Emergency response or contingency planning for a fixed facility
By Cliff Holland,
Spill Management Inc.
An emergency occurs at a fixed facility when the Fire Department or other agency
takes command and control of the site as the lead agency.
When the fire alarm is activated
at a school and the
Fire Department responds,
the event automatically
becomes an “emergency” to the facility.
The term emergency is loosely used
at fixed facilities as well as by external
emergency services, support agencies
and organizations. Until the Fire
Department gives the all clear or terminates
the emergency, the Fire
Department is in control and nobody
shall breech their orders.
An emergency occurs at a fixed
facility when the Fire Department or
other agency takes command and control
of the site as the lead agency.
When the facility loses control of its
authority to act, an incident has then
escalated to the level of an Emergency.
What is an event?
An event is uncontrolled, unplanned
or an accident that may affect the environment,
human life, health, or property.
The following definitions describe
the three levels of an event that a fixed
facility may face:
Incident - refers to an event that can
be handled by internal resources of the
facility, and selected outside contractors.
The fixed facility remains in command
and control of all activities.
Emergency - refers to a situation
that requires external emergency services
of fire departments, police, ambulance
or other ministry agencies that
have the power to command and control
the site. The fixed facility loses
command and control of the facility.
Disaster - refers to an event that has
a high impact on human life and property
and is considered to be an extreme
or high-level emergency for the facility.
The driving forces for Emergency
Response/Contingency Plans to be in
place are intense and are specific to a
facility’s significant aspects and potential
impacts that may occur. Bill C-45
should have owners, executives and
facility managed activity seek each
other out to insure that appropriate
plans are in place.
Getting started (Administration)
Who are the “Designated Go-to-Jail
People”?
Review the driving forces of ER
Planning: legislation, market
pressure, industry standards, etc.
Develop policy that commits to a
plan, and delegates responsibility
and authority to the field.
Set up the ER Management
positions.
Develop and install a Site-Specific
ER Plan or a Unified Incident
Command System.
Review commitment and time lines.
Getting started (Operation)
Conduct a preparedness and
capability assessment.
Determine response needs.
Identify levels of competence.
Match response capability to ER
plans and scales of impact.
Develop practical hands-on training
programs.
Test review and update the system
regularly.
This illustrates the need for top
management and the operations side of
the business to communicate and
develop a planning process that
includes representatives from all sectors
of the organization.
Emergency Preparedness for ER
Planning Meeting ISO 14001 (4.4.7)
states: “The organization shall establish
and maintain procedures to identify
potential for and respond to accidents
and emergency situations, and
for preventing and mitigating the environmental
impacts that may be associated
with them.
“The organization shall review and
revise, where necessary, its emergency
preparedness and response procedures
in particular after the occurrence of
accidents or emergency situations.
“The organization shall also periodically
test such procedures where practical.”
