Emergency Preparation and Response
This activity is critical whether you have an EMS or not.
Your company should have a strong program in this area to:
- comply with applicable environmental laws and corporate policy and
- to protect personnel and those who live around the facility.
It's important to build on existing procedures and plans to develop the Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for the EMS. A critically important area to develop is the process for identifying the potential for emergencies and accidents. Typically, it's best to develop a proactive process for identifying potential hazards that may not be strictly regulated.
Items that should be addressed in the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) program include:
- type and location of hazardous substances used and stored on site
- key organizational responsibilities
- arrangements with local emergency responders, including points-of contact for response agencies
- emergency response procedures
- emergency communication (lines of communication and internal and external contact information)
- locations and functions of emergency equipment and provisions for maintenance of such items
- prevention requirements (for example, testing alarms, training)
- evacuation routes
Finally, make sure your EPR plans address relevant environmental regulations and the requirements of the EMS. This will help consolidate EPR efforts so you have fewer documents and clear direction regarding what you need to do in the event of an emergency. This is sometimes referred to as integrated contingency planning.
Important EPR items include:
- identifying the potential for problems,
- testing the EPR plan annually, and
- updating the EPR plan, as necessary.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
5-8. Which of the following items should be addressed in the Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) program?
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