information, or
poor procedures? Can procedures or training be improved?
 Site profile: How does the incident affect the site profile? How are other site
cleanup activities affected?
 Community: How is community safety affected?
 Liability: Who is liable for damage payments?

9.0 TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

This section presents the training requirements for the EPR Team.

9.1 FIRST RESPONDER AWARENESS LEVEL

The First Responder Awareness Level is for employees who are likely to discover a
PCB release. Training shall include:

 Risks associated with PCBs

 Recognition of the presence of PCBs
 Identification of PCBs
 Notification procedures
 Basic decontamination procedures

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

Initial required training and continuing education requirements for emergency

response personnel are based on the duties and functions to be performed by each
responder during an emergency response situation.

9.2 ON-SCENE COMMANDER

The On-Scene Commander shall be a trained PCB Technician. A minimum of eight

hours On-Scene Commander training or equivalent experience is required initially,
and eight hours of continuing education annually thereafter. The training shall
include:

 Risks associated with PCB incidents

 Potential outcomes of PCB incidents
 Advanced hazard identification and risk assessment techniques
 Selection and usage of PPE
 Advanced PCB control, containment, and confinement operations
 Decontamination procedures
 Resources needed during an incident

9.3 PCB TECHNICIAN

The PCB Technician shall be required to complete 24 hours of required training

and 8 hours of continuing education annually thereafter. The training shall
include:

 Identifying PCBs
 Risks associated with PCB incidents
 Incident command system
 Advanced PCB control, containment, and confinement operations
 Advanced PCB decontamination procedures
 Classification, identification, and verification of PCB and unknown materials

On an annual basis, (Name of Establishment) shall develop and implement a

Training Plan for the implementation of EPR for PCBs as part of the company’s
overall training program using the form shown in Annex 3. The PCO/SO is
responsible for monitoring the implementation of the training plan.

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10.0 MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE

All members of the EPR Team shall be placed in the medical surveillance program.
Medical examinations and consultations shall be made to each employee on the
following schedules:

 Prior to assignment
 At least once every 12 months for each employee covered, unless the
attending physician believes a longer interval (not greater than biennially) is
appropriate
 At termination of employment or reassignment to an area where the
employee would not be covered if the employee has not had an examination
within the last six months
 As soon as possible, upon notification that the employee has developed signs
or symptoms indicating possible overexposure to hazardous substances or
health hazards, or that the employee has been injured or exposed above the
permissible exposure limits in an emergency situation
 At more frequent times, if the examining physician determines that an
increased frequency of examination is medically necessary

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
PROCEDURE FOR RESPONDING TO PCB SPILL
Precaution
1. Do not touch or walk through spilled
material.
2. Contact with PCBs may result in
chloracne and skin rashes.
Employee’s Action
1. Evacuate area immediately.
2. If you notice other people coming
near the spill area, tell them to go
away.
3. Inform EPR Team of the incident.
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(Name of Establishment)
Emergency Numbers
1. PCO –
2. EPR Team –
3. Medical Clinic/Hospital –
EPR Team Action
1. Size up the situation: leak test, wind
direction, etc. Set work zones as
defined in the EPR plan.
2. Secure at least 50 meters from the
source of the spill and cordon the
area to avoid unnecessary non-
emergency personnel.
3. Confine the spill to prevent entry into
waterways, sewers, basements, or
confined areas.
4. Contain spill with absorbents or spill
clean-up kits.
5. For large spills, dike far ahead of
liquid spill for later disposal.
6. Transfer spill cleanup wastes
(including the solvent wash) to a UN
1A1 approved steel drum and
temporarily store at the Storage
Facility. Disposal methods should be
in accordance with the provisions of
DAO 2013-22: Revised Procedures
and Standards for the Management
of Hazardous Wastes.
7. Make an incident report and analyze
the root cause of the incident to
prevent recurrence or occurrence of
similar events.
 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

Recommended PPE
Level C protection (chemical resistant suit, inner and outer glove with duct tape,
and chemical resistant boots with duct tape)

Optional:
 Hard hat (if there are falling hazards)
 APR (if working at >55°C)
o Full face shield (if splashing hazard is present)
o Half face shield (if there is no splashing hazard)
 Safety glasses or goggles
First Aid for Exposure to PCBs
1. Move victim to fresh air.
2. Call emergency medical service.
3. Give artificial respiration if victim is not breathing.
4. Administer oxygen if breathing is difficult.
5. Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes.
6. In case of skin contact with PCB, wash with soap and water for at least 15
minutes.
7. When PCB gets into the eyes, flush eyes with gentle stream of clean water for 15
minutes keeping eyelids apart.
8. If PCB is accidentally swallowed, press down at the back of tongue to induce
vomiting.

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

PROCEDURE FOR RESPONDING TO PCB FIRE

Precaution Emergency Numbers

Fire may produce irritating, corrosive, 1. PCO –
and/or toxic gases. 2. EPR Team –
3. SO –
4. Fire Department –
5. Medical Clinic/Hospital –
Employee’s Action EPR Team’s Action
1. Ring nearest alarm and evacuate 1. Assess the incident. Note the
area immediately. Stay upwind. magnitude of the fire and wind
direction.
2. Close any doors upon leaving to
contain the harmful gases but DO 2. Establish work zones as defined in
NOT LOCK them. the EPR plan and communicate
these clearly to the personnel in the
3. Inform EPR Team of PCB fire. vicinity.

3. Limit access to the area.

4. If tanks or trucks are involved in the

fire, isolate for 800 meters (1/2 mile)
in all directions. Fight fire from
maximum distance.

5. Stay away from tanks engulfed in

fire.

6. Small fires may be extinguished

using dry chemical, CO2, water
spray, or regular foam. ALWAYS
fight the fire in an upwind direction.

7. Extinguish large fires with water, fog,

or foam. Dike surrounding area so
that any run-off is contained.

8. For massive fire, use unmanned hose

holders or monitor nozzles. If this is
not possible, withdraw from the area
and let it burn.

9. Cool the containers with water until

the fire is extinguished.

10. Only trained personnel should be

allowed to handle damaged
containers.

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11. Withdraw immediately in case of

discoloration of the tank or rising
sound of safety devices.

12. Make an incident report and analyze

the root cause of the incident to
prevent recurrence or occurrence of
similar events.
Recommended PPE
The recommended PPE is Level B protection consisting of chemical resistant suit,
SCBA, inner and outer glove with duct tape, chemical resistant boots with duct
tape, etc.
First Aid for Exposure to PCBs
1. Call the clinic or other emergency response service.
2. Administer artificial respiration if victim is not breathing or if breathing is
difficult.
3. Remove and isolate contaminated clothing and shoes.
4. For skin contact with PCB, wash with soap and water for at least 15 minutes.
5. In case of eye contact, flush eyes with gentle stream of clean water for 15
minutes keeping eyelids apart.
6. If PCB is accidentally swallowed, press down at the back of tongue to induce
vomiting.
7. If victim has inhaled strong PCB fumes, move victim into fresh air.

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

ANNEX 1 – EPR DRILL REPORT

Name of Facility: Date:

Emergency Procedure:

Attach to this form a list of all personnel who participated in the drill and any
visitors participating.

Time Alarm Sounded: Time Drill Completed: Time to Evacuate:

Type of Drill: Notification / Alert Weather Conditions:

Method:

 Fire  Bell or Buzzer  Clear

 Earthquake  Two Way Radio  Cloudy
 Oil Spill  Phone  Raining
 Medical Emergency  Voice Notification  Rain and wind
 Weather Emergency  Siren  Windy
 Other:  Other:
_______________ ______________

Participants: Situation at Start of Drill: Description of the

Scenario:

 Supervisor/s  Before Business

 Employees / Staff Hours
 Safety Personnel  During Business
 Security Officers Hours
 Medical Personnel’s  Peak Business
 Law Enforcement Hours
 Fire Department  Lunch Time
 Visitors / Contractors  After Business
 Other _______________ Hours
 Assembly
 Other:
_______________

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

Problems Encountered: (Check all that apply)

 Employees unsure of response  Noise impedes communications

 Staff unsure of responsibilities
 Weather-related problems
 Personnel not accounted for
 Difficulties with evacuation of
disabled personnel, customers
or visitors
 Radio communication problems
 Network / computer problems
 Personnel not serious about drill
 Improper or unavailable supplies
 Confusion
 Interagency miscommunications
 Incident command problems
 Other: ____________________________

Justifying Circumstances / Identified Factors / Special Conditions Simulated:

Mitigation / Plans for Improvement: (check all that apply and explain below)

 Additional management training  Cooperative planning with

 Additional staff training responders
 Address need for additional  Revised emergency procedures
equipment  Other: _______________________
 Improved emergency supplies

Explain corrective efforts:

Prepared by: ________________

Reviewed by: ________________

Noted by: ________________

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

ANNEX 2 – SITE CONTROL MAP OF (NAME OF ESTABLISHMENT)

Note: Please attach the site control map for PCBs of (Name of Establishment). This should reflect the
exact location of your equipment; the prevailing wind direction; the appropriate hot, warm, and cold
zones during emergency situations; and the designated communication center.

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 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan 2015
(Name of Establishment)

ANNEX 3 – PCB EPR TRAINING PLAN OF (NAME OF

ESTABLISHMENT) FOR 2015

Required PCB Related

Name of Workers Schedule of Training
Training

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