Site Safety Plan
A Site Safety Plan establishes policies and procedures to protect workers and the public from the potential hazards posed by a hazardous waste site.
The Site Safety Plan should describe the risks associated with each operation conducted.
It must be developed before site activities proceed. Important aspects of the site safety plan include:
- The Site Safety Plan must provide measures to minimize accidents and injuries that may occur during normal daily activities or during adverse conditions such as hot or cold weather.
- The Site Safety Plan should be modified as needed for every stage of site activity.
- Because planning requires information, planning and site characterization should be coordinated.
- An initial Site Safety Plan should be developed so the preliminary site assessment can proceed safely.
- The information from this assessment can then be used to refine the Site Safety Plan so further site activities can proceed safely.
- Plans should be revised whenever new information about site hazards is obtained.
Development of a Site Safety Plan should involve both the off-site and on-site management and be reviewed by occupational and industrial health and safety experts, physicians, chemists, or other appropriate personnel.
At a minimum, the plan should:
- Name key personnel and alternates responsible for site safety.
- Describe the risks associated with each operation conducted.
- Confirm personnel are adequately trained to perform their job responsibilities and to handle the specific hazardous situations they may encounter.
- Describe the protective clothing and equipment to be worn by personnel during various site operations.
- Describe any site-specific medical surveillance requirements.
- Describe the program for periodic air monitoring, personnel monitoring, and environmental sampling, if needed.
- Describe the actions to be taken to mitigate existing hazards (e.g., containment of contaminated materials) to make the work environment less hazardous.
- Define site control measures and include a site map. Establish decontamination procedures for personnel and equipment.
- Set forth the site's Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). SOPs are those activities that can be standardized (such as decontamination and respirator fit testing), and where a checklist can be used. These procedures should be:
- prepared in advance
- based on the best available information, operational principles, and technical guidance
- field-tested by qualified health and safety professionals, and revised as appropriate
- appropriate to the types of risk at that site
- formulated to be easy to understand and practice
- provided in writing to all site personnel, who should be briefed on their use
- included in training programs for site personnel
- Set forth a Contingency Plan for safe and effective response to emergencies.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-9. A Site Safety Plan establishes _____ to protect workers and the public from the potential hazards posed by a hazardous waste site.
You forgot to answer the question!