500 EM385-1-1 Construction Safety Hazard Awareness for Contractors Sections 1 - 6

01.E Emergency Planning

01.E.01

1. Plans must include escape procedures and routes, critical plant operations, employee accounting following an emergency evacuation, rescue and medical duties, means of reporting emergencies, and persons to be contacted for information or clarification.
2. On-site emergency planning must be integrated with off-site emergency support. Documentation of specific on-site emergency services must be made and may include written agreements, memoranda for record, telephone conversation logs, etc. The emergency services provider should be offered an on-site orientation of the project and associated hazards.
3. The SSHO or designated on-site personnel, must be responsible for checking the weather conditions at a minimum of twice a day.
4. The employer's APP or Project SOH Plan must include a discussion of:
• (1) Severe weather triggers to alert the SSHO to monitor weather conditions continuously;
• (2) Training on severe weather precautions and actions;
• (3) Identified area of retreat, or other actions to be taken such as evacuation, work delay, etc.
• (4) If lightning is observed, all Load Handling Equipment (LHE), drill rigs, work on elevated platforms or scaffolding, roofing activities, tree trimming activities, pole climbing activities, or work in open areas must stop. A determination must be made as to the proximity to the operation being performed. Once lightning is seen, count the number of seconds until you hear the thunder. Divide number of seconds by 5 to get the distance the lightning is away from you. If lightning is 10-miles away or less, work should stop until 30- minutes after the last audible thunder or visible flash of lightning.
• (5) For floating plant, boats, and marine activities, the APP must address securing the vessel and evacuation of personnel during severe weather. > See Sections 19.A.03 and 19.A.04.

01.E.02

Planning for any operation must include the total system response capabilities to minimize the consequences of accidents or natural disaster and must consider communications, rescue, first aid, medical, emergency response, emergency equipment, and training requirements.

01.E.03

The number of persons permitted in any location must correspond to rescue and escape capabilities and limitations.

01.E.04

Emergency alert systems must be developed, tested, and used to alert all persons likely to be affected by existing or imminent disaster conditions and to alert and summon emergency responders.

01.E.05

Emergency telephone numbers and reporting instructions for ambulance, physician, hospital, fire, and police must be clearly communicated to all employees, conspicuously and clearly posted at the work site.

01.E.06

Employees working alone in a remote location or away from other workers must be provided an effective means of emergency communications (i.e., cellular phone, two- way radios, land-line telephones or other acceptable means).

1. The selected communication must be readily available (easily within the immediate reach) of the employee and must be tested prior to the start of work to verify that it effectively operates in the area/environment.
2. An employee check-in/check-out communication procedure must be developed to ensure employee safety.

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