SECTION 15.20 STANDARD EMERGENCY PROCEDURE GUIDELINE

Last Update: 11/03

One primary safety function to be provided to all employees is the handling of emergencies. The specific approach will depend upon the nature of the operation, but generally the following elements should be included:

Accidents and First Aid

OSHA requires that medical care be provided either by having medical personnel on site, or by having care available at a nearby medical facility. First aid training is recommended only as an enhancement to dealing with injuries until qualified medical personnel arrive. Preference is given to having an arrangement with a medical care provider for treatment of injuries and first aid program advice. The medical care provider should be encouraged to visit the job site.

Fire, Tornado, Flood and Emergency Evacuation

Most state employees will not fight fires, floods or other disasters. Specific training is required for anyone assigned to these types of duties and no employee should be assigned to perform any task beyond which they have been trained. This concept also applies to administration of first aid.

The following recommendations will provide a sound structure for emergency situations:

1. Discuss the overall situation with personnel and establish a priority list of potential situations to address, such as:

- fire potential based on construction of facility and contents.

- location of hazardous storage areas, operations requiring special attention, shutdown or backup.

- facility situation with regards to flooding potential, suitability within structure for tornado shelter, emergency escape routes, utility shutdown or control.

- communication methods to assure prompt evacuation and emergency response by outside professionals (fire department, police, etc.).

2. Develop emergency phone list, map, and procedures to formalize the results of the hazard review. Some recommendations include:

- Outline the responsibility in the notification process. The engineering/maintenance function will generally play a key role, since they are typically responsible for the automatic alarms and sprinkler systems where they exist. Switchboard operators can also be utilized, when properly prepared, to act as a communication network center.

- Phone list should include both internal and external contacts to cover notification of necessary help. It should be posted in conspicuous locations.

- maps should identify exit routes, tornado shelters, chemical storage areas, first aid stations, and other relevant information. Maps should be kept as simple as possible so visitors could use it without special explanation.

- engineering/maintenance should have more extensive maps available for emergency response personnel to avoid delay in dealing with the fire system, utilities, etc. Emergency response personnel from the local community should be consulted as to other requirements.

3. The community fire chief typically will exercise authority over an emergency situation and the best instruction for the workforce is to help by maintaining good communications with the following objectives in mind:

- evacuate from the danger rather than fight it, unless specific training has been received.

- account for all personnel (headcount).

- write down, if possible, times, events, fellow employees absent and related information.

Some emergency plans establish specific job assignments for specific personnel (i.e., group leaders, floor sweepers, etc.), but this may cause a breakdown of the system due to absences or transfer of personnel. It is best to keep all procedures and assignments as generic as possible, referring to job titles of persons responsible as opposed to specific names. The emergency procedures should be simple and concise to provide awareness and understanding for all employees.

Fire Brigades and Hazardous Material Response Personnel

In larger facilities, specialized emergency response activities may be necessary. While it is beyond the scope of this guideline to provide the specific requirements of these functions, the following concepts should be understood as to when these functions are required.

As defined in OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, 29CFR 1910.120, emergency response refers to efforts by employees outside the immediate release area. This means employees who clean up their own spills would not come under the rigorous training requirements of the standard, but would require training regarding the specific hazard with which they work with.

Fire Brigade requirements of OSHA under 29CFR 1910.156, become effective anytime an employer makes specific assignments for employees to fight fires. This is in contrast to the typical working environment where employees are expected to evacuate.

While the presence of portable fire extinguishers for general use does not imply specific assignment, the employee training requirements under 29CFR 1910.157 must be met.