Safety at work
Steel factory
 Introduction
The original code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry
was adopted at a meeting of experts in 1981. This new code, which reflects the
many changes in the industry, its workforce, the roles of the competent authorities,
employers, workers and their organizations, and on the development of new ILO
instruments on occupational safety and health, focuses on the production of iron
and steel and basic iron and steel products, such as rolled and coated steel,
including from recycled material. It does not deal with the mining of raw materials
for iron and steel production, which is covered by the Safety and Health in Mines
Convention, 1995, and by codes of practice on safety and health in coal mines
(1986) and safety and health in opencast mines (1991), nor does it deal with the
fabrication of commercial steel products.
The choice and the implementation of specific measures for preventing workplace
injury and ill health in the workforce of the iron and steel industry depend on the
recognition of the principal hazards, and the anticipated injuries and diseases, ill
health and incidents. Below are the most common causes of injury and illness in
the iron and steel industry:
(i) slips, trips and falls on the same level;
(ii) falls from height;
(iii) unguarded machinery;
(iv) falling objects;
(v) engulfment;
(vi) working in confined spaces;
(vii) moving machinery, on-site transport, forklifts and cranes;
(viii) exposure to controlled and uncontrolled energy sources;
(ix) exposure to asbestos;
(x) exposure to mineral wools and fibers;
(xi) inhalable agents (gases, vapors, dusts and fumes);
(xii) skin contact with chemicals (irritants (acids, alkalis), solvents and sensitizers);
(xiii) contact with hot metal;
(xiv) fire and explosion;
(xv) extreme temperatures;
(xvi) radiation (non-ionizing, ionizing);
(xvii) noise and vibration;
(xviii) electrical burns and electric shock;
(xix) manual handling and repetitive work;
(xx) exposure to pathogens (e.g. legionella);
(xxi) failures due to automation;
(xxii) ergonomics; (xxiii) lack of OSH training; (xxiv) poor work organization;
(xxv) inadequate accident prevention and inspection;
(xxvi) inadequate emergency first-aid and rescue facilities;
(xxvii) lack of medical facilities and social protection.
 The structural design of the factory :
Introduction
A factory construction project is always a major undertaking, so it is crucial to pay
attention to every detail to ensure your project is completed on time and on budget.
Your facility also needs to be efficient, productive, accessible and safe.
The key to the success of your facility, and therefore the ongoing success of your
business, is to engage the right design/construct team. The greatest opportunities for
cost savings happen during the preliminary design stages, so be sure to select an
experienced team to optimise your building design and layout.
Bid out your project to several companies with expertise in factory design and
construction. Ask for specifics about the project manager assigned to your building
and monitor the design and construction schedule closely to avoid delays.
Educate yourself on all aspects of factory design basics and internal planning so you
can communicate your individual business requirements effectively with your design
and construct team, from construction methods, to layout, door size and location,
work flow and product flow to vehicle access and energy-efficiency.
Laying the groundwork with good initial planning pays dividends, while poor planning
can lead to cost blow-outs, delays, scheduling issues and, inevitably, costly changes
down the track.
The building factory in which the products are made, the complexes, the factories, the
factories, the factories. Inside the factory, products of materials used in
manufacturing, products of materials used in manufacturing, many products are
ready-to-use. Process prepare and package products.
The factory consists of three main spaces:
1. Management vacuum.
2. Vacuum production (production).
3. Vacuum.
Factory Design Standards:
1. Site selection: How do we choose a factory location?
A suitable place must be chosen in terms of location and area for the establishment
of iron and steel plants, by making the area large and wide not less than 200 square
meters, as it needs a large area of 1000 meters or more, in order to accommodate
the equipment necessary for the industrial process, large labor and employees And
administrators and accountants required by the project, and the project must be far
from densely populated areas so that the factory and its waste do not cause any harm
to humans, or be built inside an industrial zone to benefit from government facilities
that included reducing land prices and providing them with massive sources of energy
such as electricity, water and sewage. Hygienic in addition to good ventilation.
It is preferable to construct the building on level ground, ideally slightly raised above
the surrounding area, which is well drained. Low locations are to be avoided. If it is
difficult to find a level area, then the least undulating or sloping area should be
selected, and the site should be oriented along contour lines, in order to minimize the
amount of levelling and filling in to be done.
The characteristics of the soil must also be determined: its load-bearing capacity,
resistance to compaction, and drainage characteristics. The building and the
approaches will need to be protected from running water by an effective drainage
system, and the site should be able to accommodate such a system.
The facility should be sited as near as possible to a main road, in order to enable easy
access and movement of stocks. It is also important to ensure that the approaches to
the factory permit easy movement and maneuvering of vehicles around it.
• The choice of the site depends on the type of industry that the factory carries out in
relation to the proximity of the factory or its distance from the residential areas.
• The factory must be close to the means of transportation and commercial crossings,
in order to facilitate the transportation of goods (import and export).
• To be close to the sources of the raw materials used in the industry.
• The soil is good, and the water table is low.
• That energy sources are available in the place (an electric generator or a small
generation station), in addition to water sources (drinking water, water for production,
and water for emergencies), as well as the availability of sewage networks at the site.
• The proximity of the site to the local markets.
• The terrain also plays a role in the site selection process. The largest slope of
industrial areas is estimated at 5%.
• The price of the land, in line with the economics of the project.
• That the space is sufficient for the establishment of the project: the required space
is estimated through the project’s data and requirements by calculating the space
needed for the streets and roads in the project (movement and transportation), as
well as the size of the machines, their dimensions and locations, the method and
places of storage and the type of stored materials And therefore the space required
for that, the number of workers (usually given an area of 2 square meters for each
worker at least), services and public utilities, all these requirements in addition to
additional space for extensions and expansions expected.
• considering the weather conditions (directive), as well as the sources of
environmental pollution.
2. Lines of movement and distribution of spaces:
• Considering the distribution of production lines and machines of each production line
so that interdependence and reciprocity are achieved in order to prevent bottlenecks
and stoppages (resulting from interference in the paths of movement), whether under
normal or emergency conditions.
• Considering the position of civil defense, medical services, communication, and the
exchange
In central places to facilitate access to it from all departments.
• Communication between plant sections and green spaces.
• That the technical departments are more attached to the work sites (machines) in
order to follow up.
Service facilities must be ample and close to the most intense work sites.
• The presence of subsidiary stores within the production departments and divisions,
especially for the number of pieces, in order to save time, and receiving them
periodically from the main stores.
• The proximity of the maintenance departments to the location of the machines.
3. General recommendations in the design of factories:
• It is preferable to increase the green corridors and partitions, and not to meet the
doors and windows.
• Considering brotherhood with the environment and taking all necessary precautions
to prevent pollution and mitigate and treat its causes up-to-date, and this is achieved
by choosing clean (green) technology.
• All networks must be on the roof, except for the drainage network.
It is recommended to raise the floor of the major halls and the movement corridors to
enable the water to be drained naturally into the existing complexes instead of using
expensive pumps.
• Approving the equipment manufacturer's instructions when dealing with the
equipment.
• Considering the expansions in terms of quantity and quality in networks, land,
buildings, stations, and support units.
When vertical expansion in factories, heavy machinery and equipment are placed in
the lower floors, and lighter machines are placed on the upper floors, considering the
importance of storing raw materials in the lower floors near the heavy initial
operations.
• Some industries are more efficient and less expensive if they are on several floors,
such as mills (which are as high as grain silos).
Service Facilities:
Service facilities such as firefighting equipment, sewage-treating systems, emergency
and standby power equipment, compressed-air equipment, heating, lighting,
ventilating and air-conditioning equipment, etc., should be housed separately and
suitably.
Ventilation:
There should be suitable and enough general and local exhaust ventilation with dustand fume-collecting devices incorporated into the design of the exhaust ventilation
systems.
The effectiveness and adequacy of general and local exhaust-ventilation systems to
remove fumes and gases from the furnace area should be tested regularly. Collection
bags for dusts should be replaced when indicated.
Ventilation openings are necessary to allow the renewal of air and reduce the
temperature in the building and allow some natural light to enter. Ventilators should
be placed under the eaves and fitted on the outside with anti-bird grills and on the
inside with 1 mm mesh screens (removable for cleaning) to deter insects.
Illumination:
Adequate light in a factory is an important factor as far as the safety of workers inside
it is concerned. The building design should provide adequate natural lighting during
daylight hours and artificial lighting for facilities that continue to operate during the
night. .
Hand-held torches used to light small furnaces should have a handle of adequate
length, and the operator should use a suitable protective shield and heat-insulated
gloves to prevent possible burns.
Preventing steam explosion
Molten slag (the unwanted debris removed from the melt with the aid of the limestone
additives) and metal should be prevented from coming into contact with water, which
will cause a steam explosion.
Equipment and piping for furnace gas cleaning, and piping carrying gas in the air
preheating system of the dry dust catchers, should be built in such a way that they
can be ventilated and cleaned.
Preventing fires and explosions
Fires and explosions in furnaces most often result from water coming into contact with
molten metal. The water may be present in scrap material, damp moulds, from leaks
in the furnace cooling systems or leaks in the building.
Fires and explosions in furnaces can also result from the ignition of volatile materials
and fuels.
The most hazardous procedures are during the firing-up and shutting-down
procedures. Gas-fired furnaces should have safeguards to ensure that unspent fuel
does not accumulate and ignite. The fuel supply to gas- or oil-fired furnaces should
be fitted with an automatic shut-off mechanism.
Operators should be trained in safe systems of work. The building should be designed
to be non-combustible, with automatic fire suppression engineered or designed into
the process where appropriate.
Risk assessments should be carried out to consider the potential dispersal of toxic
chemicals from non-furnace processes and combustion products, and the potential
impact of an explosion on the surrounding area.
Regular safety audits should be undertaken to ensure that hazards are clearly
identified, and risk-control measures maintained at an optimum level.
Refractories (e.g. crucibles, troughs, ladles) and tools should be preheated and dried
before use to minimize the risk of explosion. Refractory linings should be regularly
inspected for wear.
Furnaces should not be operated beyond their safe lives.
Protection from falls
When other measures do not eliminate the risk of falling, workers should be provided
with and trained in the use of appropriate fall protection equipment, such as harnesses
and lifelines. Workplaces and traffic lanes in which there are fall hazards or which
border on a danger zone should be equipped with devices which prevent workers from
falling into or entering the danger zone.
Internal transport
Hazard description:
Internal transport, such as road and rail vehicles used in the transport of raw materials,
intermediates, products, waste and people, has the potential to cause injuries to
workers and other people, as well as damage to the workplace environment.
The hazards can be caused by interaction between vehicles, vehicles and other objects
and personnel, or by loads falling off or from the vehicle.
Prevention and control:
Transport routes should be planned and constructed to minimize the risk of collision
and with sufficient safe clearance to allow for aisles and turns, or other types of control
area. Where appropriate, maps showing the proposed route should be provided.
Transport routes should be clear of obstructions and, where possible, without irregular
surfaces.
Transport routes and work areas containing transport vehicles should be visibly
marked and segregated from waterways to the greatest extent possible.
The safe operating speed for vehicles should be posted and enforced.
Workstations should not be located underneath the path of molten material.
With regard to overhead ladles, no fixtures that might cause spillage enroute should
be within a short distance (approximately 50 cm) of their external limit of travel.
Isolation, substitution, engineering controls
In the case of new processes and equipment, employers should, where feasible:

specify low noise output of the processes and equipment as a condition of purchase
alongside production-related specifications; and

arrange the workplace layout to minimize noise exposure to the workers.
In the case of existing processes and equipment, employers should first consider
whether the noisy process is necessary at all, or whether it could be carried out in
another way without generating noise. If the elimination of the noisy process as a
whole is not practicable, employers should consider replacing its noisy parts with
quieter alternatives.
If the elimination of noisy processes and equipment as a whole is impracticable, their
individual sources should be separated out and their relative contribution to the overall
sound pressure level identified. Once the causes or sources of noise are identified, the
first step in the noise-control process should be to attempt to control it at source. Such
measures may also be effective in reducing vibration.
If prevention and control at source do not reduce exposure sufficiently, enclosure of
the noise source should be considered as the next step. In designing enclosures,
several factors should be taken into consideration if the enclosure is to prove
satisfactory from both an acoustical and a production point of view, including workers’
access and ventilation. Enclosures should be designed and manufactured in
accordance with the requirements and needs indicated by the user, consistent with
internationally recognized plant and equipment standards and regulations.
If enclosure of the noise source is impracticable, employers should consider an
alternative sound transmission-path treatment using a barrier to block or shield the
worker at risk from the noise hazard resulting from the direct path of the sound.
Barriers should be designed and manufactured in accordance with the requirements
and needs indicated by the user, consistent with internationally recognized plant and
equipment standards.
If reducing the noise at source or intercepting it does not sufficiently reduce workers’
exposure, then the final options for reducing exposure should be to:

install an acoustical booth or shelter for those job activities where workers’
movement is confined to a relatively small area;
 minimize by appropriate organizational measures the time workers spend in the
noisy environment;
 provide hearing protection;
 offer audiometric testing.
The general objectives of detailed design of factory layouts are:

Inherent safety. Dangerous processes should not be accessible without
authorization. Fire exits should be clearly marked with uninhibited access.
Pathways should be clearly defined and not cluttered.

Length of flow. The flow of materials and information should be channeled by the
layout to fit best the objectives of the operation. This generally means minimizing the
distance travelled by materials.

Clarity of flow. All flow of materials should be clearly signposted, for example
using clearly marked routes.

Staff comfort. The layout should provide for a well ventilated, well-lit and,
where possible, pleasant working environment.

Management coordination. Supervision and communication should be assisted
by the location of staff and communication equipment.

Accessibility. All machines, plant and equipment should be easily accessible for
cleaning and maintenance.

Use of space. All layouts should make best use of the total space available
(including height as well as floor space). This usually means minimizing the
space for a process.

Long-term flexibility. Layouts need to be changed periodically. Future needs
(such as expansion) should be considered when designing the original layout.
 foundation of heavy weight machines and columns,
and Foundations and Floor
Unstable clay soils and areas which have been filled in should be avoided wherever
possible, due to risk of subsidence.
In all cases, it is necessary to dig the foundations down to a point where the soilbearing pressure is 150 kN/m2 or better.
The floor must be able to bear the weight machinery and other contents and must
also be impermeable to ground water. For these reasons, the floor should consist of
a slab of reinforced concrete laid upon well compacted hard core, with a moisture
barrier sandwiched between the two.
This moisture barrier should consist of a layer of bitumen or asphalt, bitumen felt, or
a polyethylene film.
The reinforced concrete slab must be made with expansion joints, in order to prevent
cracking and should be covered with a cement cap a few centimeters thick, which is
rendered smooth and hardened (to prevent powdering).
The floor level must be sufficiently above ground level to ensure that water will not
enter the factory. Consideration can be given to erecting the facility on a plinth raised
about 1.2 meters above ground level, to facilitate loading and unloading of vehicles,
however this alternative can add up to 40% to the cost of construction.
The steel factory in Dekheila zoon:
EZZ STEEL ALEXANDRIA:
The Ezz Steel plant in Alexandria – Al Ezz Dekheila Steel Co. (EZDK) – is a fully
integrated steelmaking facility. It incorporates three direct reduction plants for
producing high-quality Direct Reduced Iron (DRI), with an annual production capacity
of 3.1 million tons, as well as electric arc furnaces coupled with continuous casting for
billet and slab production. Rolling and strip mills produce rebar, wire rod and hot rolled
coils (HRC). The combined output of the long and flat steel plants is 3.2 million tons
per year.
The Alexandria plant is located on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt, with excellent
deep water and road connections, enabling raw materials to arrive and finished
products to be dispatched efficiently every day by ship and truck.
Integration at EZDK
EZDK operates a dedicated mineral jetty in Dekheila port, which can receive and
unload vessels with capacities of up to 160,000 tons of iron oxide pellets. These raw
materials are transported direct to the plant by conveyor belts. The unloading capacity
of the port facilities is 6m tpy, and the storing capacity of the stacking yards is 660,000
tons. The equipment used in unloading and handling the raw materials include 2
gantry cranes with unloading capacity of 1400 t/h each, two stackers, two reclaimers,
a combined stacker/reclaimer, and a network of conveyer belts for material handling.
The iron ore (oxide pellets or lump ore) is reduced in three direct reduction
plants (DRPs) using Midrex technology. This energy-efficient process uses natural gas
reforming to produce the reducing gases (CO and H2).
LONG PRODUCTS MILLS
Alexandria plant has two bar mills which produce plain and deformed rebar for
concrete reinforcement, available in diameters ranging from 10mm to 40mm in lengths
from 6 meters to 24 meters and bundle weights from 2 to 4 tons.
Bar Mill 1 comprises a 130-ton per hour billet reheating furnace, 16 continuous rolling
stands and finishing facilities. Bar Mill 2 has a 70-ton per hour reheating furnace, 18
continuous rolling stands and finishing facilities. Both mills use a Quenching and
Tempering Box (QTB) which ensures excellent mechanical properties.
The high-speed wire rod mill at Alexandria plant – with a maximum design speed of
100m/sec. – produces plain and deformed wire rod for concrete reinforcement and cold
drawing. The mill has a 150-ton per hour reheating furnace, 11 continuous rolling stands
and a two-strand rolling line of 14 stands each, water-cooling zones and air-cooled
Stelmore conveyors.
 Taking the necessary structural measures to reduce fires and
explosions. and Equipping the facility with systems to put out
fires in the event they occur.
Fire can occur when flammable material, oxygen and enough ignition energy are
available. Explosion depends on an atmosphere of a mixture of flammable material
with oxygen. The best approach to prevent fires and explosions is to substitute or
minimize the use of flammable material. If that is not possible it is important to
avoid effective sources of ignition. The manufacturing, processing or storage of
explosives is not covered in this article.
According to the International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics
the direct costs of fires and explosions range between 0.07 and 0.26 percent of
the Gross Domestic Product and the number of fire deaths varies between 20 in
Slovenia and 660 in France
Fires and explosions in industrial structures and plants may not only lead to losses
and damages but may also hamper the functioning of the economy. In Germany
three explosions occur daily on average according to the accident insurance
company for the chemical industry and similar sectors, whereby fortunately most
of them do not cause bigger problems due to protective measures being in place.
Small workshops like garages have a high risk of fires and explosions because they
use highly volatile hydrocarbons for spray painting and cleaning purposes. In
Schleswig-Holstein (Germany) alone four garages experienced large fires between
2009 and 2010 and one had to close afterwards.
Fires and explosions
Fire is a rapid oxidation of material releasing heat, light and various chemical
products. The fire triangle describes the conditions that must be met in order a fire
can start: (1) flammable material, (2) oxygen, (3) energy to ignite the fire.
All material capable of an exothermic oxidation reaction has to be considered as
flammable. This can be:

gases such as butane, propane, methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen,

liquids such as fuels, solvents, oils, greases, paints and thinners,

solids such as wood, coal, plastics, metals, food.
Oxygen is usually available in sufficient quantities in our air to get a fire started
and to sustain it. Fires may however start much easier and may be more powerful
in terms of flame volume and released energy, if the oxygen content of the
surrounding atmosphere is increased, e.g. when an oxygen cylinder leaks or
bursts or when oxygen releasing substances (e.g. peroxides) are present.
The needed ignition energy can be very low (usually with gases) and can be quite
high, which is usually the case with solids. Liquids are often somewhere in
between. However the ignition of solids or aerosols depends also on the particle
size: fine dusts of e.g. aluminium or flour mixed with air can explode easily.
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme
manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of
gases. An explosion creates a shock wave . Does the created shock wave exceed
the velocity of sound we talk about a detonation; is the velocity lower the term
deflagration is used.
Occupational safety and health management
Employers have a duty to ensure the safety and health of workers in every aspect
related to the work and they have to provide the necessary organisation and means.
Starting with allocating responsibilities the health and safety personnel has to have
the necessary knowledge to conduct a risk assessment regarding possible fire and
explosion hazards and to select related measures.
If appropriately qualified staff is not available within the company, the employer has
to contract an outside expert.
On determining the company processes, fire risks as well as fire prevention and
fighting measures have to be considered already in the design phase. In collaboration
with architects and fire prevention experts this may include: indicating fire
compartments, separation of special units, extinguisher systems and escape routes.
Ensuring qualification and further education of all employees involved in fire
prevention and fire-fighting tasks is another important management issue.
This has to include regular fire drills and should also involve demonstrations of how
easily fires can develop presented by the fire brigade or related institutions. Employees
should be given the opportunity to not only develop their knowledge but to also bring
in their experience.
This is all the more important as also unplanned and unforeseeable dangerous
situations and the behaviour of workers need to be considered. However in this aspect
it is also of foremost importance that all superiors set a good example and always
follow the rules themselves.
Identification of fire and explosion risks
Companies have to conduct risk assessments. A risk assessment is a careful
examination of what, in any institution, could cause harm to people, so that one can
judge whether there are enough precautions in place or more is needed to prevent
harm. It involves identifying the hazards present in any undertaking (whether arising
from work activities or from other factors, e.g. the layout of the premises) and then
evaluating the extent of the risks involved, taking into account existing precautions.
Fire
A fire hazard can harm workers and the public not only by causing burns but also by
heat, fire gases, smoke and weakening structures and it may cause explosions if
explosive atmospheres can develop.
Of foremost importance regarding any fire and explosion risk assessment, is to identify
related problematic substances in the company. These could be flammable liquids,
gases, aerosols, solids, dusts, substances that can develop spontaneous ignition (e.g.
textiles with decomposing greases and fats), substances that develop flammable gases
on contact with water or other chemicals, explosives, oxidising substances (e.g.
peroxides). It has also to be established as to whether there are any working processes
that may release any of the above mentioned substances (e.g. dusts, mixture of
chemicals). For all the identified substances all relevant parameters, like flash points,
vapour pressure, calorific value, explosion limits, etc. should be established.
It is also necessary to clarify, who is working with these substances, in which processes
for how long. Not only the normal work procedures have to be analysed but also
servicing, test runs, malfunctioning of machines and plants as well as unauthorized
access.
Are there effective ignition sources like open flames and high temperatures available
or may they develop during work processes? Such ignition sources can be:

Thermal energy: combustion engines, open fire, hot surfaces, welding
sputters, laser

Electric energy: short circuits, electric arcs, electromagnetic radiation,
lightning, electrostatic, heat developed by currents

Mechanical energy: friction, ultrasound, compression, sparks from tools,
grinding

Chemical energy: spontaneous heating or igniting, catalytic reactions,
accelerating exothermal reactions.
On having gathered and analysed all relevant information, the risk assessment team
has to evaluate the extent of the risks involved.
A high risk is indicated by larger amounts of flammable or oxidising substances and
by a certain probability of a fire outbreak whereby a fast spread of the fire or big
amounts of smoke and heat can be expected.
This may be the case for sectors like: petro chemistry, chemical industry,
electroplating, light metal processing, printing industry, rubber industry, wood
processing, mills and silos, garages, food industry.
Explosion
If problematic substances, as specified in the preceding chapter, exist in the company,
the employer has to establish as to whether the development of an explosive
atmosphere is possible.
Such an atmosphere is defined as a mixture of oxygen with flammable substances,
whereby this can include not only gases or aerosols from liquids but also particles from
solid matter.
For example a cloud of dust from flour or other biologic material, as well as from metal
fines, can also explode and cause severe damage.
In the next step it has to be established if this atmosphere can develop in such
amounts that it would need special measures.
Results
The risk assessment has also to consider the organisation of the company, any
individuals identified as being particularly at risk and the fire or explosion measures
already in place. It has to be concluded whether these measures are sufficient or
would need changes and improvements. The implementation may mean making
changes to the organisation and working procedures, working environment,
equipment and products used; training management and staff; and improving
communications. The findings have to be recorded.
 the emergency plan:
Means of the escape plan
The principle on which means of escape provisions are based is that the time available
for escape (an assessment of the length of time between the fire starting and it making
the means of escape from the workplace unsafe) is greater than the time needed for
escape (the length of time it will take everyone to evacuate once a fire has been
discovered and warning given).
In order to achieve this, it may be necessary to protect the route, i.e. by providing
fire-resisting construction. A protected route will also be necessary in workplaces
providing sleeping accommodation or care facilities. It might also be necessary to
apply positive air pressure to an escape route to discourage smoke from entering in
the event of a fire.
Emergency Shutdown Procedures
Emergency planning in steel mills , smelters , and related facilities require development
of proven procedures for their orderly shutdown . In some areas , pulling a switch or
closing a valve may be all that is required to close the facility safely . In other
installations , such as ovens or furnaces , from several hours to several days and the
work of many employees may be needed to close the facility . The plan for emergency
shutdown should be a flexible one so that the requirements can be fitted to the nature
of the emergency and the amount of warning time . Plans should be made for orderly
shutdown , which can be accompt polished when there is enough warning time without
loss of equipment or product .
shutdown procedures should be provided in the emergency plan where immediate
shutdown is required and where safety of shutdown personnel is endangered . Loss
of product and damage to or loss of some equipment may result when crash
procedures are invoked , but such actions have the advantage of removing hazards of
additional damage to personnel , property , and equipment .
Maps of Plant Utilities
Key valves , switches , and lines within plant operating areas may be seriously
damaged due to concussion or fire at the time of a disaster . Knowledge of their exact
location could mean the difference between localized and extensive damage .
Therefore , maps showing these facilities should be prepared and stored in an area
accessible to responsible personnel during an emergency . These employees should
be thoroughly familiar with the information on the maps so they can act promptly .
Secondary Water Supplies
Advance consideration should be given to an adequate secondary water supply . It is
vital for firefighting and for health and sanitation whenever the normal supply is
disrupted . Al ternate supplies may be available from nearby rivers or lakes . If such
sources are not avail able , static storage facilities may have to be provided . The
problem of providing a secondary source of safe drinking water has been solved in
some instances through the storage of Federal shelter supplies which include water
containers to be filled and stored by the shelter owner under the National Shelter
Survey Licensing , Marking , and Stocking Program .
Emergency Light and Power
Provision should be made for emergency lighting and power for all emergency services
during a disaster period.
Firefighting Facilities
It is the responsibility of management to develop an adequate fire protection
organization and to maintain necessary fire equipment in each industrial plant .
A nuclear attack may cause a multitude of small fires simultaneously which , if not
extinguished at once , could cause a catastrophe .
The nucleus of the firefighting organization will be found in the regular plant fire
department , which should be supplemented by trained auxiliary firemen so that every
department is covered around the clock .
Men assigned to this function should become familiar with the location of firefighting
equipment in their own and adjacent areas . Special emphasis should be placed upon
knowing where steam , water , and fuel lines are located , as well as knowing how to
use gas masks and respiratory equipment . Frequent drills should be held .
The availability of regular plant fire equipment for instant use always cannot be over
emphasized . This would include extinguishers , fireplugs , hose connections , firehose
, nozzles , and special extinguishing equipment such as pumpers , foam generators ,
sprinklers , etc. Regular inspection of this equipment is required to insure its constant
readiness for emergencies .
What should your emergency action plan include?
When developing your emergency action plan, it’s a good idea to look at a wide variety
of potential emergencies that could occur in your workplace. It should be tailored to
your worksite and include information about all potential sources of emergencies.
Developing an emergency action plan means you should do a hazard assessment to
determine what, if any, physical or chemical hazards in your workplaces could cause
an emergency.
If you have more than one worksite, each site should have an emergency action plan.
At a minimum, your emergency action plan must include the following:

A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies;

An evacuation policy and procedure;

Emergency escape procedures and route assignments such as floor plans,
workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas;

Names, titles, departments, and telephone numbers of individuals both within
and outside your company to contact for additional information or explanation
of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan;

Procedures for employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant
operations, operate fire extinguishers, or perform other essential services that
cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating; and

Rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them.
You also may want to consider designating an assembly location and procedures to
account for all employees after an evacuation.
Evacuation Plan routes and exits
Designate the primary first choice and secondary second choice evacuation routes and
exits. To the extent possible under the conditions, the factory must ensure that
evacuation routes and emergency exits meet the following conditions:

Clearly marked and well lit;

Wide enough to accommodate the number of evacuating personnel;

Unobstructed and clear of debris always; and

Unlikely to expose evacuating personnel to additional hazards.

Signage is important. Look out for typical signage or drawings of evacuation
exits.
The factory may wish to select a responsible individual to lead and coordinate the
emergency plan and evacuation plan. It is critical that employees know who the
coordinator is and understand that person has the authority to make decisions during
emergencies.