Emergency Procedures

Question 1

Planning

Answer 1

When an emergency occurs, decisive action is required. Rapidly made choices can have far reaching long term consequences. Delays of even minutes can create life-threatening situations. Personnel must be ready to rescue or respond immeidately and equipment must be on hand and in good working order. To handle emergencies effictively, planning is essential. For this purpose, an emergency response plan or contingency plan should be developed.

A contingency plan is a written document that sets forth policies and procedures for responding to site emergancies.

Question 2

Personnel

Answer 2

In the event of an emerency individuals should be assisgned and ready to perform specific roles. Onsite and off-site personnel should be assigned tasks as well as others who may be on site such as contracotrs other agency reprentatives and visitors. The organizational structure shoudl show a clear chain of command and should be flexible enough to handle multiple emergencies at one time . The condingency plan should describe roles and duties for on-site and off-site personnel, leaders and teams.

Question 3

Personnel

Answer 3

In the event of an emerency individuals should be assisgned and ready to perform specific roles. Onsite and off-site personnel should be assigned tasks as well as others who may be on site such as contracotrs other agency reprentatives and visitors. The organizational structure shoudl show a clear chain of command and should be flexible enough to handle multiple emergencies at one time . The condingency plan should describe roles and duties for on-site and off-site personnel, leaders and teams.

Question 4

On site personnel

Answer 4

The contingency plan must identify all individuals and teams who will participate in egergency response and define their roles. All personnel whether directly involved in emergency response or not must know their own responsibilities in an emergency. They must also know the names of those in authority and the extent of their authority.

Computer software may be used to map a spill plume so emergency resonse measures can be properly planned for worst case scenario should be developed and reviewed.

Knowing where a spill may end up also helps engineers understand where to most effectively add extra strength and integrity to a system’s design to decrease the likelihood of a spill in the first place.

Theppublic in the path of a potential spill scenario from a neighboring site should be warned of the potential danger and advised on what to do in an emergency through a public awareness plan.

Question 5

Leader

Answer 5

in an emergency situation, one person must be able to assume total control.

• be identifiedin the emergemncy response plan. This person for eg the project team leader , site safety officer or field team leader.
• Be backedup by a specified alternate
• have the athorit yh to resolve all disputtes about health and sarety requirements and precautions
• Be authorized to seek and purchase supplies as necessary
• have control over the activities of everyone entering the site.,
• have the clear support of management

Question 6

Teams

Answer 6

site safety officer may provide service.

Teams provide greater efficiency and safety. Teams composed of on site personnel should be created for specific emergency purposes such as decontamination rescue and entry. Rescue teams can be used during a particularly adngerous operation or at a alarge sites with multiple work parties in the exclusion zone.

Their sole function is to remain near hazardous work areas. be partially dressed in protective gear and ready for full suiting and immediate rescue of an endangered worker. These teams mus tbe capable of administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and emergency first aid. Other teams can be formed for responding to containment emergencies and fire fighting until off-site assistance arrives.

Question 7

Off Site Personnel

Answer 7

Can be of help during an emergency. They include individual experts such as meterologists or toxicologists and representatives from local state and federal organizations offering rescue response or support. as part of advance planning, site personnel should:

• make arrangements with individual experts to provide guidance as needed
• arrange withthe appropriage agencies ( local fire departmnet, state environmental agancy, EPA regional office ) for support
• Alert these authorities to the types of emergencies that may arise and qantitiees of hazardous materials being used
• Determine their estimated response times and resources.

Question 8

training

Answer 8

All personnel must have some form of emergency training. Any training program has to:

• Relate diretly to site specific anticipated situations
• Be brief and repeated often
• be realistic and practical
• provide an opportunity for special skills to be practiced regularly
• ensure that training records are maintained in a training logbook

Everyone entering the site must be made aware of the hazards andof hazardous actions that should be avoided. They must also know what to do in case of an emergency.

Question 9

training

Answer 9

All personnel must have some form of emergency training. Any training program has to:

• Relate diretly to site specific anticipated situations
• Be brief and repeated often
• be realistic and practical
• provide an opportunity for special skills to be practiced regularly
• ensure that training records are maintained in a training logbook

Everyone entering the site must be made aware of the hazards andof hazardous actions that should be avoided. They must also know what to do in case of an emergency.

Question 10

Training requirements for on site emergency personnel

Answer 10

On-site emergency personnel who have emergency roles in addition to their ordinary duties must have a thorough undersanding of emergency response. Training must be directly related to their specific roles and shall include subjects such as those that follow:

• emergency chanin of command
• communication methods and signals
• How to call for help
• Emergency equipment and its use
• Emergency evacuation procedures while wearing protective equipment
• Removing injured personnel from enclosed spaced
• Off - site support and how to use it.

Question 11

information for off site emergency personnel

Answer 11

off site emergency personnel such as local fire fighters and ambulance crews often are fist responders and run a risk of acute hazard exposure equal to that of any on site worker. These personnel should be informed about ways to recognize and deal effectively with on site hazards.

Question 12

Emergency Recognition and Prevention

Answer 12

on a day to day basis individual personnel should be constantly alert for inidators of potentially hazardous situations and for signs and symptoms in themselves and others that warn of hazardous conditions. Rapid recognition of dangerous situations can avert an emergency. At tegular meetings, before daily work assignments are given out, the indiidual conducting the meeting should discuss:

• Tasks to be performed
• Time constraints
• Hazards that may be encountered
• Emergency procedures

Question 13

Emergency Recognition and Prevention

Answer 13

on a day to day basis individual personnel should be constantly alert for inidators of potentially hazardous situations and for signs and symptoms in themselves and others that warn of hazardous conditions. Rapid recognition of dangerous situations can avert an emergency. At tegular meetings, before daily work assignments are given out, the indiidual conducting the meeting should discuss:

• Tasks to be performed
• Time constraints
• Hazards that may be encountered
• Emergency procedures

Question 14

Communication

Answer 14

in an emergency curcial messages must be conveyed quickly and accurately. site staff must be able to communicate information such as the location of injured personnel, orders toevacuate the site and notice of blocked evacuation routes even through noice and confgusion. Outside support sources must be reached, help obtained and measures for public notification ensured, if necessary. To do this, a separate set of internal emergency signals must be developed and rehearsed daily. Ecyternal communication systems and procedures shall be clar and accessibele to all workers.

Question 15

Communication

Answer 15

in an emergency curcial messages must be conveyed quickly and accurately. site staff must be able to communicate information such as the location of injured personnel, orders toevacuate the site and notice of blocked evacuation routes even through noice and confgusion. Outside support sources must be reached, help obtained and measures for public notification ensured, if necessary. To do this, a separate set of internal emergency signals must be developed and rehearsed daily. Ecyternal communication systems and procedures shall be clar and accessibele to all workers.

Question 16

Internal communication

Answer 16

internal emergency communication systems are used to alert workers to dange 3ot convey safety information and to maintain site control. Any effective system or combination of systems can eb employed. Radios, cell phones or field telephones are often used when work teams are far from the command post.

Question 17

Exteral Communnications

Answer 17

Off site sources must be contacted to get assistance or to inform officials about hazardous conditions that can affect public or environmental safety. The telephone iss the most common mode off site communication phone hook ups or cellphones are considered a necessity on all but the rmost remote sites.

Question 18

site mapping

Answer 18

site maps servie as a graphic record of the locations and types of hazards.  They should focus on particular areas where emergencies can develop  The map highlights 
 - hazard areas
- site terrain
 - evacuation routes - 
site acceessibility 
 - work crew locations
 - changes
 - off-site populations or environments

Question 19

safe distances and refuges (Saftey stations)

Answer 19

can be set up for localized emergencies that do not require site evacusation. These refuges should only be used for essential needs, such as a short rest break, emergency response strategy meetings or temporary relief during mild cased of muscle strain and heat stress. The refutw should ne located in a relatively safe but not necessarily clean area. For example alon the upsind fence line in especiallu c;eared places or on the boundary of the exclusion zone.

Question 20

Safe distances

Answer 20

no single recommendation can be given for the evacuation of safe distanceds because of the wide variety of hazardous substance and realease found at a site. For ex a small chlorine leak may call for an isolation distance of only 140 feet (43 meters0 while a large leak may require an excavation distance of 1 mile or more, depending on the wind direction. Safe distances can only be potential emergency scenarios will help familiarize personnle with points to consider.

Question 21

Public Evacuation

Answer 21

if an incident can trheaten the health of safety of the sorrounding community, the public will neee to be informed and evacuated from the area. Site maanatgment must plan for this coordination with the appropirate local state and federal groups. Shuch as Federal Engineering management agency

Question 22

Site security and control

Answer 22

it an emergency the project team leader for or designated reprensentative. Must know who is on site and must be able to control the entry of personnel into the hazardous areas to prevent additional injufy and exposure. Onlly necessary rescue and response personnel should be allowed into the exclusion zone. once control technique is usid a checkpiont or series of checkpoints through whcih all personnel entering or exiting the site must pass

Question 23

Site security and control

Answer 23

it an emergency the project team leader for or designated reprensentative. Must know who is on site and must be able to control the entry of personnel into the hazardous areas to prevent additional injufy and exposure. Onlly necessary rescue and response personnel should be allowed into the exclusion zone. once control technique is usid a checkpiont or series of checkpoints through whcih all personnel entering or exiting the site must pass

Question 24

Personal Locator systems

Answer 24

in an emergency it is viatla for the project team leader or designee and resue personnel to repidly determine where workers are located and who may be injured. a passive locator system I written record of the location of all personnel on site at any time) could be used to help find personnel in an emergency.

Question 25

Evacuation Routes and Procedures

Answer 25

A severe emergency, such as a fire or explosion, may cut workers off from the normal exit near the command post. Therefore, alternate routes for evacuating victims and endangered personnel should be established in advance, marked and kept clear. Toutes should be directed from the exclusion zone through an upwind contamination reduction zone to the support zone and from the support zone to an off-site location in case conditions necessitate a general site evacuation.

Question 26

Evacuation Routes and Procedures

Answer 26

A severe emergency, such as a fire or explosion, may cut workers off from the normal exit near the command post. Therefore, alternate routes for evacuating victims and endangered personnel should be established in advance, marked and kept clear. Toutes should be directed from the exclusion zone through an upwind contamination reduction zone to the support zone and from the support zone to an off-site location in case conditions necessitate a general site evacuation.

Question 27

Guidelines

Answer 27

safe evac routes - escape routs are to be known to all who go on site. Pleace the evacoation routes in the predominantly upwind direction of the exclusion zone. At a very large site or one with many obstacles, some exits can be placed at the downeind fence line which is normally an undesirable location. If this is done workers must know that they are not acutally out until they reach the designated safety area.

Run the evacuatio routes throug the contamination reduction zone. Even if there is not enough time to tpcess the evacuees through the decontaminatiojn procedures, there should be a mechanism for accounting for all personnel. Consider the accessibility of potential routes. Take into account obstructions such as gates, trenches, pits, tanks, drums or other barriers, and the extra time or equipment needed to maneuver around or through them.

Question 28

Emergency decontamination

Answer 28

Procedures for

• decontaminating the victim
• protecting medical personnel
• disposing of contaminated protective equipment and wash solutions.

These activities should be coordinated. The decision whether ot not to decontaminate a victim is based on the type and severity of the ill ness or injury and the nature of the contaminant. For some emergency victims, immediate decontamination can be an essential part of life-saving first aid. For others, decontamination can aggravate the injury or delay life-saving treatment.

Question 29

Emergency equipment

Answer 29

equipment will be necessary to rescue and treat victims, to protect response personnel, and to mitigate hazardous conditions on sites.

• some regular heavy equipment can double for emergency equipment such as bulldozers and pumps.
• personal protective equipment - should be stocked and self contained breathing apparatus tanks should be refilled.
• special equipment should be obtained depending on the types of emergencies tha t can occur at a particular site.
• cleanup materials should be stocked and in adequate supply to clean up a worst-case - scenario for the materials currently stored at the locatiohn .

Question 30

Medical Treatment and First Aid

Answer 30

It is important to train onsite emergency personnel in on the spot treatment techniques. Tesponse usually follows a sequence:

• Notification - alert personnel to the emergency
• evaluation - available information regarding the incident should be evaluated.
• rescue response / action - Rach situation calls for customized action and necessary stepts to be implemented.
• Follow up - it is necessary to notify appropriate bgovernment agencies , restock all equipment and supplies and review all saspects of the contingency plan according to new site conditions and lessons learned from the emergency response
• documentation - should be accurate, authentic, complete, and descriptive of actions.

Question 31

Spill response

Answer 31

4 factors affect the behavior of the release hazardous material”

• the quantity of the hazardous material
• the inherent properties
• Natural laws of physics and chemistry
• the environment - including the physical sorrounding and its conditions

The onsite coordinatio shall develop a plan of action based on the characteristics of the emergency

entry teams must us e the buddy system have backup and respond to safety office directions

equipment materials can be used such as over pack or salvage drums, absorption materials, gel forming agents and neutralization materials.

Question 32

On site coordinator

Answer 32

The onsite coordinator must consider the consequences of additional spills, leakage and other incidents that can aggravate a spill situation prior tot the clean up efforts. If a drum has failed, it is like ly that other drums and containers in the area may have failed or are about to fail also. each step in the response needs to be planned carefully. Accidents are most likely to offur when drums and containers are being handled for the first time in an emergency.

Question 33

Entry Team

Answer 33

Identify to the extent possible all hazards

Get help from specialists

Use proper personal protective equipment

If possible do not come in direct contact with the hazazardous substance

Use SCBAs unless air monitoring shows a decreased level of protection is acceptable.

Question 34

Entry Team

Answer 34

Identify to the extent possible all hazards

Get help from specialists

Use proper personal protective equipment

If possible do not come in direct contact with the hazazardous substance

Use SCBAs unless air monitoring shows a decreased level of protection is acceptable.

Question 35

Equipment and materials

Answer 35

over pack or salvage drums are heavy duty - open ended drums with a capacity of approximately 85 gallons each.

The purpost of these drums is to contain a damaged or repaired drum and its contents .

Theere are several types of over pack drums designed to contaain different materials.

The most common is an epoxy coated 85 gallon steel drum or poly drum. It has a removable head that contains a bung (cap or cork) that can be used to vent a closed drum.

Question 36

Gel forming agents

Answer 36

are dry granular materials specifically designed to gel or coagulate aqueous or petroleum based liquids. Unlike absorbents that soak up the liqued through physical acctiion, gel forming agents chemically bond to the liqued . The chamical bond keeps the liqued from separating from the absorbent.

Question 37

Neutralization Materials

Answer 37

Apply another material ther reacts chemically to form a less harmsul substance, most corrosives can be neutralized -

Neutralization reactions generally give off heat and are submnect to spallering.

Question 38

Emergency Response Operations

Answer 38

are for the releases of , or substantial threats of releases of hazardous substances wiuthout regard to the location of the hazards.

Examples

• reskponse to the spill of a highly toxic substance from an overturned 55 gallon drum
• response to a leaking storage tank
• response to an overturned truck carying hazardous materials
• response to a chemical fire

Site personnel who are expected to respond to emergency situations at the site must receive additional training in how to respond to anticipated emergencies (fires, explosions, hazardous spills, etc.)

Question 39

Emergency Response Operations

Answer 39

are for the releases of , or substantial threats of releases of hazardous substances wiuthout regard to the location of the hazards.

Examples

• reskponse to the spill of a highly toxic substance from an overturned 55 gallon drum
• response to a leaking storage tank
• response to an overturned truck carying hazardous materials
• response to a chemical fire

Site personnel who are expected to respond to emergency situations at the site must receive additional training in how to respond to anticipated emergencies (fires, explosions, hazardous spills, etc.)

Question 40

Additional Hazards

Answer 40

Marine oil spill responders need training to work safely around these and other potential hazards.

Decide which hazards apply to your operations

• Biological
• Drowining
• Noise
• Electricity
• slips and trips
• biohazardous debris
• ergonomic stresses
• sunburn
• confined spaces
• underwater diving
• falls

Question 41

Relevant Occupational Safety and Health Standards Invlude

Answer 41

Relevant Occupational Safety and Health Standards Include:
D - Walking - working surfaces
E - Means of egress
F - Powered platforms, manlifts, and vehicle mounted work platforms
G - Occupational Health and environmental control
H - Hazardous materials
I - Personal Protective Euipment
J - General Environmental controls
K - Medical and First Aid
L - Fire Ptotection
M - Compressed Gas and Compressed air equipment
N - Materials handling
O - Machinery and Machine guarding
P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-held equipment
Q - Welding cutting and Brazing
S Electrical
T - Commercial Diving Operations
Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances

Question 42

Relevant Occupational Safety and Health Standards Invlude

Answer 42

Relevant Occupational Safety and Health Standards Include:
D - Walking - working surfaces
E - Means of egress
F - Powered platforms, manlifts, and vehicle mounted work platforms
G - Occupational Health and environmental control
H - Hazardous materials
I - Personal Protective Euipment
J - General Environmental controls
K - Medical and First Aid
L - Fire Ptotection
M - Compressed Gas and Compressed air equipment
N - Materials handling
O - Machinery and Machine guarding
P - Hand and Portable Powered Tools and Other Hand-held equipment
Q - Welding cutting and Brazing
S Electrical
T - Commercial Diving Operations
Z - Toxic and Hazardous Substances

Question 43

Ship Yard Employment Occupational Safety and Health Standards

Answer 43

Found in 1915