Employee Emergency Plans

Essential for most concrete products facilities are three written emergency plans, including 1) Employee Emergency Action Plan, 2) Fire Prevention Plan,

BOB ECKHARDT

Essential for most concrete products facilities are three written emergency plans, including 1) Employee Emergency Action Plan, 2) Fire Prevention Plan, and 3) Spill Prevention Plan for environmental protection against oil, fuel and chemical contamination. Federal regulations for concrete producers [29 CFR 1910.38, 1910.157] apply to Plans 1 and 2, whereas the Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plan is required by Environmental Protection Agency regulation 40 CFR 112, applicable to many concrete producers, depending on fuel storage systems, quantities, and exposure conditions affecting a spill that escapes plant property.

To create an effective Employee Emergency Action Plan, the producer must designate actions to be undertaken by the employer on behalf of employees’ safety, including:

  • Emergency escape procedures and route assignments
  • Procedures for employees assigned to shut down equipment
  • Accounting for all employees after evacuation
  • Rescue and medical duties for employees performing these duties
  • Reporting procedures
  • Names or titles of personnel to further explain the plan
  • Alarm system
  • Types of evacuation
  • Training

Emergency Action plans cover employee incidents, medical emergencies, and natural occurrences, such as hurricanes for coastal plants, tornadoes for central states, earthquakes for seismic-zone facilities, lightning storms, winter storms, and even flooding for plants located in areas prone to flash floods. Examining emergency scenarios, it becomes apparent that employees should not evacuate buildings in the event of tornadoes or lightning storms; in such instances, the emergency plan may incorporate use of a building as shelter. Moreover, some emergencies do not require evacuation or shelter. A helpful document, How to Prepare for Workplace Emergencies [No. 3088], is available at no cost from local OSHA offices and may be ordered by phone. Other sources of assistance include State Occupational Safety and Health Plans, local emergency planning bulletins, insurance company recommendations, and emergency planning information available at www.osha.gov/.

Other emergency procedures might address bomb threats, civil disorder for plants located in inner city districts, and workplace violence. Plants located in flight zones where runways terminate may wish to consider aircraft-collision or crash-emergency action. Plans must be developed in accordance with anticipated reasonable risk, since all possible emergencies can not be foreseen.

To formulate an employee emergency plan that satisfies OSHA and/or insurance company requirements, some additional suggestions are offered:

  1. Post the numbers of emergency personnel by the telephone and on the front of the emergency plan. The poster also should list the plant’s exact address to avoid wasting time in case of emergency.

  2. Labeled tabs should mark specific procedures for the emergency in question, such as Tornado or Civil Disturbance. Each of these sections should include simple, easy-to-read procedures, as well as additional phone numbers if necessary.

Plans that require evacuation should include a map tracing evacuation routes for the office and each building, as well as OSHA-mandated components (bullet-points listed earlier). An sample Emergency Plan follows:

EMERGENCY PLANS

For ABC Concrete, 401 Adams Street, Anywhere, U.S.A. (Phone Number)
Last updated: Feb. 1, 1998
Ambulance (Tel. no.) Manager, B. Magit (Tel. no.)
Fire (Tel. no.) Insurance, B. Pit (Tel. no.)
Police (Tel. no.) Supervisor R. Mill (Tel. no.)
Spill Response (Tel. no.) Supervisor B. Dot (Tel. no.)
Gas Company (Tel. no.) Supervisor P. Fits (Tel. no.)
Power Co (Tel. no.) Supervisor T. Tyler (Tel. no.)
Other Supervisor R. Red (Tel. no.)

EMPLOYEE EMERGENCY:

[TAB] Work Injury or Illness

At all times the supervisor shall be responsible for handling and directing the incident.

  1. Employee

    a) Notify the appropriate department supervisor or next supervisor on duty, if the head supervisor is unavailable, by using plant telephone located at the department office or in the break room.

    Supervisors
    Batching Dept: Rusty Mill ext. 25
    Delivery Dept: Bill Dot ext. 26
    Shipping and Receiving: Phil Fits ext. 27
    Production: Ty Tyler ext. 29
    Office: Randy Red ext. 30

    b) Notify Plant First Aid Responder(s):

    First Aid Responders
    Batching: Rusty Mill, Jill Jax
    Delivery Dept: Bill Dot
    Shipping and Receiving: Phil Fits, Ray Mail
    Production: Ty Tyler
    Office: Randy Red
  2. Department Supervisors

    a) Assess the area to assure it is safe and initiate appropriate lockout/tagout procedures

    b) Appoint the foreman to close gas valve or open the building electrical switch, as necessary

    c) Provide for first aid or appropriate medical care, as indicated below in First Aid Responder’s duties

    d) Notify office insurance administrator, Bill Pit-ext. 32, with two-way radio or telephone located in department office or break room

    e) Notify Plant Manager Boss Magit, ext. 01

    f) Refer to Safety Policy 205 in the event of a fatal incident or one involving three or more persons, as this involves special insurance administration, legal assistance, family and OSHA notifications. The situation shall be coordinated with the plant manager and the insurance administrator.

    g) Initiate an incident investigation, or determine if an outside investigation is appropriate per Safety Policy 205

  3. Foreman

    Designated by the supervisor, the foreman shall be responsible for shutting off the plant gas valve or opening the building electrical switch, if such an emergency action is necessary.

    The plant gas valve is located adjacent to the east main office wall. The department main power switch, marked Main, is located adjacent to the main power panel.

  4. First Aid Responders

    a) Assess the area to assure it is safe and verify appropriate lockout/tagout procedures have been completed by the equipment operator or supervisor before rendering first aid. If access to the person requires implementation of lockout/tagout procedures for the responder’s safety, then only first-aid responders certified to lockout/tagout the specific equipment are authorized to respond. Always defer to a supervisor’s instruction.

    b) Determine the level of medical care required and respond appropriately, e.g., ambulance, doctor’s care, emergency first aid, or minor first aid

    c) For ambulance evacuation, assign an employee at the scene to call the ambulance and report back, verifying the call has been placed. Assign another person to meet emergency personnel at plant’s front gate to direct the ambulance.

    d) Consult with the supervisor during the response

  5. Office Insurance Administrator

    Follow Safety Policy 205, which addresses notification of insurance company as well as completion of insurance and state incident forms, and identify next of kin, notifying plant manager (as appropriate). Follow-up with clinic or hospital, coordinate medical and/or workers’ compensation payments, complete OSHA 200 form, and notify OSHA, as necessary.

Emergency Equipment Shutdown procedures to be considered include the requirement to shut off gas or electrical power. The designated foreman shall be responsible for closing the plant gas valve or opening the main electrical switch for the department, as needed.

Rescue procedures and assignments shall be consistent with Confined Space Entry Procedure 301. Any other rescue activities shall be directed by the department supervisor or professional emergency rescue personnel.

Alarm system shall consist of the public address system

Training shall be provided to all personnel upon employment and annually thereafter via training conducted in a safety meeting. Recurrent annual training shall include a staged drill enacting employee role assignments and shall be documented on the safety meeting form.

Emergency escape procedures are not applicable to this plan; however, if evacuation procedures are required, refer to procedures presented in the Evacuation Plan.

Further Information regarding the administration of this plan can be provided by department supervisors or the insurance administrator, Bill Pit at the Administration Office.

[TAB] Evacuation Plan

At all times, the supervisor shall act as Incident Commander and shall be responsible for handling and directing responders. Incidents involving evacuation include emergencies such as fire, smoke, earthquake, plant explosion, gas leak, and fuel gas leak.

  1. Employee

    a) When an emergency is detected, notify the appropriate department supervisor or next supervisor on duty, if the head supervisor is unavailable, by using plant telephone located at the department office or in the break room.

    Supervisors (Incident Commanders)
    Batching Dept: Rusty Mill ext. 25
    Delivery Dept: Bill Dot ext. 26
    Shipping and Receiving: Phil Fits ext. 27
    Production: Ty Tyler ext. 29
    Office: Randy Red ext. 30
    Insurance: Bill Pit ext. 32

    b) Upon hearing the evacuation announcement over the public address system, immediately exit workstation and walk to designated congregation area to await further instruction

  2. Department Supervisors

    a) Department supervisors shall act as Incident Commanders for their department. In the absence of the supervisor, the foreman shall act as the department’s Incident Commander.

    b) The foreman shall be responsible for closing gas supply or disconnecting department electrical power source before evacuation, as needed and when reasonably possible

    c) Incident Commander shall announce over the Public Address System that a building evacuation will commence

    d) Notify Office Insurance Administrator Bill Pit, ext. 32, with two-way radio or telephone located in department office or break room

    e) Notify Plant Manager Boss Magit, ext. 01

    f) Exit building, proceed to designated congregation area, and account for all department employees. For large departments, foremen shall verify employee head count and report to the supervisor.

    g) After the incident is secure, initiate an Incident Investigation, or determine if an outside investigation is appropriate per Safety Policy 205

  3. Foreman

    a) In the absence of the supervisor, the foreman shall act as supervisor

    b) Department foreman designated by the supervisor shall be responsible for shutting off plant gas valve or opening the building electrical switch, if such emergency action is necessary

    c) Plant gas valve is located adjacent to the east main office wall. The department main power switch, marked Main, is located adjacent to the main power panel.

    d) Foreman shall evacuate to the designated congregation area and verify head count for the department

    e) Foreman shall respond to supervisor regarding gas and power supply status, plus headcount.

  4. Office Insurance Administrator

    a) Calls the appropriate emergency response number, as needed

    b) Monitors incident by communicating with Incident Commander via two-way radio and recruits additional emergency response personnel as necessary

    c) Assigns employee to meet the emergency responders at plant’s front gate to direct them to appropriate building

For Emergency Equipment Shutdown, the mixer operator shall dump the contents of mixers prior to station evacuation by activating the mixer dump switch before leaving. The designated foreman shall be responsible for closing plant gas valve or opening main electrical switch for the department, if necessary.

Rescue procedures and assignments shall be consistent with Confined Space Entry Procedure 301. Any other rescue activities shall be directed by department supervisor or by professional emergency rescue personnel.

Alarm system shall consist of the public address system

Training shall be provided to all personnel upon employment and annually thereafter via training conducted in a safety meeting. Recurrent annual training shall include a staged drill enacting employee role assignments and shall be documented on the safety meeting form.

Further Information regarding plan administration can be provided by department supervisors or the office insurance administrator.

Additional tabs for emergencies requiring specific procedures:

[TAB] Air Crash (for plants in flight zones)

[TAB] Civil Disturbance (for plants located in metropolitan areas)

[TAB] Earthquake (for fault-zone areas)

[TAB] Flood (for plants located in areas prone to flash floods)

[TAB] Hurricane (in coastal areas)

[TAB] Tornado (in mid-western states)

[TAB] Violence at Work

[TAB] Winter Storms (in blizzard-prone areas)