Industrial Safety and Health for Goods and Materials Services - Chapter 12

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Người ta nghi ngờ cho dù bất kỳ ngành công nghiệp có thể loại bỏ các kế hoạch khẩn cấp. Bất cứ nơi nào có là công nhân luôn luôn có tiềm năng cho các trường hợp khẩn cấp của con người như chấn thương, bệnh tật, tử vong trường hợp khẩn cấp, bạo lực, và y tế. Thời tiết và môi trường cũng có thể gây ra trường hợp khẩn cấp tự nhiên như bão, lũ lụt, động đất, và lốc xoáy. Con người tạo ra các trường hợp khẩn cấp, chẳng hạn như hỏa hoạn, nổ, hoặc tràn...

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12 Emergencies Bell Fire alarm box Fire with pull handle Alarm Local emergency number Telephone Responses to emergencies should be planned in advance and alarms and warning devices in place. (Courtesy of the Department of Energy.) It is doubtful whether any industry can do away with emergency planning. Wherever there are workers there is always potential for human emergencies such as injury, illness, death, violence, and medical emergencies. The weather and environment can also cause natural emergencies such as storms, ﬂoods, earthquakes, and tornados. Man-made emergencies, such as ﬁre, explosion, or chemical spills, cannot be over- looked either. The key is to be the best possibly prepared to react to any emergency. This requires a number of issues to be addressed. 12.1 IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDS When looking at what hazards exist in a workplace, it is imperative that a worst-case scenario approach be employed. It is virtually impossible to address each possible hazard, but each industry has areas where it is most vulnerable or most at risk of an unplanned emergency. A risk assessment will allow prioritizing the potential risk. At this point an action plan can be developed to address the hazards that have been ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
identiﬁed. Some of the common hazards that might be identiﬁed as having an impact on the workplace are as follows: . Fire . Explosion . Natural gas leak . Chemical spill . Release of radioactive materials . Airborne chemical or biological releases . Power outage . Loss of communications . Water leak . Flooding . Earthquakes . Winter storms . Windstorms . Hurricanes . Tornados . Security issues . Bomb threat . Suspicious letter or package . Civil strife . War . Sabotage . Labor strike . Accidents (injuries, illnesses, and deaths) . Mechanical failure . Transportation incidents (truck, rail, or air) . Workplace violence The best way is to prepare to respond to an emergency before it happens. Few people can think clearly and logically in a crisis, so it is important to do this in advance, when you have time to be thorough. 12.2 EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS An emergency action plan (EAP) covers designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety from ﬁre and other emergencies. Not all employers are required to establish an EAP. If an employer has less than 10 employees, the plan can be communicated orally. If, on the other hand, an employer has more than 10 employees, the plan must be written, kept in the workplace, and available for employee review. It would be unusual for retail, wholesale, or warehousing sectors to not have to comply with portable ﬁre extinguisher regulations (1910.157) or use a ﬁxed ﬁre suppression system. If an employer is regulated as above then the employer would ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Standards that refer to 1910.38(a) Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and additional emergency planning procedures Do you need an EAP under 1910.38(a)? Are you required Are you required Are you required to comply with to comply with Are you required to comply with Are you required 1910.120 Do you use a 1910.1047 to comply with 1910.119 hazardous waste to comply with fixed fire ethylene oxide, 1910.157 process safety operations and 1910.272 1910.1050 suppression emergency portable fire management for methylenedianiline, grain handling system? response extinguishers? highly hazardous or 1910.1051 facilities? Paragraphs (1). 1,3-butadiene? chemicals? (p)(8), or (q)? If you have a total flooding If all If the If some system employees alarms or If all of your employees where the evacuate devices fight fires, extinguishing employees and initiated by but others agent’s evacuate none fire detector evacuate Develop an EAP and concentrations during a fire during a fire provide actuation are exceed levels include procedures for emergency... emergency... emergency delayed >30 discussed in handling small releases, response... s... 1910.162(b)(5) plus you may be subject and (b)(6)... to 1910.120(a), (p) and (q) Develop an EAP and Develop an EAP and Develop an EAP Develop an EAP comply with 1910.157 (c), address the delay in it (e), (f), (g)(3) and (g)(4) Develop an EAP Develop an EAP Develop an EAP and a Fire Prevention Plan under 1910.38(b), plus you may have to comply with 1910.157(e) and (f) FIGURE 12.1 Decision chart for determining the need for an EAP. (Courtesy of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.) need to develop an EAP. Figure 12.1 provides a decision chart for determining if an employer needs an EAP. When developing your EAP, it is a good idea to look at a wide variety of potential emergencies that could occur in your workplace. It should be tailored to your worksite and include information about all potential sources of emergencies. Developing an EAP means you should do a hazard assessment to determine what, if any, physical or chemical hazards in your workplaces could cause an emergency. If you have more than one worksite, each site should have an EAP. 12.2.1 ELEMENTS EAP OF AN At a minimum, your EAP must include the following: A preferred method for reporting ﬁres and other emergencies . . An evacuation policy and procedure including type of evacuation and exit route assignment . Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation Emergency escape procedures and route assignments, such as ﬂoor plans, . workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
. Names, titles, departments, and telephone numbers of individuals both within and outside your company to contact for additional information or explanation of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan . Procedures for employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant operations, operate ﬁre extinguishers, or perform other essential services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating . Alarm system to alert workers . Rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them In addition, although they are not speciﬁcally required by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), you may ﬁnd it helpful to include in your plan the following: . Designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees, including those who have handicaps . The site of an alternative communications center to be used in the event of a ﬁre or explosion . A secure on- or offsite location to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, your employees’ emergency contact lists, and other essential records The EAP needs to be reviewed with each employee trained on it when the plan is developed and when an employee is assigned initially to a job, plan is changed, or employees have speciﬁc responsibilities under the plan. 12.3 ALARM SYSTEM Your plan must include a way to alert employees, including disabled workers, to evacuate or take alternative action, and how to report emergencies, as required. Among the steps you must take are the following: . Make sure alarms are distinctive and recognized by all employees as a signal to evacuate the work area or perform actions identiﬁed in your plan. . Make available an emergency communications system such as a public address system, portable radio unit, or other means to notify employees of the emergency and to contact local law enforcement, the ﬁre department, and others. . Stipulate that alarms must be audible, seen, or otherwise perceived by everyone in the workplace. It might be good to consider providing an auxiliary power supply in the event of a power breakdown. (29 CFR 1910.165(b)(2) offers more information on alarms.) The following may also be considered, although it is not speciﬁcally required by OSHA: ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
FIGURE 12.2 Both an audible and visual alarm. . Using tactile devices to alert employees who would not otherwise be able to recognize an audible or visual alarm (Figure 12.2) . Providing an updated list of key personnel such as the manager or phys- ician, in order of priority, to notify in the event of an emergency during off- duty hours 12.4 EVACUATION PLAN AND POLICY A disorganized evacuation can result in confusion, injury, and property damage. That is why when developing your EAP it is important to determine the following: . Conditions under which an evacuation would be necessary. . A clear chain of command and designation of the person in your business authorized to order an evacuation or shutdown. You may want to designate an ‘‘evacuation warden’’ to assist others in an evacuation and to account for personnel. Speciﬁc evacuation procedures, including routes and exits. Post these . procedures where they are easily accessible to all employees. . Procedures for assisting people with disabilities or who do not speak English. . Designation of what, if any, employees will continue or shut down critical operations during an evacuation. These people must be capable of recog- nizing when to abandon the operation and evacuate themselves. . A system for accounting for personnel following an evacuation. Consider employees’ transportation needs for community-wide evacuations. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
In the event of an emergency, local emergency ofﬁcials may order you to evacuate your premises. In some cases, they may instruct you to shut off the water, gas, and electricity. If you have access to radio or television, listen to newscasts to keep informed and follow whatever ofﬁcial orders you receive. In other cases, a designated person within your business should be responsible for making the decision to evacuate or shut down operations. Protecting the health and safety of everyone in the facility should be the ﬁrst priority. In the event of a ﬁre, an immediate evacuation to a predetermined area away from the facility is the best way to protect employees. On the other hand, evacuating employees may not be the best response to an emergency such as a toxic gas release at a facility across town from your business. 12.5 EMERGENCY RESPONSIBILITY When drafting your EAP, you may wish to select a responsible individual to lead and coordinate the emergency plan and evacuation. It is critical that employees know who the coordinator is and understand that person has the authority to make decisions during emergencies. The coordinator should be responsible for the following: . Assessing the situation to determine whether an emergency is present that requires activation of your emergency procedures . Supervising all efforts in the area, including evacuating personnel . Coordinating outside emergency services, such as medical aid and local ﬁre departments, and ensuring that they are available and notiﬁed when necessary . Directing the shutdown of work operations when required It may also be beneﬁcial to coordinate the action plan with other employers when several employers share the worksite, although OSHA standards do not speciﬁcally require this. In addition to a coordinator, it could be a good idea to designate evacuation wardens to help move employees from danger to safe areas during an emergency. Generally, 1 warden for every 20 employees should be adequate, and the appropriate number of wardens should be available at all times during working hours. Employees designated to assist in emergency evacuation procedures should be trained in the complete workplace layout and various alternative escape routes. All employees and those designated to assist in emergencies should be made aware of employees with special needs who may require extra assistance, how to use the buddy system, and hazardous areas to avoid during an emergency evacuation. 12.6 EXIT ROUTES Usually, a workplace must have at least two exit routes for prompt evacuation. But more than two exits are required if the number of employees, size of the building, or arrangement of the workplace will not allow a safe evacuation. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Exit routes must be located as far away as practical from each other in case one is blocked by ﬁre or smoke. 12.6.1 REQUIREMENTS EXITS FOR Exits must be separated form the workplace by ﬁre-resistant materials—that is, 1 h ﬁre-resistance rating if the exit connects three or fewer stories, and a 2 h ﬁre- resistance rating if the exit connects more than three stories. Exits can have only those openings necessary to allow access to the exit from occupied areas of the workplace or to the exit discharge. Openings must be protected by a self-closing, approved ﬁre door that remains closed or automatically closes in an emergency. Maintain a line-of-sight to exit signs clearly visible always and install ‘‘Exit’’ signs using plainly legible letters (Figure 12.3). 12.6.2 SAFETY FEATURES EXIT ROUTES FOR The safety features exit routes are as follows: Keep exit routes free of explosives or highly ﬂammable furnishings and . other decorations. . Arrange exit routes so employees will not have to travel toward high-hazard areas unless the path of travel is effectively shielded from the high- hazard area. . Ensure the exit routes are free and unobstructed by materials, equipment, locked doors, or dead-end corridors. . Provide adequate lighting for exit routes for employees with normal vision. FIGURE 12.3 A properly labeled exit. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
. Keep exit route doors free of decorations or signs that obscure the visibility of exit doors. . Post signs along the exit access indicating the direction of travel to the nearest exit and exit discharge if that direction is not immediately apparent. . Mark doors and passages along an exit access that could be mistaken for an exit ‘‘Not an exit’’ or with a sign identifying its use such as ‘‘Closet.’’ Renew ﬁre-retardant paints or solution when needed. . . Maintain exit routes during construction, repairs, or alterations. 12.6.3 DESIGN CONSTRUCTION EXITS AND OF The requirements for design and construction of exits are as follows: . Exit routes must be permanent parts of the workplace. . Exit discharges must lead directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way, or open space with access to the outside. . Exit discharge areas must be large enough to accommodate people likely to use the exit route. . Exit route doors must unlock from the inside. They must be free of devices or alarms that could restrict use of the exit route if the device or alarm fails. . Exit routes can be connected to rooms only by side-hinged doors, which must swing out in the direction of travel if the room may be occupied by more than 50 people. . Exit routes must support the maximum permitted occupant load for each ﬂoor served, and the capacity of an exit route may not decrease in the direction of exit route travel to the exit discharge. . An exit access must have ceilings at least 7 ft 6 in. high. . An exit access must be at least 28 in. wide at all points. Objects that project into the exit must not reduce its width (Figure 12.4). 12.7 ACCOUNTING FOR EVACUEES Accounting for all employees following an evacuation is critical. Confusion in the assembly areas can lead to delays in rescuing anyone trapped in the building, or unnecessary and dangerous search-and-rescue operations. To ensure the fastest, most accurate accountability of your employees, you may want to consider including the following steps in your EAP: . Designate assembly areas where employees should gather after evacuation. . Take a head count after the evacuation. Identify the names and last known locations of anyone not accounted for and pass them to the ofﬁcial in charge. . Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers. . Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands. This may consist of sending employees home by normal means or providing them with transportation to an offsite location. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
FIGURE 12.4 A well-designed emergency exit. 12.8 RESCUE OPERATIONS It takes more than just willing hands to save lives. Untrained individuals may endanger themselves and those they are trying to rescue. For this reason, it is generally wise to leave rescue work to those who are trained, equipped, and certiﬁed to conduct rescues. 12.9 MEDICAL CARE IN EMERGENCIES If your company does not have a formal medical program, investigate ways to provide medical and ﬁrst-aid services. If medical facilities are available near your worksite, make arrangements for them to handle emergency cases. Provide your employees with a written emergency medical procedure to minimize confusion during an emergency. If an inﬁrmary, clinic, or hospital is not in close proximity to the workplace, ensure that onsite persons have adequate training in ﬁrst aid. The American Red Cross, some insurance providers, local safety councils, ﬁre departments, or other resources may be able to provide this training. Treatment of a serious injury should begin within 3–4 min of the accident. Consult with a physician to order appropriate ﬁrst-aid supplies for emergencies. Medical personnel must be accessible to provide advice and consultation in resolving health problems that occur in the workplace. Establish a relationship with a local ambulance service so transportation is readily available for emergencies. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
12.10 TRAINING EMPLOYEES Educate employees about the types of emergencies that may occur and train them in the proper course of action. The size of your workplace and workforce, processes used, materials handled, and the availability of onsite or outside resources will determine your training requirements. Be sure all employees understand the function and elements of your EAP, including types of potential emergencies, reporting procedures, alarm systems, evacuation plans, and shutdown procedures. Discuss any special hazards you may have onsite such as ﬂammable materials, toxic chem- icals, radioactive sources, or water-reactive substances. Clearly communicate to employees who will be in charge during an emergency to minimize confusion. Generally, training for employees should address the following: . Individual roles and responsibilities . Threats, hazards, and protective actions Notiﬁcation, warning, and communications procedures . . Means for locating family members in an emergency . Emergency response procedures . Evacuation, shelter, and accountability procedures . Location and use of common emergency equipment . Emergency shutdown procedures Also, training employees in ﬁrst-aid procedures, including protection against bloodborne pathogens, respiratory protection, including use of an escape-only respir- ator, and methods for preventing unauthorized access to the site might be appropriate. Once the EAP has been reviewed with employees and everyone has had the proper training, it is a good idea to hold practice drills as often as necessary to keep employees prepared. Include outside resources such as ﬁre and police departments when possible. After each drill, gather management and employees to evaluate the effectiveness of the drill. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of your plan and work to improve it. Review your plan with all employees and consider requiring annual training in the plan. Also offer training when you do the following: . Develop your initial plan. . Hire new employees. . Introduce new equipment, materials, or processes into the workplace that affect evacuation routes. . Change the layout or design of the facility. . Revise or update your emergency procedures. 12.11 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES No matter what kind of business exists, the potentiality for an emergency involving hazardous materials such as ﬂammable, explosive, toxic, noxious, corrosive, bio- logical, oxidizable, or radioactive substances is always a possibility. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
The source of the hazardous substances could be external, such as a local chemical plant that catches ﬁre or an oil truck that overturns on a nearby freeway. The source may be within the workplace or facility. Regardless of the source, these events could have a direct impact on your employees and your business and should be addressed by your EAP. If hazardous substances are used or stored at the worksite, there may be an increased risk of an emergency involving hazardous materials, and this possibility should be addressed in your EAP. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) requires employers who use hazardous chemicals to keep an inventory, display the relevant manufacturer-supplied material safety data sheets (MSDSs) in a place accessible to workers, label chemical containers with their hazards, and train employees in ways to protect themselves against those hazards. A good way to start is to determine from your hazardous chemical inventory what hazardous chemicals you use and to gather the MSDSs for the chemicals. MSDSs describe the hazards that a chemical may present, list the necessary precautions when handling, storing, or using the substance, and outline emergency and ﬁrst-aid procedures. 12.12 EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT Employees may need personal protective equipment (PPE) to evacuate during an emergency. PPE must be based on the potential hazards in the workplace. Assess your workplace to determine potential hazards and the appropriate controls and protective equipment for those hazards. PPE may include items such as the following: . Safety glasses, goggles, or face shields for eye protection . Hard hats and safety shoes for head and foot protection . Proper respirators . Chemical suits, gloves, hoods, and boots for body protection from chemicals . Special body protection for abnormal environmental conditions such as extreme temperatures . Any other special equipment or warning devices necessary for hazards unique to your worksite Consult with a health and safety professional or an industrial hygienist before making any purchases. Respirators selected should be appropriate to the hazards in your workplace, meet OSHA standards criteria, and be certiﬁed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Respiratory protection may be neces- sary if your employees must pass through toxic atmospheres of dust, mists, gases, or vapors, or through oxygen-deﬁcient areas while evacuating. 12.13 SUMMARY Emergencies are always a possibility. Reacting late to an emergency can be disas- trous and be detrimental to any employer’s business. The preplanning can actually save a business by decreasing liability and preventing the harm that can occur to the workforce and the workplace itself. Employers should undertake emergency plan- ning seriously and as a good business practice. ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
ß 2008 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.