Model Emergency Response Plan

Introduction

This emergency response plan is designed to protect employees during emergency situations, including fires, chemical spills, natural disasters, and bomb threats.

[EMPLOYER's] Safety Manager will serve as the facility emergency response coordinator and has the primary responsibility for responding to and coordinating emergency situations.

All employees should review and follow these procedures. Supervisors must ensure that their employees are familiar with these procedures.

Reporting Emergencies

When there is a fire or other emergency that poses immediate danger to people or property, call 911 and sound the fire alarm if you can do so safety before evacuating. Follow emergency evacuation procedures. Remain calm, notify others, and respond to the emergency as appropriate. Procedures for responding to specific types of emergencies are described below. Do not attempt to handle emergency duties; e.g., fire fighting, for which you do not have training.

When you call 911 to report an emergency, provide the emergency dispatcher with the following information:

• the street address for your location;
• the building or area name where the emergency response is required;
• the location within building or area;
• a brief description of emergency; and
• your name.

Unless there is a risk to your safety, remain on the line until told by the emergency dispatcher to hang up.

The following numbers should be posted near telephones and in other conspicuous locations:

Outside emergency services (police, fire department, ambulance service)

• Hospital
• Emergency Response Coordinator
• Safety Department
• Poison Control Center
• National Response Center (1-800-424-8802)
• Regional EPA Office
• OSHA Area Office

Evacuation Procedure

• Each building at [EMPLOYER] has a written emergency evacuation procedure. Floor plans indicating exits and fire extinguishers accompany each of these procedures. The floor plans are kept on file in the Safety Department and posted in each building.
• Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that employees know the location of fire extinguishers, fire exits, and alarm systems in the areas in which they work. Training and information is available from the Safety Department.
• If a fire emergency exists, employees should immediately activate the building alarm by pulling a pull station. Pull station locations can be found on the floor plans. Employees should evacuate all rooms, closing all doors to confine and reduce the fire and to reduce oxygen. DO NOT LOCK DOORS.
• When the building evacuation alarm is sounded, an emergency exists. Walk quickly to the nearest marked exit and alert others to do the same. Smoke is the greatest danger in a fire. If you must pass through a smoke-filled room, stay near the floor where the air may be less toxic.
• Leave the building using the nearest exit. Once you are outside the building, move to the assembly area for that building. Keep streets, fire lanes, hydrants, and walkways clear for emergency vehicles and crews.

DO NOT RETURN TO AN EVACUATED BUILDING UNLESS TOLD TO DO SO.

NOTE: If you become trapped in a building during a fire and a window is available, place an article of clothing (shirt, coat, etc.) outside the window as a marker for rescue crews.

Accounting for Employees

After evacuation, report immediately to the designated assembly area. Supervisors should determine if anybody is missing and report to the emergency response coordinator.

Evacuation Procedures for Handicapped Employees

Employees should tell their supervisor about disabilities that may require special accommodations when carrying out emergency evacuation plans. The supervisor is responsible for working with the employee and the Safety Department to develop accommodations that will allow the employee to evacuate safely. For instance, co-workers or Safety Department personnel may be assigned to assist employees in wheelchairs.

Emergency Medical Treatment

Emergency medical treatment or first aid may be required during or after an emergency. Employees trained to provide first aid must remember the following:

•  avoid panic;
•  inspire confidence; and
•  do only what is necessary to stabilize an injured employee's medical condition until professional help arrives.

The following sections cover basic procedures for handling common injuries and illnesses.

First Aid Kits

A basic first aid kit should be available in each building, department, and vehicle. First aid kits will include physician-approved supplies suitable for medical emergencies that can reasonably be anticipated at [EMPLOYER's] facilities. Suitable contents for first aid kits include sterile bandages, tape, scissors, ice packs, plastic gloves, and a mouth-to-mouth breathing tube. Aspirin or other oral medications, ointments or creams, eye drops, antiseptic solutions, or inhalants are not recommended in first aid kits. Inform employees of the location of first aid kits. Inventory supplies and restock items, as necessary.

Initial First Aid

Employees who are first to arrive on the scene of a medical emergency should follow these guidelines:

• Assess the situation. Can you safely approach the victim? If not, what can you do to help without threatening your own safety? Determine what is wrong with the victim.
• Set priorities and call for emergency. Is the victim conscious? How serious is the victim s condition? Should you call for help immediately or do you need to attend to victim? Can someone else call emergency medical services so the victim is not left alone? If no one else is available, decide if it is more important to administer first aid immediately or to call emergency medical services and leave the victim unattended. Never leave a victim in a life-threatening situation without trying to first stabilize the victim s condition.
  • Check the ABCs (unconscious victims only).
    • A --Airway. Make sure the victim has a clear airway. Place the victim on his/her back. Place one hand on the victim s forehead and one hand under the chin and tilt the head back. Open the victim s mouth and check for obstructions. If the victim is unconscious and an obstruction is visible, remove it with your fingers. NOTE: If you suspect back or neck injury, do not move the victim or adjust the victim s neck. Simply open the victim s mouth to check for obstructions.
    • B --Breathing. Place your ear above the victim s mouth and look at the chest. Listen for breathing and look for the rise and fall of the chest. If the victim is not breathing, someone trained in mouth-to-mouth breathing should begin resuscitation.
    • C --Circulation. Using two fingers, gently feel for the carotid artery in the neck to check for a pulse. To find the artery, place your fingers on the victim s Adam s apple and then slide them down the side of the neck until you feel the groove between the windpipe and neck muscles. If there is no pulse, someone trained in CPR should begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
    • Stay with the victim until emergency medical personnel arrive.

Bleeding (External)

Most cuts are minor. However, heavy external bleeding can cause death in three to five minutes. In addition to the procedures for initial first aid, follow these steps to control external bleeding:

Using a sterile dressing, clean cloth, or other material, apply pressure directly over the wound. (IMPORTANT: Direct contact with a victim's blood may expose you to various communicable diseases. Always wear latex gloves when assisting a bleeding victim.)

• If possible, elevate the bleeding area. Otherwise, lay the victim flat, and elevate the legs.
• Keep the victim lying down.
• Treat the victim for shock, if necessary.
• Do not release pressure or lift the bandage until you are sure the bleeding has stopped.
• Have someone call emergency medical services, if necessary.
• Do not use a tourniquet unless an arm or leg has been amputated.
• For deep chest wounds, use a heavy dressing to keep air from passing through the wound. For gaping stomach wounds, use a damp dressing; do not touch any protruding organs.

Burns

Thermal and chemical burns require immediate attention. In addition to the procedures for initial first aid, follow these steps for thermal burns:

First and second degree burns cause redness and blistering, but leave the victim s skin intact. For first and second degree burns:

• Immerse the burned area in cold water or apply ice packs to the affected area.
• Cover the burned area with a clean cloth.
• Treat the victim for shock, if necessary.
• Do not apply butter, oil, or cream to a burn.

For serious burns (e.g., large area burns or charred skin):

• Remove clothing from the injured area. Cut around clothing that adheres to the skin.
• Treat the victim for shock.
• If the victim is conscious, provide nonalcoholic fluids.
• Call emergency personnel as soon as possible.

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

When a person stops breathing, immediate assistance is necessary. If the person stops breathing due to choking, follow the first aid instructions for choking victims. If the person stops breathing due to a hazardous atmosphere, move the victim to fresh air immediately.

IMPORTANT: Always wear personal protective equipment when entering hazardous atmospheres. Do not attempt a rescue without adequate protection or proper training.

Someone formally trained in CPR should provide assistance to victims who are not breathing and victims who do not have a pulse, as follows:

• Try to arouse the victim.
• Place the victim on his back. Open the victim s airway by placing one hand on the forehead and one hand under the chin and tilting the head back. Check for any obstructions in the mouth or throat.
• Look, listen, and feel for breathing.
• If the victim is not breathing, pinch the victim s nose closed and use a mouth-to-mouth breathing tube to give two slow, deep breaths.

Check the carotid pulse and look, listen, and feel for breathing. If a pulse is present but the victim does not start breathing, continue rescue breathing as follows:

• Adult: one breath every five seconds;
• Child: one breath every four seconds; and
• Infant: one breath every three seconds.

If a pulse is not present, have someone formally trained in CPR begin mouth-to mouth breathing and chest compressions. Continue this procedure until the victim starts breathing or emergency personnel arrive.

Chemical Splashes

Chemical splashes on the skin require immediate attention. Follow these steps:

• Go to the emergency shower or sink.
• Remove any contaminated clothing.
• Wash the affected area with water thoroughly for 15 minutes.
• Seek medical attention.

Choking

Choking victims cannot speak, breathe, or cough forcefully. Follow these steps for conscious choking victims:

• Ask the victim if he is choking. If the victim indicates yes, begin the Heimlich Maneuver, as outlined below.
• Get behind the victim and make a fist with one hand. Grasp your fist with the other hand and place your hands slightly above the victim s navel.
• Give quick, upward thrusts backwards until the object is expelled.

IMPORTANT: For pregnant or obese victims, use a chest thrust. Place your fist on the sternum, and thrust backwards repeatedly.

Follow these steps for unconscious choking victims:

• Call emergency personnel.
• Place the victim on his back. Open the victim s airway by placing one hand on the forehead and one hand under the chin and tilting the head back. Check for any obstructions in the mouth or throat.
• Attempt mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing.
• If the airway remains blocked, place the heel of your hand slightly below the victim s ribs. Give six to ten abdominal thrusts. For pregnant or obese victims, use a chest thrust. Place your fist on the sternum, and thrust backwards repeatedly.
• Sweep the mouth to remove any dislodged objects and attempt mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing again.
• Continue this procedure until the object is dislodged or the victim starts breathing.

Eye Injury

• If hazardous liquids, particles, or gas irritate a person s eye, have the victim flush the eye with water for at least 15 minutes. Use an eye wash station, sink, or water fountain. Seek assistance from a physician, as necessary.
• If a foreign object (e.g., glass, pencil lead, etc.) is embedded in the eye, place a plastic cup or gauze over the affected eye. This will keep the eye from moving and inflicting further damage. Seek assistance from a physician immediately.

Insect Bites

• Contact emergency personnel or a physician whenever someone suffers multiple stings (or suffers adverse effects from a single sting) from wasps, bees, fire ants, or other stinging insects.
• For a single insect sting, remove the stinger by scraping the skin. Do not use tweezers or your fingers to remove a stinger. Pinching the stinger with tweezers or fingers may release more venom.
• Workers who are extremely allergic to certain insect bites should carry appropriate medication and inform others of their allergy.

Poisoning

There are many types of poisons. Each requires a specific type of treatment. The remedy for one type of poison may worsen the condition of an employee affected by a different poison. If you suspect a victim has been poisoned through ingestion, inhalation, or skin exposure, try to determine what the poisoning agent is. Contact emergency personnel or the Poison Control Center for specific first aid instructions.

Seizures

Do not try to restrain seizure victims. Move any furniture or objects that could harm the victim and wait for the seizure to end. Contact emergency medical services if this is the victim s first seizure or if the seizure is exceedingly violent or lasts a long time. Do not place anything in a seizure victim s mouth.

Shock

Shock commonly accompanies injuries or severe emotional distress. Symptoms of shock include the following:

• cold, clammy skin;
• pale skin tone;
• shallow breathing; and chills.

Follow these steps to assist shock victims:

• Call emergency personnel.
• Keep the victim lying down.
• Maintain an open airway. If the victim vomits, turn the head sideways and the chin downward.
• Elevate the victim s legs.
• Keep the victim warm.
• Reassure the victim.

Snake Bites

Most snake bites are not fatal. If a snake bite occurs, follow these steps:

• Have the victim move as little as possible.
• Apply a constricting bandage (not a tourniquet) between the wound and the heart.
• If possible, call emergency personnel. In rural locations, transport the victim to the nearest hospital immediately. If necessary and possible, carry the victim to transportation. Do not let the victim walk.
• If you cannot obtain medical attention:
• Do not make any incisions or suck out the poison.
• Do not cool the bitten area.
• Every fifteen minutes, loosen the constricting bandage for a few seconds and then reapply it.

Site Security

The emergency response coordinator is responsible for security arrangements to prevent workers or members of the public from entering areas where emergency conditions exist. Only authorized rescue and emergency response personnel should be allowed into the area. The emergency response coordinator may decide to cordon off the area with ropes and signs. If necessary, the emergency response coordinator should notify the police or hire private security personnel to secure the area after the emergency.

Specific Emergencies

The following sections describe the procedures employees should follow during specific emergencies that may arise at their facilities.

Chemical Spills

The guidelines below should be followed in the event of a chemical incident in which there is potential for a significant release of hazardous materials.

Spill classifications. Spill response procedures vary depending on whether a spill is small, medium, or large. The following are descriptions of each type of spill:

• Small spills. This category includes spills where the major dimension of the spill is less than 18 inches in diameter.
• Medium spills. These are spills where the major dimension exceeds 18 inches, but is less than 6 feet.
• Large spills. This category includes:
  • any spill involving a flammable liquid where the major dimension exceeds 6 feet in diameter; and
  • any running spill, where the source of the spill has not been contained or the flow has not been stopped.

Evacuation. Persons in the immediate vicinity of a spill should immediately evacuate the premises. If the spill is medium or large, or if the spill seems hazardous, immediately notify emergency response personnel.

General spill control techniques. Once a spill has occurred, the employees at the spill site must decide whether the spill is small enough to handle without outside assistance. Only employees with training in spill response should attempt to contain or clean up a spill.

Spill control equipment should be available wherever significant quantities of hazardous materials are received or stored. MSDS sheets, respiratory protection, absorbents, over-pack containers, container patch kits, spill dams, shovels, floor dry, acid/base neutralizers and caution-keep out signs are common spill response items that should be stocked in such areas. Consult the Safety Department for more information on what to stock for your area.

Response and cleanup procedures for small spills. Small spills generally can be handled by internal personnel and usually do not require an emergency response by fire department HAZMAT personnel. Spills of less than 18 inches normally are cleaned up by the spiller. First, quickly contain the spill by stopping or securing the spill source. This could be as simple as up righting a container and using absorbent pads to soak up spilled material. Wear gloves and protective clothing, if necessary. Put spill material and absorbents in secure containers. Do not wash the spill area until consulting with the Safety Department and reading the MSDS sheet for spill and waste disposal procedures. Sometimes the area of the spill should not be washed with water. The spilled material and the absorbent sometimes might be classified as hazardous waste and must be disposed of in compliance with state and federal environmental regulations.

Response and cleanup procedures for medium spills. Police and fire department HAZMAT teams response normally is required for medium spills. However, common sense also should be used when determining if outside help is necessary. Medium spills require the following actions:

• First, try to contain the spill at its source. This might involve quickly up righting a container or putting a lid on a container. Do not use absorbents unless they are immediately available. Once you have made a quick attempt to contain the spill, leave the area and alert emergency response personnel by calling 911. Close, but do not lock, the doors as you leave. Give emergency response personnel accurate information as to the location, chemical, and estimated amount of the spill.
• Second, evaluate the area outside of the spill. Engines and electrical equipment near the spill area must be turned off. This eliminates various sources of ignition in the area. Advise police or emergency responders on how to turn off engines or electrical sources. Do not go back into the spill area once you have left. Help emergency responders by trying to determine how to shut off heating, air conditioning equipment, or air circulating equipment, if necessary.
•  If emergency responders evacuate the spill area, follow their instructions in leaving the area.
•  After emergency responders have contained the spill, be prepared to assist them with any other information that may be necessary, such as MSDS sheets and questions about the facility.
• Emergency responders or trained personnel with proper personal protective equipment should clean up the spill residue. Do not re-enter the area until the responder in charge gives the all clear. Be prepared to assist these persons from outside the spill area with MSDS sheets, absorbents, containers, etc.
• Reports must be filed with proper authorities. It is the responsibility of the spiller to inform both his/her supervisor and the emergency responders as to what caused the spill. The supervisor of the area in which the spill occurred is responsible for completing an incident reporting form and filing it with the Safety Department. The Safety Department and the responders will then finish notifying authorities, if necessary.

Response and cleanup procedures for large spills. The response for large spills is much the same as for medium spills, except that the exposure danger is greater. The response for large spills is as follows:

• First, since spill control or containment by the spiller is not likely, the spiller should immediately leave the area and notify police (911). Again, give the operator the spill location, chemical spilled, and approximate amount.
• Second, from a safe area, attempt to get MSDS information for the spilled chemical for the emergency responders to use. Also, be prepared to advise responders as to any ignition sources, engines, electrical power, or air conditioning/ventilation systems that may need to be shut off. Advise responders of any absorbents, containers, or spill control equipment that may be available. This may need to be done from a remote area, as an evacuation that would place the spiller far from the scene may be needed. Use radio or phone to assist from a distance, if necessary.
• Spills greater than 6 feet in any dimension or that are continuous should be handled only by emergency response personnel, in accordance with their own established procedures. Remember, once the emergency responders or HAZMAT team is on the job cleaning up spills or putting out fires, the area is under their control and no one may re-enter the area until the responder in charge gives the all clear.
• Finally, the spiller will need to provide information for reports to supervisors and responders, just as in medium spills.

Fires

If you see a fire or smoke, take the following steps:

• Activate the alarm to begin evacuating the building.
• If you are not in immediate danger, call 911 to report the fire. Provide the operator with the building or area name, the approximate location of the fire, the size and type of fire, and your name.
• If you are formally trained in fire fighting techniques are not in imminent danger, you may attempt to fight a fire that is small and controllable. Do not place yourself or others in unnecessary danger.
• Exit the building by following posted evacuation routes. Proceed to the designated assembly location. Do not use elevators in an emergency.
• Employees must receive permission from their supervisor or the emergency response coordinator before re-entering the building.

Bomb Threats

If you receive a bomb threat over the telephone, remain calm and act courteous. If possible, notify another person to listen on another extension. Take notes on the caller s threat, tone, voice characteristics, and background noise.

If the caller seems willing to talk, try to find out as much as possible about the caller and the threat. Ask questions, such as:

• When will the bomb go off? How much time remains?
• Where is the bomb located?
• What kind of bomb is it?
• How do you know about this bomb?
• What is your name?
• Do you know that there are people in the building who could be hurt or killed?

Take the following steps after the caller hangs up:

• Hang up the phone. Immediately, before the next call comes in, dial *57. Listen and write down what the recorded message says.
• Hang up the phone, pick up the phone and dial *69. Listen and write down what the recorded message says.
• Call the police department by dialing 911 and report the following information:
  • your name;
  • the location and telephone number from which you are calling;
  • a description of the bomb threat;
  • the exact time you received the call;
  • the location of the device, if known;
  • the time the device is set to detonate, if known;
  • the type of device, if known;
  • the information you received after dialing *57 and *69; and
  • any other information from your notes.
  • Inform your supervisor and building security.

Weather Emergencies

[EMPLOYER's] facility is subject to the following weather emergencies:

• tornados and high winds;
• lightning; and
• winter weather.

During a tornado warning or high winds, employees should move to places of maximum protection, such as the interiors of buildings and the lowest floor possible. Keep away from windows. Assist disabled workers in moving to these locations. Await specific instructions from your supervisor or the emergency response coordinator. A tornado watch is issued when weather conditions are ideal for a tornado to form. A tornado warning is issued when a tornado is identified in the immediate vicinity.

During an electrical storm, stay away from windows and open doors. You may be instructed to shut down your computer. Stay clear of metal objects, such as pipes and electrical appliances. Do not go outside. If you find yourself caught in a storm away from a protected building, stay in a closed automobile if possible. Stay away from tree lines, flag poles, towers, and metal fences. If caught in the open, stay low.

Except during extremely hazardous weather conditions, [EMPLOYER] will remain open for business and employees will be expected to report for work. During severe winter weather, employees may listen to the following radio stations for information about any closings or delayed openings:

Employees also may call [EMPLOYER's] main phone number at ____________ or their supervisor to determine whether to report to work during severe weather. Drive slowly in winter weather and be sure to clean all ice and snow from vehicle windows. 

Reprinted with permission. © CCH