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661 HAZWOPER for General Site Workers II
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Emergency Response

Proper emergency planning and response are important elements of the site HASP that help minimize employee exposure and injury.

Employees responding to an on-site emergency.

The standard requires the employer develop and implement a written emergency response plan to handle possible emergencies before performing hazardous waste site operations. Employers who will evacuate their employees from the worksite location when an emergency occurs and who do not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency are exempt from developing an emergency response plan. These employers must, however, develop an emergency action plan complying with 29 CFR 1910.38 to ensure the safe evacuation of personnel.

Employers that require site personnel to respond to site emergencies must develop a written emergency response plan that includes the following elements:

  • personnel roles, lines of authority, and communication procedures
  • pre-emergency planning
  • emergency recognition and prevention
  • emergency medical and first-aid treatment
  • methods or procedures for alerting on-site employees
  • safe distances and places of refuge
  • site security and control
  • decontamination procedures
  • critique of response and follow-up
  • personal protective and emergency equipment
  • evacuation routes and procedures

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

3-7. When must an employer develop a written emergency response plan if performing hazardous waste site operations?