Emergency Response Plan - OSHA Summary
The effectiveness of response during emergencies depends
on the amount of planning and training performed. Management
must show its support for plant safety programs and the importance
of emergency planning. If management is not interested in
employee protection and in minimizing property loss, little
can be done to promote a safe workplace. It is therefore management's
responsibility to see that a program is instituted and that
it is frequently reviewed and updated. The input and support
of all employees must be obtained to ensure an effective program.
The emergency response plan should be developed locally and
should be comprehensive enough to deal with all types of emergencies
specific to that site. When emergency action plans are required
by a particular OSHA standard, the plan must be in writing;
except for firms with 10 or fewer employees, the plan may
be communicated orally to employees. The plan must include,
as a minimum, the following elements:
(1) Emergency escape procedures and emergency escape route
assignments,
(2) Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to perform
(or shut down) critical plant operations before the plant
is evacuated,
(3) Procedures to account for all employees after emergency
evacuation has been completed,
(4) Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are
to perform them,
(5) The preferred means for reporting fires and other emergencies,
and
(6) Names or regular job titles of persons or departments
to be contacted for further information or explanation of
duties under the plan.
The emergency action plan should address all potential emergencies
that can be expected in the workplace. Therefore, it will
be necessary to perform a hazard assessment to determine toxic
materials in the workplace, hazards, and potentially dangerous
conditions. For information on chemicals, the manufacturer
or supplier can be contacted to obtain Material Safety Data
Sheets. These forms describe the hazards that a chemical may
present, list precautions to take when handling, storing,
or using the substance, and outline emergency and first-aid
procedures.
The employer must list in detail the procedures to be taken
by those employees who must remain behind to care for essential
plant operations until their evacuation becomes absolutely
necessary. This may include monitoring plant power supplies,
water supplies, and other essential services that cannot be
shut down for every emergency alarm, and use of fire extinguishers.
For emergency evacuation, the use of floor plans or workplace
maps that clearly show the emergency escape routes and safe
or refuge areas should be included in the plan. All employees
must be told what actions they are to take in emergency situations
that may occur in the workplace, such as a designated meeting
location after evacuation.
This plan must be reviewed with employees initially when
the plan is developed, whenever the employees' responsibilities
under the plan change, and whenever the plan is changed. A
copy should be kept where employees can refer to it at convenient
times. In fact, to go a step further, the employer could provide
the employees with a copy of the plan, particularly all new
employees.
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