Emergency Action Plan
(EAP) – Basics
For All Departmental Safety Representatives
(DSRs)
May 2011
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Objectives
• Purpose and design of the EAPs
• Identify and discuss the elements of the
EAPs
• Where EAPs can be obtained
• Training of personnel
• Documentation of training
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Objectives
• All Departmental Safety Representatives
(DSRs) who provide the required
instruction on this subject must successfully
complete this course.
• Employees do not have to complete this
course.
• However, DSRs will learn from this course
how to train employees on EAPs.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Required by the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA)
• Must be in writing
• Kept in the workplace
• Available to employees
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Evacuation plans
• Designed for the
building and
department
• Designates an
assembly location for
each building
• Staff training
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Developed by Workgroups (representatives from
TU Police, Facilities Services, OEHS, HRL, etc.)
– Uptown Campus
– TUHSC
– TNPRC
• Originally distributed to the DSRs
• Placed on the OEHS website and available at
http://tulane.edu/oehs/ocsafety/emergactionplans.c
fm
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Designed to assist personnel in conducting a safe and
effective evacuation of their building or work area.
• Evacuation may be required for the following events:
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Fire
Police action/civil disturbance/bomb threat
Hazardous material
Severe weather
Utility outage
Disease outbreak
Explosion/structural collapse
Weapons of mass destruction
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Elements:
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Procedures for Reporting Emergencies
Alarm System Description
Evacuation Policy and Procedures
Procedures for Employees Who Remain On
Site After the Evacuation Alarm Sounds
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Elements:
– Procedures to Account for Employees After the
Evacuation
– Responsibilities for Rescue and Medical Tasks
– Description of How Employees Will be
Informed of the Contents of the Plan and
Methods for Training
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Elements:
– Names or Titles, Departments and Phone
Numbers of Employees Who Can be Contacted
for Additional Information or Clarification of
Some Aspect of the Plan
– List of Key Personnel or Departments Who
Should be Contacted During Off-Hour
Emergencies
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element A - Procedures for Reporting
Emergencies
– Contact Tulane Police by dialing the emergency
telephone number
• Uptown Campus & University Square: 865-5200 or 5200
(campus phone)
• TUHSC: 988-5555 or 55555 (campus phone)
• TNPRC: 871-6411 or 6411 (campus phone)
– Other locations off campus such as Hebert Center,
Elmwood, Papillon, Slidell & Covington clinics,
Bogalusa Heart Study, Biloxi, Madison, Houston, etc.:
dial 911
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element B - Alarm System Description
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Type of building fire alarm system
How to activate the alarm
Is the alarm audible and visible
What does it sound like
Remote signal
Location of fire alarm panel
Annunciator panel
Connection of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning,
System (HVAC) to the fire alarm system
– Elevators
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element B - Some buildings do not have a
fire alarm system.
– Indicated in the EAP
– If there is no fire alarm system in the work area,
then immediately and aggressively advise the
persons of the emergency.
– Be clear, direct, distinct and effective in your
communication. (Do not scream, “Fire.”)
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element C - Evacuation Policy and
Procedures
– For a full evacuation, Tulane Police, OEHS, or
other emergency personnel may initiate
evacuation.
– In the case of an emergency situation in which
responders are not immediately available, a
person who discovers the occurrence may
initiate evacuation.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element C - Evacuation Policy and
Procedures
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Use the nearest exits
Occupants must not use the elevators
Stay at least 100 feet away from the building
Assemble at the location as designated in the
EAP
– Do not block exits
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element C - Evacuation Policy and Procedures - Special
Needs Persons
– May include persons who are mobility-impaired, hearing-impaired,
vision-impaired, breathing/other health issues, mental health
problems, and other impairments
– DSRs or supervisors must consistently pre-audit their department
for occupants with special needs.
– In the case of an emergency and the special needs persons are able
to evacuate, then they should do so immediately.
– If they are unable to evacuate using the stairs or without assistance,
they should remain in their area & immediately contact Tulane
Police at the listed emergency number.
– Rescue will be initiated by the outside municipal agency.
– A person should remain with them to assist.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element D - Procedures for Employees who
remain On Site after the Alarm Sounds.
• DSRs will assist with evacuation of their area by
directing occupants to the nearest exit.
• DSRs will verify that their area is unoccupied &
doors closed.
• DSRs will then report to the assembly area and
report the status of the evacuation of their areas to
the ranking Tulane Police Officer.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element D
– Designated persons within the department will remain
with or assist special needs occupants who are
physically or mentally unable to evacuate on their own.
– Special needs persons should remain on the floor until
rescued unless they are able to self-evacuate.
– Departments may establish special procedures for
shutdown of utilities and/or equipment with the
approval of OEHS.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plans
• Element D
– Persons on site may remain in the building as required
only after determining the conditions causing the
evacuation and they must constantly stay aware of the
emergency conditions.
– After evacuation, do not remain or re-enter the building
if hazardous or untenable conditions are noted.
– Report hazardous or untenable conditions to Tulane
Police.
– No one should risk injury when performing duties.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element E - Procedures to Account for Employees
after Evacuation - DSRs
– When alarm sounds, verify that the area is completely
unoccupied & doors closed.
– At the assembly area, evacuees should remain together.
– Visibly check for those present at the assembly area
• Conduct a head count, ask other staff members
• Check sign in sheet or other occupant list and/or
• Use cellphone or two-way radios to verify evacuation
– Report status of evacuation to TU Police in the
assembly area
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element F - Responsibilities for Rescue and
Medical Task Procedures to Account for
Employees after Evacuation
– TU staff will not be responsible for the rescue of
occupants.
– Responsibility of outside municipal agencies
– For a medical emergency on the Uptown Campus,
TUHSC, TNPRC, & University Square, contact TU
Police by their listed emergency number
• For other facilities, dial 911
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element G – Employee Training
– Responsibility of the DSRs
– To include faculty, staff, and student employees as per OSHA.
– To be done as per the following:
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When the plan is developed
When the employee is assigned initially to a job
When the employee’s responsibilities under the plan change
When the plan changes
When the employee is relocated to another job site
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element G – Employee Training - Important
– Procedure
• Obtain the EAP from the OEHS website
• For a copy of the EAP for your work area, go to
http://tulane.edu/oehs/ocsafety/emergactionplans.cfm & click
on Emergency Action Plans
– Documentation
• Go to the above website to complete training statement or
• DSRs may use the training form provided by OEHS for group
training documentation. For copy of form, contact L. Mayer at
OEHS.
• There is no quiz associated with this hands-on form of
employee training.
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element G – Employee Training
– Review each EAP element with the employees
– Show them the following in your work area:
• Exit route assignments (How to get out of the building using
all possible exits? Show location of exits & stairs)
• Outside assembly area
• Fire alarm pull station, smoke detectors, automatic sprinklers,
fire alarm horns/speakers and strobes in the hallways or rooms
(if available)
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element H – Names or Titles, Departments and
Phone Numbers of Employees Who Can be
Contacted for Additional Information or
Clarification of Some Aspect of the Plan
– DSR
– See the EAP for the list of employees
• Members of the EAP Workgroup as per campus
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Emergency Action Plan
• Element I – List of Key Personnel or
Departments Who Should be Contacted
During Off-Hour Emergencies
– TU Police, Facilities Services, OEHS, & others
as designated in the EAP
– Use the emergency telephone numbers
Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
Tulane University
Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)
www.tulane.edu/oehs
Louis Mayer, OEHS, 504-988-2447, lmayer@tulane.edu
QUIZ:
EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS 2011