Occupational Safety and Health
6th Edition
Lecture Notes
By: Dr. David Goetsch
Chapter Twenty-Five
Preparing for Emergencies and Terrorism
Emergency Defined
An emergency is a potentially life-threatening situation,
usually occurring suddenly and unexpectedly.
Emergencies may be the result of natural or human
causes.
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Preparing for Emergencies
Preparing for emergencies involves:

Planning

Practicing

Evaluating

Adjusting
An immediate response is critical in emergencies.
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Components of
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know
Act
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-toKnow Act has the following four main components:

Emergency planning

Emergency notification

Information requirements

Toxic chemical release reporting
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Emergency Preparation


For proper coordination of the internal emergency
response, it is important that one person be in charge and
that everyone involved knows who that person is.
Because there is no way to predict when first aid may be
needed, part of preparing for emergencies should include
training employees to administer first aid. In certain
cases, OSHA requires that companies have at least one
employee on-site who has been trained in first aid.
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Emergency First-Aid Requirements
In addition to providing first-aid training, it is important
to:

Well-stocked first-aid kits readily available

Have personal protective devices available

Post emergency telephone numbers

Keep all employees informed
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Emergency Action Plan
A company’s emergency action plan should be a
collection of small plans for anticipated emergency.
These plans should have the following components:

Procedures

Coordination

Assignments and responsibilities

Accident prevention strategies

Schedules
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
OSHA’s Standard for Evacuation Planning
(29 CFR 1910.38)
This standard requires a written plan for evaluating the
facility in the event of an emergency. Critical elements
of the plan are as follows:

Marking of exit routes

Communications

Outside assembly

Training
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
The Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
EAPs should be customized to be location-specific by
including a:

Map

Organization chart

Local coordination information

Local training schedules
The should consider the needs of all personnel, including
those with disabilities.
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
The Emergency Response Team
An emergency response team is a special team to
handle:

General and localized emergencies

Facilitate evacuation and shutdown

Protect and salvage company property

Work with civil authorities
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma is psychological stress. It typically results from
exposure to a disaster or emergency so shocking that it impairs
a person’s sense of security or well-being. Trauma left
untreated can manifest itself as post-traumatic stress disorder.
This disorder is characterized by:

Intrusive thoughts
 Rapid heartbeat

Flashbacks
 Recovery communications

Paranoia
 Employee support

Concentration difficulties
 Assistance
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Disaster Recovery Plan
A disaster recovery plan should have at least the
following components:

Recovery coordinator

Recovery team

Recovery analysis and planning

Damage assessment

Salvage operations

Recovery communications

Employee support and assistance
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Terrorist Attack Precautions
Employers can help decrease the likelihood of a terrorist attack
on their facilities by taking the following actions:

Run a safe and caring operation

Listen to employees

Train employee

Communicate

Know your personnel

Empower personnel

Harden the site against external threats and restrict access
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Terrorist Attack Precautions
(Continued)

Remove any barriers to clear visibility round the facility

Have and enforce parking and delivery regulations

Make sure that visitors can be screened from a distance

Keep all unstaffed entrances locked and alarmed

Make air intakes and other utilities inaccessible to all but designated
personnel

Prevent access to roofs and upper stories
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Terrorist Attack Precautions
(Continued)

Secure trash containers

Ensure that employees, contractors, and visitors wear badges

Have an emergency response plan and practice it

Be cautious of what information is place on your company’s
website

Keep up-go-date with the latest safety and security strategies

Protect the integrity of your facility’s key system
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.
Hazmat Security Plan
Secure hazardous materials so that terrorists cannot gain
access to them for use in making bombs and other weapons
of mass destruction. A hazmat security plan should have two
components:

Personnel security

Physical security
Occupational Safety and Health for Technologists, Engineers, and Managers, 6/th ed.
Goetsch
© 2008 Pearson Higher Education,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. • All Rights Reserved.