Emergency Response
Planning for emergency responses
Emergencysituations,like spil s
and fires, can be great sources of environmental liability. These unplanned incidents tend to occur at the most inopportune time and result in high clean-up costs, significant business disruptions, nega tive publicity and possible legal action. Due to obvious negative impacts like these, many companies are taking a proactive approach to emergency re
sponse.
floor workers dealing with hazards in the workplace. Input may also be desired from exterior service providers, govern ment officials and neighbours. Without involvementfrom all concerned,imple mentation can fail. No ERF is worth
the paper it is written on (or the disk space it takes up) if it does not match the risks present on the shop floor, nor will it be accepted. This process needs to be tailored to the conditions present in each facility but
nel;
• Less likelihood of corporate and per sonal liability; • Fart of any modern Environmental Management System (EMS); •Potential for improved public relations; and
•Significantly strengthens any potential due diligence defense through the ap plication of reasonable management and care.
The ERP Process
The process of creating an ERF can be quite involved. To properly design, implement and monitor a plan for emer gency response, a company needs to in volve may different interior and exte rior parties. Input from personnel should range from top management to the shop 'Environmental Contingency Services (ECS), Mississauga, ON 68
accomplished by checking records on past incidents, physical assessment of the facility, discussions with staff mem bers and the involvement of experts (i.e. Fire Marshal, MOE officials, consult
ranked by the ERF planning team, based on priority. Starting with the most se vere risk areas, the team gen erates optionsfor risk reduc tion and elimination meas
ures. Through brainstorming and selection filters (financial, technical, etc.), risk reduction measures are identified and a suitable schedule
for implementation is de veloped. If selected and implemented correctly, the facility will be much less likely to have emergency situa tions occur once this process is com plete. the following stages are fairly generic for each ERF: • Commitment to the process. • Identification of risk areas.
• Identification and implementation of
ment;
this exercise. Risk identification is
ants). Once all relevant risk areas are identified and understood, they are
Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) are becoming a significant tool for mod em business management teams. An ERF is a formal proactive plan of ac tion for mitigating and responding to unplanned incidents in the workplace; it focuses on address ing environmental, legal, and health & safety considerations in a logical manner. There are many key ben efits to companies that adopt an ERF,including: •Better understanding by all parties of the health & safety implications associated with emergency situations; ' • Improved relations between management and labour force be cause it is seen as a preventative meas ure to protect the safety of all person •Provides management team with a bet ter understanding of risks present in a facility which allows for better manage
ented individual and given a deadline for intended completion. The identification ofrisk areas is the foundation on which the process is built. The risks considered in the process need to be clearly identified in the scope of
risk reduction or elimination measures.
• Development of emergency response responsibilities and procedures. • Implementation of the plan. • Acquisition of training and response products. • Testing and monitoring of ERF. Commitment is essential before any company goes through this process. The ERF process requires a focused effort, money and an understanding ofthe proc ess. Without a commitment, the ERF
process may never be completed, or may not become the useful tool it can be. All
members of the planning team need to understand and believe in the strengths and benefits of the process and be given the responsibility to generate a quality plan that meets the needs of the facility. A general recommendation for the proc ess is for the team to be lead by a tal
Since most risks cannot be eliminated
due to the very nature of certain types of business,emergency response respon sibilities and procedures will be devel oped. Fersonnel and/or service provid ers will be identified who will be respon sible in emergency response situations. These people should be chosen based upon their experience and training rather than their seniority. In many situations, the individual best suited to operate a facility under normal working condi tions is not the best person to be in charge when reacting to crisis situations. Frocedures will be developed for key emergency situations including evacu ation,first aid,containment,security and communication. Emergency response personnel will be given agreed upon procedures and priorities for complet ing their roles. The stage of identifying responsible parties and developing re sponse procedures can be very involved and time consuming. Implementation of the ERF requires that all involved parties understand their
Environmental Science & Engineering, September 1998