Environmental Emergencies and Emergency Preparedness

The use of EALs has the advantage of

*standardizing response to different classes of events in terms of the resources mobilized to cope with the emergency. *It also improves communications during critical times.

The EOP includes

(1) a basic plan, an overview of the general approach to emergency management; (2) functional annexes in support of the basic plan to address specific activities critical to emergency response and recovery; and (3) hazard-specific appendices to the plan that address specified emergency situations.

Environmental Testing Systems

• Although initially the emphasis of the emergency response will focus on containment and control of the situation, it will quickly shift to evaluation of the potential impacts to the environment. • Planning should also include methods to quickly assess the degree of potential environmental impacts. While it is not normal for a facility to own a drill rig or soil-testing apparatus, planning should include mechanisms to acquire these services rapidly, if needed. • By quickly assessing the magnitude of potential impacts, an effective remedial response that will control potential threats can be developed. • Hydraulic push soil-sampling machines are very useful to collect near surface soil and groundwater samples, and a variety of instruments are available to do field analysis of the samples. Also, arrangements should be made with a nearby environmental testing laboratory to provide rapid turnaround analysis of samples. • Mobile laboratories and field test kits for various types of chemicals are available. For example, portable GC/MS units are available that can provide high quality chemical testing in the field on a fast turnaround basis. The ability to have field-based testing is critical when trying to assess the magnitude of the impact and the extent of threats to human health and the environment. GPS systems are available that allow real-time location and plotting of sample locations so that the finding from rapid testing equipment can be interpreted in a dynamic fashion. This allows managers to determine the next sampling locations as the investigation unfolds.

Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs)

• An EOC is the physical location where a predefined team of responders assembles and operates from during an emergency to coordinate response and recovery actions and resources. • An EOC is the physical location where a predefined team of responders assembles and operates from during an emergency to coordinate response and recovery actions • The EOC is not an incident command post; rather, it is the operations center where coordination and management decisions are facilitated. • The EOC should be located where the risk of exposure to accidental releases is minimal. • When possible, it should also be located close to routes easily reached by response personnel. Only a limited and prearranged number of people shouldbe admitted to the EOC. This eliminates unnecessary interference and reduces confusion.

Emergency response plans on the local level have the following objectives:

• Create an ensured level of preparedness • Ensure an orderly and timely decision-making process • Ensure the availability of necessary services, equipment, supplies, and personnel • Ensure a consistent, preplanned response

The main responsibilities associated with IRC position are as follows:

• Direction and coordination of all field operations • Assessment of severity of the incident • Recommendation of on-site protective actions • Implementation of response actions at the scene of the event • Coordination of these actions with the emergency preparedness coordinator The incident response commander must also be very familiar with the facility and have solid technical expertise.

Meteorological Equipment

• During toxic gaseous release emergencies, meteorological conditions greatly affect migration speed and direction. • *The most important of these parameters are wind direction and speed.* A facility should have one or more meteorological stations where this key information is constantly monitored. • Care should be taken to avoid locations where the presence of buildings and other structures may result in faulty readings. • In addition to mounting windsocks on the highest point for optimum visibility, windsocks should also be located close to the ground so that people leaving a building in an emergency know in which direction to run to avoid a toxic plume.

Respirators and Escape Hoods

• Escape respirators for quickly leaving a dangerous area to a safe one • Particulate respirators that only protect against particles but not against gases or vapors • Chemical cartridge or air purifying respirators that trap chemical gases and possibly particles from the breathing air • Powered air purifying respirators use a fan to blow air through the filter to the user

RESOURCES

• Facility response teams typically comprise specially trained personnel normally operating the plant itself and therefore familiar with it and its hazards. • However, as part of the planning process, a resource assessment should be performed.

An emergency plan, no matter how carefully prepared, cannot be effective unless accompanied by a training program. The objectives of training and drills are to accomplish the following

• Familiarize personnel with the content of the plan • Train new or existing personnel • Train specific response personnel in certain special skills • Introduce personnel to new equipment and techniques • Keep personnel informed of changes • Test the preparedness of response personnel • Test the validity, effectiveness, and timing of the plan • Test emergency equipment preparedness • Maintain cooperative capability with other response organizations

The two main benefits of the training are

individual training and system improvement. Individual training exercises enable people to practice their roles and gain experience in these roles, while the exercises improve the organizations system for managing incidents and emergencies. Exercises only have value when they lead to improvement

The question of direction and control must be confronted directly before an emergency occurs because

it is impossible to establish a line of command and control while a crisis is in progress

The team should be staffed with individuals with expertise in many areas. Representatives of industrial facilities in the community that could be potential sources of hazardous substance releases should be included, as well as

knowledgeable officials from transportation, community resources, and utilities.

An environmental emergency such as a hazardous substance spill or gas release requires

not only notification and mobilization of containment and control response teams but also an understanding of the potential migration pattern of the material in the environment

An important benefit of training exercises is that the response plan is reviewed during these activities, a process referred to as _______.

plan maintenance.

One area typically neglected in the emergency plan is

post-emergency activities. Specific procedures for recovering from an emergency and reentering a facility must be determined on a case-by-case basis. However, guidelines for response team activities following termination should be included.

The main function of PPE is to

protect personnel from a hazard while performing rescue or emergency control operations. Protective clothing for protection against heat radiation or those having high resistance to chemical assault (acid suits) are typically used by response personnel.

Local jurisdictions have the primary duty to

save lives, protect property, protect the economic base of the community, and preserve the environment.

The public affairs officer

should ensure that the necessary media material is stored at or near the media center. Such material should include a fact sheet on the facility describing the number of employees, annual payroll, taxes paid to the community, a simple description of the plant processes, consumer products that are produced either at the facility or ultimately from its operations, and a facility map.

There are three types of training:

tabletop drills, functional drills, and full-scale exercises. Tabletop drills are useful for orientation purposes, while functional drills are designed to test a limited aspect of the response capability (e.g., a fire drill). Full-scale exercises are more comprehensive and test the entire response organization up to and including communication with off-site response organizations

If toxic or flammable materials have been involved in the event

the area must be decontaminated and the procedures used should be discussed in the plan. It will be important to collect samples of the impacted area after clean up in order to document the restored condition and provide evidence of a clean work space

The motivation for leadership commitment to effective emergency preparedness comes from

the concerns of the citizens in the community. Citizen awareness of the potential threats to safety, health, and the environment from hazardous materials is growing. Local government officials have the authority and access to resources necessary to develop the plan that will allay their fears. They also have the credibility to interact effectively with industry leaders and other government jurisdictions.

A major objective of contingency planning is

the creation of a response organization structure capable of being deployed in the shortest time possible during an emergency.

The planning document should address

the different levels of government and their roles and responsibilities during emergency response

Management of a crisis and authority to direct the response must be vested in an individual who is responsible and accountable. At the local level, this is usually

the elected chief official. Alternates should be named for each defined position in the local emergency organization. Alternates must have the same responsibility and accountability

*The most important pieces of protective equipment in both fire and toxic release events are

the self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). *

One area too often overlooked in the local planning process is

the step taken to return to normal conditions following an emergency. It is suggested that the planning team visit a community where an emergency event has previously occurred to learn from them what recovery problems they faced and how they resolved them.

Emergency action levels (EALs) or an incident classification system should be included in the planning process because

they are preestablished conditions that can be used to trigger a desired response. The definition of EALs during the planning removes the ambiguity of uncertainty attitude when a problem emerges.

Basic site information, such as geology, soil types, proximity to water bodies, and general meteorological conditions, needs to be available so that

this information can be used to design a sampling program.

Another important need for sampling media at the time of the emergency is

to establish a database that can be used to protect the responsible party from unjustified damage claims.

The main objective of the recovery phase is

to restore the plant to its initial condition so that normal plant operating conditions can be established as quickly as possible. After the emergency is concluded, the emergency response should be reviewed and the plan adjusted accordingly

The response operations coordinator should be

very knowledgeable of the plant and its response plan and organization. In small plants, this position may coincide with the emergency director function. In other cases, the plant manager may assume the emergency director function, mainly because of the responsibilities associated with this role and his or her overall responsibility for the safety of the facility. The response operations coordinator may perform the bulk of the coordination activities.

Media Center

• A media center is a designated room located on or near plant property where representatives of the various news media would be admitted during an emergency. • This center should be located near the plant entrance and be the only area accessible to news reporters.

EPCRA contains four major provisions:

1. Emergency planning 2. Emergency release notification 3. Hazardous chemical storage reporting requirements 4. Toxic chemical release inventory

Questions when Considering a Respirator or Escape Hood

1. What protection (which chemicals and particles, and at what levels) does the respirator or escape hood provide? 2. Is there more than one size? 3. How does one know if the gas mask or escape hood will fit the user? 4. What type of training is needed? 5. Has the respirator or escape hood been tested against claims for protection such as biological agents, chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and radioactive dust particles? 6. Who performed the testing, what were the tested levels, and test durations? 7. Is the respirator or escape hood certified by an independent laboratory or government agency? 8. Are there any special maintenance or storage conditions? 9. Will the user be able to talk while wearing the respirator? 10. Does the hood restrict vision or head movement in any way? 11. Can one carry the device in the trunk of an automobile? 12. Is a training respirator available? 13. Can one use the same device more than one time? 14. Can children wear the respirator or escape hood and get the expected protection?

EMERGENCY ACTION LEVELS

A practical way to classify the seriousness of an incident and quickly convey this information to other personnel is to use emergency action levels (EALs), which may be designated by code names or numbers associated with situations of different intensities. The higher the number, the more serious the problem.

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Amendments

Additional amendments have broadened the scope since 1968 This first amendment came in 1973 in response to the Clean Water Act of 1972 This revision provided the framework for responding to hazardous substance spills in addition to oil discharges. The NCP was again revised in response to the Superfund legislation of 1980 This revision broadened the NCP to include response and clean-up of hazardous waste sites in the form of emergency removal actions The current version of the NCP was revised in 1994 to reflect oil spill provisions of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990

Concept of Operations

An outline of the response sequence should be included in the emergency plan. This plan should include a brief description of the following points: • Brief description of plant operations and chemicals handled • Warning upon discovery of an abnormal event • Event evaluation and classification • Emergency declaration and response team activation • Notification of off-site response teams • Implementation of on-site response actions • Identification of protective actions • Coordination of response actions with external resources • Completion of the response and plant reentry

Historic Disasters

Bhopal India, 1984 Considered the world's worst industrial disaster. Thousands exposed to Methylisocyanate (MIC) by Union carbide. Safety was not regulated, therefore it was not a priority. Torrey Canyon Oil Spill, Coast of England, 1967. More than 37 million gallons of crude oil spilled causing extensive environmental damage. This disaster was the impetus for creating the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan.

HAZWOPER applies to five distinct groups of employees and their employers

Clean-up operations Corrective actions at RCRA facilities Voluntary clean-up at any site covered by a federal, state, or local environmental action Operations involved with treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste Emergency response actions.

EMERGENCY FUNCTIONS

Communications, Fire and Rescue, Special Hazard (HAZMAT) or spill control, Process/utilities, Engineering/Technical assistance, Environmental and field survey, medical, security, off site liaison, public affairs/legal counsel, resources/supplies All the persons in charge of each of these functions report to the emergency director or to the incident response commander. A team is established, the size and composition of which depends on the task to be performed and the size of the facility. This team operates according to instructions provided by the emergency director's staff and utilizes preformatted, written procedures to accomplish their tasks.

Process/utilities.

Controls the process during the emergency and ensures that the necessary facility units are shut down. This function is also responsible for generating the necessary utilities during the emergency and isolating the impacted portions of the manufacturing process.

Plan Integration

Coordination of contingency planning between industry and community is necessary to develop mutually acceptable solutions to anticipated events. Should an actual emergency response be necessary, cooperation and commitment supply the means for orderly, timely decision making. It takes time to lay the groundwork among the members to establish an approach to cooperative problem solving. Industry should provide personnel to local planning teams and community planners should be invited to industry planning meetings.

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Functions. It includes provisions for the following:

Development of response teams Defines the role of the federal on-scene coordinators (OSC) Defines the role of the National Response Center (NRC) Establishes coordination among federal agencies The preparation of Federal Contingency Plans. Establishes the authority of the federal government to initiate removal actions at hazardous waste sites.

Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-KnowAct (EPCRA), Title III of the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of October 1986

Directs States and local communities to develop plans for responding to hazardous materials emergencies. Intended to protect the public

_______and______are vital to emergency preparedness.

Drills and exercises

Damage Assessment and Recovery Operations

During the early phase of an event, the initial damage is only estimated. Plans should include procedures for conducting more detailed surveys. The procedures should include safety concerns, structural damage, clean-up activities, reentry controls, and hazard assessment. Recovery operations include informing and briefing local officials, issuing public information releases, restoring medical and government functions, removing debris, restoring utilities, providing emergency shelter, and providing building and public safety inspections.

Emergency Responsibility:

Emergency preparedness is not only limited to the prevention, contingency planning, and emergency activities within the boundary of an industrial facility, but it may extend to the federal government, state and local officials, as well as local communities, especially if the release of hazardous materials is involved, or if it involves transportation emergencies

Emergency Response Implementing Procedures

Emergency response organization implementation is organized according to the type of hazard. Different manufacturing facilities use varying types of chemicals in their processes, which require customizing the response to the situation. For each hazard, a set of procedures is developed, which includes checklists of detailed steps, to be followed by the response teams for the release situation.

Hazard Communication Standard, or Worker Right-to- Know of 1986 (OSHA), Amended 1996

Ensures that employees are aware of hazards in the workplace

Communications.

Ensures that the flow of communications among the response personnel within the on-site response is effective and uninterrupted.

*One of the most important outcomes of the planning process is the preparation of an Emergency Response Plan*

Establishing procedures for mobilizing resources Communicating with site specific first responders and off-site emergency response personnel Describing levels of emergency situations Providing a description of the conditions associated with each level. The plan is designed to promote effective response with minimal confusion and disruption to site activities. Defines responsibilities and establishes priorities for essential activities.

Hazards Identification

Identification of the hazards determines whether a plan is really needed. High-priority hazards should be addressed first. For facilities or transportation routes where the identified hazard is toxic or flammable material, the identity, location, and quantity must be precisely determined. The facility that manufactures, processes, stores, or uses such material is the logical source of this information.

A four-level classification system is typically adequate:

Level 1: Minor building incident. This can be resolved by the responding service unit. No other entities are involved. Level 2: Building incident. This can be resolved with existing facility resources or limited outside help. These incidents are usually one-dimensional events having a limited duration and little impact, except those using the space/building in which the incident occurs. Level 3: Major emergency impacting a sizable portion of the facility and/or outside community. Level 3 emergencies may be single or multihazard situations, and often require considerable coordination, both within and outside the facility. These emergencies include projected events on the facility or in the general community that may develop into a major crisis or a full disaster. Level 4: Catastrophic emergency involving the entire facility and surrounding community. Immediate resolution of the disaster, generally multihazard, is beyond the emergency response capabilities of the facility and local resources.

*EPA identifies four levels of PPE ensembles for responding to chemical spills*

Level A: Protection is used when contaminants are present that require the highest possible degree of both respiratory and skin protection. Includes the use of an atmosphere supplying respirator such as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and a totally encapsulating chemical protective (TECP) suit. Level B: Is used when contaminants are present that require the same degree of respiratory protection as Level A, but require a lesser degree of skin protection, such as a splash suit that is not totally encapsulating or gas tight. - Skin Protection Level C: Involves the same degree of skin protection as Level B, but a lesser degree of respiratory protection. Oxygen levels and chemical concentration levels must be known in order to use the air-purifying respirators in the Level C ensemble. - Skin Prot. & - Respiratory Prot. Level D: Provides protection only against "normal" workplace hazards and is not designed to protect against chemical hazards. Includes safety glasses, hard hats, steel-toe boots, and leather work gloves.

Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response/ HAZWOPER, (OSHA) March 1990.

Mandates emergency response and preparedness programs for industry Required interface activities with off-site agencies Prompt notification to appropriate off-site agencies regarding emergencies Requires health and safety training for all individuals involved with emergency response and investigation and remediation of hazardous waste sites and spills.

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Basics

More commonly called the National Contingency Plan or NCP Promulgated in 1968 The Federal government's blueprint for responding to both oil spills and hazardous substance releases. Includes emergency event reporting, spill containment, and cleanup Established response headquarters, a national reaction team, and regional reaction teams.

Fire and rescue.

Most facilities have an emergency response team, primarily trained to handle fires and rescue operations and typically composed of personnel from the different plant units or departments. These teams usually have some basic training in the handling of other types of emergencies (such as spills) to control the situation before more specialized teams arrive at the scene. Team members are trained in comprehensive first aid, search-and-rescue procedures, and emergency equipment handling.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE ACTIONS

One critical aspect of emergency preparedness is the identification of the actions to be implemented by the various response functions. Although the emergency response plan includes generic descriptions of the functions, specific details are incorporated in the annexes to the plan. For simplicity and user friendliness, these are best formatted as checklists.

Goals of Emergency Preparedness:

Protecting public health and safety Protecting environmental media from the potential effects of releases of hazardous substances and protecting vital services from possible terrorist attacks, natural disasters or similar catastrophic events.

Engineering/technical assistance.

Provides the technical support for strategies to isolate damaged process equipment, designs emergency transfer of materials to safe vessels, and is responsible for all other process-related emergency management.

EMERGENCY PLANNING AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

Regulatory requirements exist under OSHA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for interaction with local, state, and, in some cases, federal agencies1,2,3 and require the development of hazardous materials emergency response plans for local communities. For communities to develop these plans, they need to be aware of the hazards presented by facilities within their planning district. Those facilities that fall within the planning district must, by law, provide a representative to assist the community with its planning.

Resources

Resources, in terms of people as well as facilities and equipment, are necessary for the contingency plan to work. Questionnaires should be developed in order to identify available resources. The questionnaires should be provided to the sources of identified hazards (facilities, transporters) and to local response and government agencies. The National Response Team's Hazardous Materials Planning Guide (NRT-1, 2001 update) contains a list of questions.

Limitations of the NCP and Resulting Effects

The Bhopal disaster occurred in India in 1984, and some 3,800 people died as a result of the toxic release of methyl isocyanate gas This tragedy made it apparent that no contingency plans existed in the United States to deal with similar emergencies, as the NCP had not considered toxic gas releases at the time The public demanded protection, and the resulting legislation was the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA), Title III

National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan Functions

The NCP establishes the fundamental aspects of the federal government's organizational structure and procedures for preparing for, and responding to, discharges of oil and hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants.

_______is charged with coordinating the functions of the local fire and police departments and any other agencies involved in aspects of local emergency response. These groups may have differing views about their roles in managing an incident. It is up to the community leader to resolve these differences before an emergency situation arises. It is important to note that the responsibility for assuring proper local incident response is assigned to the appropriate office and not the individual. Ideally, there should be written agreements in place that define the roles and responsibilities of all the appropriate entities before the emergency. These agreements can be obtained through the planning process.

The chief executive of a community

Emergency Director (Site Emergency Coordinator)

The emergency director responsibility includes those actions necessary to bring the emergency under control and the overall supervision of the protective actions recommended for the public, employees, and the environment. It is recommended to the degree possible that the same hierarchical structure used during normal operation should be maintained during an emergency. Thus, the plant manager should be assigned the emergency director position, if possible.

Public affairs/legal counsel.

The function is responsible for providing news releases and legal counsel during an emergency.

_______should include standard operating procedures, which are user friendly, checklist-type instructions for the various segments of the emergency response organization to execute the functions defined in the annexes. A telephone roster listing the names and phone numbers of key members of the emergency response organization (and their alternates) should be provided. Additional information that should be contained in the annexes is local environmental data. This would include critical habitat areas, water supply information, groundwater resources, and potentially sensitive receptors such as hospitals and schools.

The generic functional annexes

______define and describe the policies, procedures, roles, and responsibilities that are inherent in the functions before, during, and after an emergency.

The generic functional annexes

Incident Response Commander (IRC, Field Operations Coordinator)

The incident response commander or field operations coordinator is the highest ranking officer at the scene of an emergency event. The command post from which that person directs the emergency response should be located as close as possible to the emergency field operations.

Personnel

The people available to implement the contingency plan must be identified. The specific community points of contact should be identified by position and title, along with their areas of responsibility. A list of the individuals who hold these positions and their alternates should be developed separately. Since positions stay constant, the plan should identify position titles only, with names of responsible individuals and 24-hour phone numbers in a separate, easily updated document. Once the personnel resources and areas of responsibility are identified, a matrix of groups versus functions is readily constructed.

Emergency Planning

The planning process is the key to successful emergency preparedness. Relationships among the plant, local government, and the community are often complex, and planning promotes interaction amongst all participants. Planning is effective for both sudden events, such as a spill or gas release as well as the response to any environmental event .

Hazards Analysis

The planning team is responsible for several key components. Hazards identification, vulnerability analysis, and risk analysis together make up the hazards analysis task. Help with this process is available. The EPA has developed a publication jointly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to assess the hazards related to potential airborne releases of extremely hazardous substances ["Technical Guidance for Hazards Analysis" ("Green Book")]. Information on this and other relevant publications is available elsewhere

Risk Analysis

The purpose of the risk analysis task is to determine the potential and severity of a possible incident. Methodologies are available for calculating estimates of the quantity of a release, the rate of dispersion, and possible concentrations that could affect human health. The previously identified EPA document16 lists a number of publications and computer programs available from federal agencies, such as the Handbook of Chemical Hazards Analysis Procedure ("Brown Book"), which provide fairly detailed information useful for estimating the size of zones considered vulnerable to toxic effects from accidental releases. These documents give additional information on suggested levels of concern.

Response Operations Coordinator

The response operations coordinator operates in the EOC and is responsible for coordinating the activities. The response operations coordinator performs the following functions:14 • Assists the emergency director in organizing and directing emergency activities • Formulates strategies on actions to be taken to mitigate consequences of the event • Maintains direct communication with the on-scene incident commander • Establishes a journal/log for recording activities • Evaluate operational information and determines priorities • Requests additional personnel and equipment resources

Hazard-Specific Appendices

The unique characteristics of hazards identified specific to the local planning district are included as appendices to the functional plan. A single appendix should address all response function requirements related to a particular hazard.

Vulnerability Analysis

The vulnerability analysis, sometimes called a consequence analysis, involves determination of the areas, populations, and facilities that may be at risk if a release occurs. A list summarizing those critical facilities in the county or municipal area whose loss would severely hamper emergency operations or increase the potential for loss of life or property should be included in the plan.

Incident Response Team

These are the group of persons directly involved, and prepared for, an emergency event. Typically, there are two types of teams: specific member teams and volunteer or ad-hoc teams. Specific member teams are trained and are on standby all the time during scheduled hours. They are normally paid by the state or local municipality or agency and therefore outside the facility operations. Sometimes, plants are large enough to support a specific member team. They are usually organized by rank and have a clearly defined chain of command and response structure. Examples are SWAT and municipal fire department HAZMAT response teams. Volunteer or ad-hoc teams are composed of willing volunteers who get special training focused on emergency response. These teams undergo specialized training for various aspects of the response and are prepared to fulfill the roles required by the specific situation. They normally have unrelated jobs at the facility, but in an emergency respond as a member of the team. Example would be a member of the engineering department trained in confined space emergency response.

Off-site liaison.

This function coordinates actions between the on-site response organization and the various external response teams, departments, local representatives, agencies, and neighboring industries.

Resources/supplies

This function ensures that the necessary supplies are available to the emergency response teams and organizes and maintains the staging area where emergency material and equipment is temporarily stored.

Special hazard (HAZMAT) or spill control .

This function is associated with personnel specially trained in dealing with any emergency caused by the presence of special hazards such as releases of toxic or hazardous materials. The handling of these emergencies depends on the physical state of the material released, type of hazardous material (e.g., poisonous gas, explosive, flammable liquid), type of facility from which the material is released (e.g., storage tank or reactor), and type of event (e.g., vessel rupture, overfilling, spill, fire, toxic vapor release).

Security.

This function is responsible for ensuring that plant security is maintained, making sure that unauthorized persons are not admitted to the plant, and controlling the entry and exit of contractor and other appropriate response personnel.

Medical.

This function is responsible for providing first aid to the victims and arranging for their prompt transportation to an appropriate hospital and also for providing information on the nature and properties of the chemical and identifies the most appropriate emergency treatment of injured or exposed personnel.

Environmental and field survey.

This function is responsible for reducing the impact of an emergency on the environment. This function develops programs to monitor potential migration of the release and assesses impacts.

Types of Emergencies:

Toxic releases of contaminants in air, water and soil Industrial emergency situations such as fire and explosions.

Public Emergency Notification

When an emergency does occur, the local emergency response team must be promptly notified, and a public warning must be issued to all who may be affected. A standardized notification message form should be available to both sender and receiver of the initial information. How the media are treated while an emergency is in progress determines, to a large extent, public perception and reaction. Establishment of a media-briefing center or public information center is important. Here the local designated spokesperson can coordinate the timely provision of accurate, detailed, and meaningful information to media representatives.

A multihazard emergency operations or contingency plan consists of

a basic plan, generic functional annexes, and hazard-specific appendices. The basic plan provides an overview of the local entities' approach to emergency management, while the generic functional annexes address the specific activities required in all emergency response on the local level. Hazard-specific appendices provide response direction for special problems identified during the hazards analysis process. They detail the tasks to be performed by preassigned organizational elements at projected places under specific circumstances, based on plan-defined objectives and a realistic assessment of response capabilities.

The basic EOP is an umbrella plan that contains

a substantial amount of the generally applicable organizational and operational detail. The basic plan cites the legal authority for the plan, summarizes the situations addressed, explains the concept of operations, and describes the organization and responsibilities for emergency planning and operations. The basic plan should also include maps, organization charts, and the emergency responsibility matrix. The plan should also identify critical environmental resources and environmentally vulnerable areas within the planning area.

Management commitment to emergency preparedness is essential to

an effective response at the local level

It is important to quickly obtain data on soil, air, or water impacts in order to

assess risk and define the magnitude of the affected area

The optimum emergency management plan delineates actions that may be required for any hazard. Such broadly applicable functions as _______are generic to the management of events.

direction and control, warning, communications, and public protective actions

Public information has two roles in contingency planning:

education about the plan itself and notification of an emergency condition. The first is a public relations function and the second a necessary part of the plan itself.

Once the critical phase of the emergency is concluded, an inspection team appointed by the emergency director should

enter the damaged area and ensure that it is safe for recovery operations

Spill and Vapor Release Control Equipment

• Few methods are available to control a vapor release after it has occurred. • Fixed abatement systems (e.g., water curtains) spraying an absorbent such as water into the dispersed cloud of a soluble vapor such as ammonia and hydrogen chloride or fluoride are occasionally used • Sometimes, dispersion of gases in air below their flammability point can be achieved using water streams. • Special tools may be required to perform some response operations to control the leak or vapor release, such as plugging a leak or shutting off jammed isolation valves. • Equipment for stopping and containing a liquid spill is also necessary. Emergency containment systems for liquid spills, such as booms and portable dikes, can be built to limit the leaching of spilled material into the ground and to nearby sensitive areas. • Quick-setting foams can be applied to create an impermeable barrier to limit leaching of spills into the ground. These foams can also be used to temporarily plug a leak. • Emergency spill containment barriers designed for rapid deployment are available. These units are manufactured from chemical-resistant flexible membranes and have self-supporting perimeter chambers. • Vacuum trucks are another useful type of spill response equipment. These trucks can quickly collect surface liquids for transport to appropriate disposal facility. • Many facilities have spill containment trailers equipped with a variety of spill control equipment and supplies. Usually these trailers are outfitted with sorbent products, acid neutralizers, spill containment berm, pumps and tanks, and various types of PPE. Universal sorbents are available that can control pesticides, acids, hydrocarbons, and chlorinated compounds. Also available are products that rapidly neutralize and solidify low pH fluids such as hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, and sulfuric acid.

When completed, a local risk and vulnerability analysis should provide the following:

• Geographic description of the areas deemed vulnerable to the identified hazard • Size and type of populations expected to be in the defined vulnerable zones • Property and essential utilities services that may be affected • Environmental media that may be affected

Communication Equipment and Alarm Systems

• Horns, Sirens, and Public Address Systems • Telephones • Portable Radios • Mobile Phone/Text Messaging/Email

Firefighting Facilities, Equipment, and Supplies

• Medium-sized and large plants usually have some type of firefighting capability. • Fire pumper trucks are the most important units. • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards provide details on the equipment to be carried on pumpers and on ladder trucks. • A firewater distribution system is common to many industrial facilities. Arrangements should be made to access water tank trucks to supply additional water if the need arises. • Specialized firefighting equipment is often necessary at industrial sites because of the unusual chemical process. For example, dry chemical units carrying large quantities of dry extinguishing material such as potassium bicarbonate (purple K) may be necessary where water cannot be used as extinguishing agent.10 Fire-extinguishing foam is probably the most frequently used nonaqueous medium. • New innovations are assisting firefighters in responding to chemical fires and complex situations. Thermal imaging equipment is now available that allows firefighters to "see" in areas with dense smoke. • GPS equipment allows firefighters to locate one another in complex situations where multiple activities are occurring.

Self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA)

• Personnel performing tasks that require prolonged exposure to a toxic environment such as smoke or toxic vapors typically use SCBA. • The use of SCBA requires training. It is also important to remember that personnel performing any such containment or control operations must be trained in accordance with the appropriate levels of emergency response mandated by 29 CFR 1910.120 (q).3 • The PPE and SCBA should be stored in strategic locations throughout the plant, for example in control rooms, EOCs, the firehouse, special plant units, and the emergency supply storage area. • A compressor is required for refilling the cylinders. • The SCBA should be inspected and serviced periodically through a preventive maintenance program.

EMERGENCY PLANNING FOR INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES

• Pre-emergency planning and off-site coordination • Identification of roles and responsibilities of assigned personnel • Training programs • Communication structure • Emergency recognition and prevention • Identification of safe distances • Places of refuge and evacuation routes • Decontamination procedures • Emergency medical treatment and first-aid training • Locations, emergency alerting and response procedures • Identification of personal protective equipment (PPE), and emergency equipment

Portable Gas Detectors

• These devices can be supplied with sensors that can monitor methane, lower explosive limits, toxic gases, chlorine gas, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, oxygen deficiency and other hazardous concentrations. • Also, portable gas chromatographs are available that can provide compound-specific data on the concentrations of gases in the breathing zone as well as preliminary information on contaminated soil or water.