670 8-hour HAZWOPER Refresher for Cleanup Operations

Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

The plan must cover reasonably anticipated worst-case scenarios.

Employers who require employees to respond to emergencies must develop a written emergency response plan which includes the following elements:

• pre-emergency planning and coordination with outside parties
• personnel roles, lines of authority, training, and communication
• PPE and emergency equipment
• emergency recognition and prevention
• safe distances and places of refuge
• site security and control
• evacuation routes and procedures
• decontamination
• emergency medical treatment and first aid
• emergency alerting and response procedures
• critique of response and follow-up
• training on the above elements
• critical elements
• incident command system
• training
• medical surveillance
• chemical-protective clothing
• post-emergency response operations

Emergency response organizations may use the local emergency response plan or the state emergency response plan or both, as part of their emergency response plan to avoid duplication. Those items of the emergency response plan addressed by the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) plans may be substituted into their emergency plan or otherwise kept together for the employer and employee's use.

Emergency Action Plan

In facilities where the employer has chosen to evacuate employees in the case of an emergency, and the employer does not permit any of their employees to assist in handling the emergency, the employer does not need to develop an emergency response plan. These employers must, however, develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) for the safe evacuation of personnel and ensure that the training of employees is consistent with 29 CFR 1910.38.

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