Emergency Response


We recently experienced 2 very powerful hurricanes, which not only left damage and destruction throughout the south, but also impacted the midwest with heavy rainfalls and flooding.  So was your company or organization emergency ready?  Many were not.

FEMA, Homeland Security, The Red Cross, along with others have materials to help you prepare for disruption of your business.

Here are some things you might want to consider:

  • Back up your computer system. Make sure your computers are backed up, preferably off site, and the programs to restore your business data are current. Also, practice restoring your system. After the fact is not the time to test.
  • Set up an employee call network. Get employee phone and cell numbers and break your workforce into groups. If there is a natural disaster, have one person in charge of calling everyone in their group, then reporting back to management.
  • Have adequate generator capacity. Make sure you have a generator that can run your facility before a disaster strikes. Needless to say, a reliable fuel source is a must. Set it up and test it.
  • Stockpile supplies. Store non-perishable food items and other essentials that may be needed after a storm, to create an environment where employees will want to come to work. If you take care of your employees after a disaster, they will take care of you.
  • Train first responders on emergency procedures and then all the employees. Ensure that first responders have adequate notice to get employees to a safe area depending on the diaster.
  • Secure your facility unless in the case of fire there is no time.
  • Plan for after the diaster. Designate a team to assess damages and take stock of what’s happened after the danger has passed.

You can also review Compliance Resource Center articles on Emergency Prepardness:

Exit Routes and Emergency Action Plans (1910.33)

Emergency Preparedness Be Ready

Fire Prevention Plan

Communications Preparedness Tips

NFPA Evacuation Guide to People with Disabilities

There are more articles at www.thecrcenter.com.  So now is the time if you do not have a emergency plan GET ONE and the other important word is PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

 



2008 ERG.pngRecently, Chuck Armstrong, Safety Manager for the City of Chicago, sent me a website to check out.  This short video http://www.hazmatsolutions.net/erg/ explains how to use an Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).   Click on the quiz at the end of the presentation to test your knowledge.  

This video can also be used a part of a training class if your safety department is involved with hazardous materials.   

Thanks for passing this information to our readers.  If you have anything like this (which is not a commercial) let us know and we will give everyone the information to use.



Hazcom label 2.pngHazCom Label.png

It is interesting that in the 29CFR 1910, there are 2 parts that have similar, yet vastly different relationships.  Both parts deal with hazardous materials but the difference is only one (1) zero or is it?  1910 part 120 is the regulation for hazardous waste operations and emergency response, and 1910.1200 is the compliance regulation for hazardous communications. 

Hazardous communications almost always is in the top 5 of most frequently cited standards of OSHA violations.  The most common citation is for failing to have a written program 1910.1200(e) and failure to train employees 1910.1200(h).

So what does this mean?  Employers are required to have an updated MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) book on ALL hazardous chemicals/materials in the workplace.  The book should be available to all employees who work with these hazardous materials.  Each time a new or changed hazardous material enters the workplace the MSDS book should be updated.  In addition, all hazardous materials must be properly labeled with a similar 3 or 4 part hazardous label similar to the ones seen above.  Some labels include proper PPE (personnel protective equipment) to be worn when working with this hazardous material.

Another key part of the Hazardous Communication standard is the training.  The training 1910.1200(h)(3) shall include at least:

  • Methods and observations to detect the presence or release of a hazardous material in the work area.
  • Physical and health hazards of hazardous materials in work area
  • Measures take for protection.
  • Information including how to use the hazardous labels, MSDS sheets and where employees can get information.

To avoid compliance issues with the Hazcom standard, start with a hazardous materials audit and develop you policies and procedures.  Next write a Hazcom program that includes training, and then do the training.  Remember, every time a hazardous material changes or is introduced into the workplace, or a new employee is put into that environment you must train or retrain all involved.  Avoid the problems and avoid the fines.  Write the program and do the training.



Emergency Vehicle.pngI recently became aware of a journal (Fire Engineering) that has a variety of articles about fire, hazmat and safety. One the articles that came to my attention was by Steven M. De Lisi.   Mr. De Lisi retired after a fire service career spanning 27 years that included serving as a regional training manager for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) and most recently as the deputy chief for the Virginia Air Guard Fire Rescue.

His article, Hazmat Survival Tips: 10 Common Errors Committed During Incidents  addresses issues First Responders have dealing with a hazardous incident.  Today many companies have HazWoper trained personnel, many who might also find some interesting information within this article.  Hazardous incidents are becoming more common as more and more hazardous materials are being transported throughout the United States.  Companies need to make sure they are in compliance with both the US DOT (49 CFR parts 100-185) and OSHA (29CFR part 120).

 



As hurricane season approaches, the Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign and The Advertising Council are reaching out to small businesses and encouraging them to “define their day after” by putting emergency preparedness at the top of their to-do list. A series of national public service advertisements entitled “Procrastination” were released nationwide last week for radio, print, Internet, and outdoor media. Tapping into the natural tendency for individuals to put off making plans for another day, the PSAs focus on what can happen when business owners choose to place making an emergency plan at the bottom of their to-do list.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, small businesses employ more than half of all Americans. However, Institute for Business and Home Safety research shows that, at the minimum, one in four businesses never reopen following a disaster. “Research conducted by the Ad Council found that more than 85 percent of small businesses understand that emergency preparedness is important, yet only four in ten businesses have a plan to protect their businesses,” said DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff. “The ability of these businesses to survive and recover quickly from both natural and man-made disasters directly benefits employees, customers, the community, and the local, and even national, economy.”

The “Procrastination” PSAs were created by Neiman Group and mark the third round of national PSAs created for Ready Business, a component of the Ready Campaign. Ready Business is designed to help owners and managers of small- to medium-size businesses prepare their employees, operations, and assets in the event of an emergency by providing practical steps and easy-to-use templates. To date, the Ready Business effort has received more than $91.1 million in donated media support; its Web site has received more than 29.7 million hits and more than 2.6 million unique visitors; and more than 2.3 million Ready Business materials have been requested or downloaded from the Web site. For more information on SBA’s disaster program and preparedness tips, and links to the public service announcements and the Nationwide disaster guide, visit www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/disasterpreparedness/index.html.



CPR Training.pngA unified effort by the public, educators and policymakers is needed to reduce deaths from sudden cardiac arrest by increasing the use and effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), according to a statement from the American Heart Association. The statement, “Reducing barriers for implementation of bystander-initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation,” appears online in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

“Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation rates are woefully inadequate, resulting in an enormous missed opportunity to save lives from cardiac arrest,” said Benjamin S. Abella, M.D., M.Phil., clinical research director for the Center for Resuscitation Science at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and lead author of the statement.

Studies indicate that in many communities only 15 percent to 30 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims receive bystander CPR before emergency medical services (EMS) personnel arrive at the scene. Considering that cardiac arrest survival falls an estimated seven percent to 10 percent for every minute without CPR, the low rate of bystander CPR has a big impact on outcomes, he explained.

Approximately 166,200 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest deaths occur annually in the United States. Sudden cardiac arrest often results from an irregular heartbeat called ventricular fibrillation (VF) which causes the heart to quiver so that it cannot generate blood flow. Treatment of VF requires CPR to keep blood moving through the body until the patient’s heart can be shocked to terminate the VF and allow the heart’s pacemaker cells to establish a normal rhythm, AHA officials said.

In the last decade, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), portable defibrillation machines, have become increasingly common in public buildings such as casinos, airports and schools. However, Abella said defibrillation is only one of the four links in the Chain of Survival, a sequence of four actions that must occur quickly to help assure the best chances of survival.

The Chain of Survival requires:
early recognition of the emergency and phoning 911 for EMS.
early bystander CPR.
early delivery of a shock via a defibrillator if indicated.
early advanced life support and post-resuscitation care delivered by healthcare providers.

“Quick initiation of CPR, as well as providing high quality CPR, is crucial to survival,” Abella said. “What’s needed is a two-pronged approach: first, substantially increase the number of bystanders trained in CPR who then provide CPR during an actual emergency and second, improve the quality of training and actual CPR performance through measures of its effectiveness.”

The statement identifies specific potential barriers to improving U.S. cardiac arrest survival rates including: fear of infectious disease, fear of litigation and fear of poor performance, all of which Abella said could be overcome with adequate education, training and public awareness.

 



2008 ERGThe 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook is the first release of the ERG since 2004, containing new information for first responders in the event of an incident involving hazardous materials. The Guidebook provides a consistent and standardized approach for handling hazardous materials emergencies. Labelmaster, a manufacturer of regulatory compliance products, will print the updated 2008 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG).

 

 

 

New in 2008:

  • Over fifty amendments to proper shipping names and ID numbers (United Nations numbers)
  • Lists of hazardous materials will be updated
  • Lithium Ion batteries entry will be added
  • Ethanol entries and identification numbers will be added
  • The “Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distance Table” will be split into two tables to better facilitate initial incident response actions for emergencies involving TIH (Toxic Inhalation Hazards)

The Emergency Response Guidebook is the foundation of many emergency response plans and incident management systems. It provides a consistent and standardized approach for first responders in the event of an incident involving hazardous materials. It is intended to assist responders in managing the first fifteen to thirty minutes of an emergency response, often the most critical moments. It provides crucial information concerning scene management and response procedures that can save lives and enhance public and environmental safety.

Since its introduction in 1976, the ERG has been and will continue to be the “go-to” reference for first responders faced with the possibility of a hazardous materials incident. This guidebook is published in a user-friendly format and is divided into five sections which are color coded to maximize efficiency and ease of use. The goal of the US Department of Transportation is for all public emergency responders to carry a copy of the ERG.

The ERG is developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT), and with the collaboration of CIQUIME (Centro de Informacion Quimica para Emergencias) of Argentina. The 2008 ERG represents the first publication since the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials programs were merged, so there will be new information introduced regarding pipeline markers.



ERGNew information in first update since 2004.
A U.S.-based manufacturer of regulatory compliance products, will print an update of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG) - the first available in four years. This important publication is the cornerstone of many emergency response plans and incident management systems, providing a consistent and standardized approach for first responders in the event of an incident involving hazardous materials.

The ERG is developed jointly by the US Department of Transportation, Transport Canada, the Secretariat of Communications and Transportation of Mexico (SCT), and with the collaboration of CIQUIME (Centro de Informacion Quimica para Emergencias) of Argentina.

In its thirty odd years of existence, the ERG has been and will continue to be the “go-to” reference for first responders faced with the possibility of a hazardous materials incident. This guidebook is published in a user-friendly format and is divided into five sections which are color coded to maximize efficiency and ease of use.

The following items are new for 2008:

.   Over fifty amendments to proper shipping names and ID numbers (United Nations numbers)
.   Lists of hazardous materials found in the yellow and blue bordered pages will be updated to reflect those changes
.   New entry for Lithium Ion batteries will be included
.   Ethanol will have new entries and identification numbers added
.   The ‘’Initial Isolation and Protective Action Distance Table'’ will be split into two tables to better facilitate initial incident response actions for emergencies involving TIH (Toxic Inhalation Hazards)

The 2008 ERG represents the first publication since the DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials programs were merged, so there will be new information introduced regarding pipeline markers.
 
 



Under The Big TopThe BIG show is almost here.   The National Safety Council’s Congress & Expo is scheduled for October 15, 16, & 17 in Chicago.  This is the largest Safety & Health expo in the world.  There will be about 140 educational sessions, 32 professional development seminars, and over 800 exhibitors.  Many companies send their safety teams to attend the educational seminars and then have their annual safety meeting afterwards.  It is also a great place to network and look for jobs.  My favorite part has always been the people I have met.  Safety and Health professionals from all over the world.  Click here for a link to the keynote speakers. 

If you have the opportunity, come and check it out, you won’t be sorry.



OSHA has issued a new directive, CPL 02-02-073–Inspection Procedures for 29 CFR 1910.120 and 1926.65, Paragraph (q): Emergency Response to Hazardous Substance Releases. The directive updates policies and provides clarification to ensure uniform enforcement of the provisions in the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard that cover emergency response operations for releases of, or substantial threats of releases of, hazardous substances without regard to the location of the hazard. It revises CPL 02-02-059, issued April 24, 1998.

Enforcement procedures for compliance officers who need to conduct inspections of emergency response operations are included in the revision. It defines additional terms and expands on training requirements for emergency responders and other groups such as skilled support personnel. New guidance is provided on how HAZWOPER may apply to unique events such as terrorist attacks and addresses OSHA’s role under the National Response Plan. OSHA says the update will assist other federal, state, and local personnel who have responsibilities under incident command systems and will assist in emergency response operations.

The instruction updates policy and provides clarification on the following issues:

  • HAZWOPER’s application to a terrorist incident response involving chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials.
  • OSHA’s relationship with Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-5), including discussion addressing the National Response Plan (NRP), the Worker Safety and Health Support Annex, and the National Incident Management System (NIMS).
  • OSHA’s National Emergency Management Plan (NEMP) and Regional Emergency.
  • Management Plans (REMPs).
  • Definition of “First Receivers.”
  • OSHA’s “Best Practices for Hospital-Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass
  • Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances.”
  • Shelter-in-Place.
  • Damaged packages during shipping.
  • Skilled Support Personnel.
  • Emergency responder training levels.
  • Medical Surveillance for emergency responders.
  • Computer-based training.
  • Updates to citation guidelines.


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