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Development and implementation of an effective emergency preparedness plan
Solar Cells, 19 (1986-1987) 345-353
345
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN*
RANDALL J. McCONNELL Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO 80401 (U.S.A.)
(Accepted January 31, 1986)
Summary Job safety analyses and similar programs are useful means of identify~g potentially hazardous operations within the photovoltaics and other industries. Even after such programs there remains a need for effective emergency preparedness plans (EPPs) and this paper describes the major steps in developing and implementing such plans. EPPs are directed ultimately towards the protection of people and the environment in the event of an emergency, the limitation of any resulting damage and the provision of adequate, correct information to all those affected. These goals can be achieved through identification of potential hazards and the strategic provision of resources and communications, followed by thorough programs of training, testing and review.
1. Introduction Programs such as job safety analysis (JSA) are effective tools for identifying hazards and the controls and training necessary to reduce those hazards to the lowest possible risk level. Most operations will have some residual risk and the potential for an emergency situation in spite of these intensive pro-active controls and this emergency potential should also be identified during the JSA. A course of action selected during such an emergency is seldom as effective as a preplanned strategy and a properly developed emergency plan is therefore essential for prompt response. An effective emergency plan can be developed from the emergency scenarios identified during the JSA. Proper handling of even minor emergencies is critical in the photovoltaics industry owing to the hazardous materials and operations involved combined with an increasing level of public awareness. An occurrence such *Paper presented at the SERI Photovoltaics Safety Conference, January 16-17, 1986, Lakewood, CO, U.S.A. 0379-6787/87/$3.50
© Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
346 as a small chemical spill within a production area may be handled internally with relative ease and minimal damage. However, the external ramifications may be severe if inadequate information is released to the public and news media. Likewise, minor injuries can have severe consequences if proper medical treatment is not available or if improper information is provided to the medical responders. JSA will identify situations such as these and emergency preplanning will provide an effective response to them. The development and implementation of an emergency preparedness plan (EPP) is the subject of this paper. It is important for smaller organizations to develop an EPP even if it is a very basic program. This will provide a foundation for expansion of the EPP as operations grow, which is a more manageable proposition than starting to develop an EPP after the operations have reached sizeable proportions. More importantly, a small organization's response capabilities are easily overwhelmed once it is placed in the reactive mode and they may never recover from the resultant damages and business interruptions. A basic EPP can provide the slight edge required to keep an emergency situation from becoming a catastrophe.
2. Objectives There are three objectives in the development and implementation of an EPP. These objectives are as follows: (i) protecting the staff, visitors, public and environment from potential emergencies; (ii) limiting the severity and resulting damages when an emergency does occur; (iii) providing adequate and correct information to emergency responders, management, the public and news media. All three objectives should be met to realize a complete and effective EPP, but partial completion is acceptable provided all three are addressed to some degree. Since many facilities do not have unlimited resources for preplanning, or emergency professionals on the staff, it is desirable to meet a portion of these objectives if the alternative is no emergency plan at all. Developing and implementing segments of the EPP over time can reduce the impact on the staff and maximum utilization of existing resources will reduce the costs involved. If a time-phase implementation schedule is necessary, a careful identification of priority items should be performed.
3. Development The development of an EPP can follow the same basic procedure regardless of the size of the operations, with the a m o u n t of detail in the plan varying with the complexity of the operations and degree of hazard present. The final EPP can be fairly simple, relating to one specific hazard, or it can be more elaborate for multiple hazards and locations. There are five steps in
347 the development of an EPP. These steps are as follows: (i) the identification of all credible potential emergencies; (ii) the development of strategies to respond to the identified emergencies; (iii) the provision of resources necessary for emergency response; (iv) the creation of a communication network; (v) the development of a formal plan combining all of these elements [ 1].
3.1. Identification The identification of credible potential emergencies will utilize JSA or other similar analysis programs and should consider the on-site and off-site impact of each type of emergency. If more than one potential emergency is identified within a building or facility the possibility of multiple or cascading occurrences should then be analyzed. Consideration must be given to potential emergencies during non-business hours, especially when unattended operations or hazardous materials are involved. It is also important to evaluate potential emergencies not under facility control, such as severe weather conditions, civil disturbances or fires in other facilities. It is emphasized that the analysis and identification process is the foundation of an EPP and this phase of the development should be thorough. A side benefit of the identification process, or of'JSA alone, is that changes in procedures or equipment are often revealed that will reduce the residual risk and eliminate potential emergencies.
3.2. Strategies After identification strategies can then be developed for response to the potential emergencies and at this point the development of an EPP moves b e y o n d a strict JSA. The strategies can be incorporated into existing plans, such as a written operations procedure for a specific activity, and the same basic strategy may be used for similar activities. Using a c o m m o n strategy for occurrences such as chemical spills or gas releases will reduce the development work required and will facilitate the coordination of assistance provided by outside response groups. T h e most basic strategies will include procedures for notification, evacuation, response by trained personnel and communication of pertinent information to the appropriate persons. Different actions may be required simultaneously within various organizational groups and these actions should be specifically outlined. All strategies should be realistic and should not present an unusual exposure to the personnel implementing them. The limitations presented by resources and skills available must be recognized and at some point all or part of the response to an emergency must be surrendered to outside groups. Responsibilities and authorities for on-site personnel and outside response groups should be assigned in the strategies to avoid conflicts and delays at the time of an emergency. Fire departments, law enforcement agencies and other outside response groups have their authorities defined by law and internal emergency strategies should not be contradictory. For larger organizations that involve multiple activities or locations the individual strategies can be referenced in a master emergency plan.
348 These organizations should also ensure that certain aspects of the individual strategies, such as communication and assignment of authority, are uniform. It may be necessary to establish a multi-level response structure, with different levels being activated depending on the severity of the emergency. An example would be a multiple location organization that allows local control of emergency response up to certain levels of severity, with activation of a master control center for more serious occurrences. 3.3. Resources The next step in the development of an EPP is an inventory of the resources required to implement the emergency strategies and a comparison of the inventory results with the resources that are actually available. Resources will fall into the categories of equipment and trained personnel and deficiencies can be made up internally or through the use of outside agencies. Equipment for internal emergency response in the photovoltaics industry include medical supplies, eyewash and shower stations, spill control and clean-up materials, self-contained breathing apparatus, personal protective equipment, portable fire extinguishers, portable and fixed monitoring equipment for chemical and gas releases, communication equipment, facility diagrams, an inventory of chemicals utilized, material safety data sheets (MSDS) for hazardous materials and medical protocols for injuries specific to certain operations. The chemical~nventories, MSDS and medical protocols are often overlooked b u t are of vital importance to outside agencies responding to an emergency. Internal resources should match the level of reponse specified in emergency strategies but should not exceed the staff's ability to maintain the equipment and to be proficient in its use. Poorly maintained equipment or inadequately trained response personnel can actually increase the level of exposure during an emergency situation. The primary outside agencies available in most areas are police, fire and medical services, with specialized services such as hazardous materials response teams becoming available. Outside agencies should be consulted early in the EPP d e v e l o p m e n t process to ensure that their services are not being duplicated internally and to determine if their response procedures are compatible with proposed emergency strategies. These agencies may also be able to provide sample emergency plans from similar operations, but it should be recognized that each EPP must be tailored to the existing hazards. Training services can occasionally be provided b y outside agencies and this will be addressed during the discussion of EPP implementation. Resources must be provided for larger operations that will have an emergency control center and will consist of the equipment and space necessary for these activities. The equipment will primarily be communication systems and the location should therefore be convenient to existing telephone exchanges, radio base stations and public address system controls. These resources may be provided at a later stage if a time-phased implementation is involved, as resources for first response personnel are a priority.
349
3.4. Communication A critical element in the development of any EPP, and one that is often overlooked, is a communication network. Regardless of the size of an operation, there are certain people that must be notified during an emergency situation. Notification lists should be established for business and nonbusiness hours and should include internal and external response groups, c o m p a n y management, supervisors for the involved areas and government or public agencies. Activation of the notification system is often performed through a central contact point within the organization to which all emergencies are reported, thereby requiring the reporting person to make only one phone call or report. The central contact point then performs all necessary notifications utilizing a current copy of the notification list. The central contact point is preferably one that is constantly staffed and remote from potential emergency areas. Personnel having notification responsibilities during non-business hours should maintain current notification lists at their residence. Communications with the news media should be restricted to a designated c o m p a n y spokesperson to prevent inaccurate or conflicting releases of information. Releases concerning chemicals or gases and related injuries must be accurate, owing to the increasing concern over " t o x i c " and "hazardous" chemicals. It is unlikely that notification of the news media will be necessary when an emergency occurs as they generally respond shortly after the outside agencies. It is important, however, to provide follow-up information and the news media should be included in any postemergency notifications. 3.5. Formal plan The final stage in the development of an EPP is to combine all of the previously developed elements into a formal d o c u m e n t that will be utilized for reference, training and updating of the plan. As previously stated, the formal EPP will vary in size and content depending on the emergency potential present. This may range from several pages for a small facility to a large manual for a multiple location operation. It is beneficial for larger operations to have a master plan that covers items that are identical at all locations, with separate localized plans for items that are specific to each facility. Specific information that must be available during an emergency can be taken from the master plan and maintained in appropriate areas. Examples are notification lists, chemical inventories and building diagrams for each facility.
4. Implementation Regardless of how well developed an EPP is, it will be of little value if it is n o t properly implemented. The formal plan is not intended for reference at the time of an emergency b u t is a resource for use during
350 implementation. The implementation process has three steps. These steps are as follows: (i) the training and education of internal and external personnel; (ii) the testing of the EPP through drills and exercises; {iii) the routine review and updating of the EPP [2]. Once the initial implementation is completed, the ongoing activities will require a minimal c o m m i t m e n t of time.
4.1. Training The training phase ensures that all personnel have a general knowledge of the emergency response structure and that they understand their responsibilities within the plan. It is imperative that all personnel know the procedure established for reporting an emergency and the consequences of poor communication should be emphasized. Training in evacuation procedures should be provided for all staff members and new employees can receive necessary information as part of an overall orientation program. Specialized training will be necessary for personnel with first response or emergency strategy responsibilities and may involve the use of specialized equipment. Outside agencies are useful sources of specialized training such as first aid or fire extinguisher operation. Vendors may provide training in the use of self-contained breathing apparatus, spill control materials and other specialized equipment. Training films are available from various sources, including equipment manufacturers and safety organizations. Retraining in the use of specialized equipment is required on a regular basis to maintain proficiency levels and a retraining schedule should be established. Outside agencies that will be responding to emergencies should be given familiarization tours of the facilities and remote medical agencies should be advised of the types of injuries they may expect. All outside agencies should be familiar with the authorities assigned in the EPP as well as the communication network and any other elements that may affect their performance.
4.2. Testing Exercises or drills are necessary on a routine basis to ensure that the established procedures function as planned and to provide experience for all personnel. The EPP can be exercised as a whole or various segments can be tested individually. Localized exercises are recommended for larger operations to minimize business interruption, however, a site-wide exercise should be conducted occasionally. Outside agencies can be invited to participate in these exercises, if appropriate, and a critique should be performed following each exercise. One segment of the EPP that requires routine exercise is the notification and communication network as successful emergency response requires effective communications. These exercises can be performed individually with minimal effort and should be performed during business and nonbusiness hours.
351 For a newly implemented EPP it may be beneficial to conduct "table t o p " drills prior to an actual exercise. These involve key personnel talking their way through an emergency scenario and will indicate whether or not the EPP is ready for an exercise.
4.3. Review The last phase of implementation involves an annual review of the EPP to determine if its effectiveness has been impaired by changes in personnel, processes, materials or facilities. The review should also consider any emergencies or exercises that have occurred within the past year. Any required changes should be made to the EPP and affected personnel should be notified of the changes and retrained as necessary.
5. Examples Three examples are presented to illustrate the emergency preparedness needs of various size organizations. These examples also illustrate how increasingly complex EPPs can be created through the same basic process. It is assumed that the development and implementation procedures previously outlined have been utilized and in some cases only the resulting EPP elements are listed. These examples are based on an existing research facility EPP b u t the elements are applicable to photovoltaics pilot plant and production facilities.
5.1. Single facility with limited hazards The first example is based on an organometallic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) laboratory that is being considered as a stand-alone operation. Following a JSA the risk is reduced to the lowest possible level through engineering and administrative controls. An air dispersion modeling program is also conducted to identify the off-site exposure potential owing to toxic gases. The principal remaining hazards with emergency potential are the storage, handling and use of toxic and flammable gases in moderate quantities, pyrophoric organometallic compounds in small quantities, flammable and corrosive liquids in moderate quantities, radio frequency (r.f.) radiation sources and high voltage equipment. Strategies are developed for emergency response and incorporated in a safe operating procedure (SOP) for the laboratory. The SOP is used as an educational and reference document and is posted near the laboratory entrance for access by outside response groups. The resources provided in support of the response strategies are as follows: (i) fire alarms with manual and automatic activation; (ii) a toxic gas detection system with alarms in the laboratory and a concentration read-out in a remote area; (iii) portable toxic gas detectors for use on and off site; (iv) self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mounted in pairs outside
352 the hazard area; (v) first aid supplies, showers and eyewash stations; (vi) portable fire extinguishers; (vii) an emergency power shut-off (EPO) controlling all high voltage equipment, including r.f. generators; (viii) spill control materials; (ix) a chemical inventory and material safety data sheets
(MSDS). Communications and notification provisions for internal and off-site personnel are as follows: (i) a business hour notification list; (ii) a nonbusiness hour notification list with appropriate contacts posted outside the main entrance to the facility; (iii) hazard postings based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) diamond symbols; (iv) posting of toxic gas alarm procedures for outside response personnel; (v) toxic gas alarms and fire alarms in two locations that are normally attended and remote from the laboratory. Finally, training requirements identified by the JSA for some or all of the personnel are as follows: (i) toxic gas emergency procedures; (ii) evacuation and notification procedures; (iii) basic fire fighting; (iv)SCBA certification (annual retraining required); (v) chemical spill control procedures; (vi) gas cylinder handling procedures; (vii) first aid (three year retraining required); (viii) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (annual retraining required). Exercises, SOP updating and training are performed per established schedules and outside response groups are involved in the appropriate preplanning elements.
5. 2. Single facility with multiple hazards The second example is a single building containing multiple research and development laboratories with unique hazards. Emergency preparedness activities are conducted for each laboratory, as outlined in the first example, and the laboratories are then considered as a group for overall emergency preplanning. Resources, training programs, response personnel and other c o m m o n laboratory elements are combined or expanded to suit the overall emergency needs of the facility and to reduce expenses and time commitments. A formal EPP is developed for the building and includes assignments of authorities and responsibilities and references to the laboratory SOPs. The resources provided in addition to those in individual laboratories are as follows: (i) a building fire alarm system with direct communication with the local fire department; (ii) a building public address sytem; (iii) larger quantities of spill control materials and personal protective equipment on a portable cart; (iv) a trained team of personnel responsible for evacuation, accountability and communication; (v) diagrams of the building; (vi) a master chemical inventory; (vii) support services provided by internal security, maintenance, medical and safety personnel. Communication and notification provisions are expanded over the first example through master notification lists for business and non-business hours, a central reporting point for activation of the emergency notification
353 process and formal procedures for internal and external emergency communication, including those involving the news media. Activities involving training and outside response groups are expanded accordingly.
5.3. Multiple facilities The third example consists of multiple buildings containing research and development laboratories, pilot plant operations and administrative and support services. The individual buildings are up to twenty miles apart and a formal EPP is developed for each building, as outlined in the second example. A master EPP is then developed for the entire organization and references the EPPs established for each building. The master EPP also establishes emergency authorities and responsibilities throughout the organization and includes formal emergency response procedures developed by internal response groups, e.g. medical, plant engineering, public affairs, safety and security groups. These internal response groups provide specialized support services to each building as necessary during an emergency. An emergency operations center (EOC) is established and equipped to address large scale emergencies but is not activated if the emergency can be mitigated by the building involved with support from internal and outside response groups. Additional resources provided at this level are primarily for communication and EOC activities and include a portable radio network as a back-up to the telephone system, a central monitoring station for all alarm and detection systems and the EOC proper, which is an existing conference room located near the telephone operators station, radio base station, public address system master console and alarm monitoring console. Notification and communication provisions, training, exercises and coordination with outside response groups are again expanded accordingly.
6. Conclusion Development and implementation of an effective emergency preparedness plan is a straightforward process when approached in a logical manner and can provide real benefits to photovoltaic industry members of all sizes. Many of the elements necessary for an EPP already exist in safety, health and security programs conducted throughout the photovoltaics industry. References I A. Ellingson and E. Gunderson, A model plan for institutional emergency response programs, Rep. S A N D 81-0635, 1982 (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N M 87185, U.S.A.). 2 Chemical emergencies in laboratories--planning and response, Proc. 1982 N I H Research Safety Symp., Frederick, MD, 1982, National Institute of Health Publ. 83-2634.
345
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN EFFECTIVE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLAN*
RANDALL J. McCONNELL Solar Energy Research Institute, Golden, CO 80401 (U.S.A.)
(Accepted January 31, 1986)
Summary Job safety analyses and similar programs are useful means of identify~g potentially hazardous operations within the photovoltaics and other industries. Even after such programs there remains a need for effective emergency preparedness plans (EPPs) and this paper describes the major steps in developing and implementing such plans. EPPs are directed ultimately towards the protection of people and the environment in the event of an emergency, the limitation of any resulting damage and the provision of adequate, correct information to all those affected. These goals can be achieved through identification of potential hazards and the strategic provision of resources and communications, followed by thorough programs of training, testing and review.
1. Introduction Programs such as job safety analysis (JSA) are effective tools for identifying hazards and the controls and training necessary to reduce those hazards to the lowest possible risk level. Most operations will have some residual risk and the potential for an emergency situation in spite of these intensive pro-active controls and this emergency potential should also be identified during the JSA. A course of action selected during such an emergency is seldom as effective as a preplanned strategy and a properly developed emergency plan is therefore essential for prompt response. An effective emergency plan can be developed from the emergency scenarios identified during the JSA. Proper handling of even minor emergencies is critical in the photovoltaics industry owing to the hazardous materials and operations involved combined with an increasing level of public awareness. An occurrence such *Paper presented at the SERI Photovoltaics Safety Conference, January 16-17, 1986, Lakewood, CO, U.S.A. 0379-6787/87/$3.50
© Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
346 as a small chemical spill within a production area may be handled internally with relative ease and minimal damage. However, the external ramifications may be severe if inadequate information is released to the public and news media. Likewise, minor injuries can have severe consequences if proper medical treatment is not available or if improper information is provided to the medical responders. JSA will identify situations such as these and emergency preplanning will provide an effective response to them. The development and implementation of an emergency preparedness plan (EPP) is the subject of this paper. It is important for smaller organizations to develop an EPP even if it is a very basic program. This will provide a foundation for expansion of the EPP as operations grow, which is a more manageable proposition than starting to develop an EPP after the operations have reached sizeable proportions. More importantly, a small organization's response capabilities are easily overwhelmed once it is placed in the reactive mode and they may never recover from the resultant damages and business interruptions. A basic EPP can provide the slight edge required to keep an emergency situation from becoming a catastrophe.
2. Objectives There are three objectives in the development and implementation of an EPP. These objectives are as follows: (i) protecting the staff, visitors, public and environment from potential emergencies; (ii) limiting the severity and resulting damages when an emergency does occur; (iii) providing adequate and correct information to emergency responders, management, the public and news media. All three objectives should be met to realize a complete and effective EPP, but partial completion is acceptable provided all three are addressed to some degree. Since many facilities do not have unlimited resources for preplanning, or emergency professionals on the staff, it is desirable to meet a portion of these objectives if the alternative is no emergency plan at all. Developing and implementing segments of the EPP over time can reduce the impact on the staff and maximum utilization of existing resources will reduce the costs involved. If a time-phase implementation schedule is necessary, a careful identification of priority items should be performed.
3. Development The development of an EPP can follow the same basic procedure regardless of the size of the operations, with the a m o u n t of detail in the plan varying with the complexity of the operations and degree of hazard present. The final EPP can be fairly simple, relating to one specific hazard, or it can be more elaborate for multiple hazards and locations. There are five steps in
347 the development of an EPP. These steps are as follows: (i) the identification of all credible potential emergencies; (ii) the development of strategies to respond to the identified emergencies; (iii) the provision of resources necessary for emergency response; (iv) the creation of a communication network; (v) the development of a formal plan combining all of these elements [ 1].
3.1. Identification The identification of credible potential emergencies will utilize JSA or other similar analysis programs and should consider the on-site and off-site impact of each type of emergency. If more than one potential emergency is identified within a building or facility the possibility of multiple or cascading occurrences should then be analyzed. Consideration must be given to potential emergencies during non-business hours, especially when unattended operations or hazardous materials are involved. It is also important to evaluate potential emergencies not under facility control, such as severe weather conditions, civil disturbances or fires in other facilities. It is emphasized that the analysis and identification process is the foundation of an EPP and this phase of the development should be thorough. A side benefit of the identification process, or of'JSA alone, is that changes in procedures or equipment are often revealed that will reduce the residual risk and eliminate potential emergencies.
3.2. Strategies After identification strategies can then be developed for response to the potential emergencies and at this point the development of an EPP moves b e y o n d a strict JSA. The strategies can be incorporated into existing plans, such as a written operations procedure for a specific activity, and the same basic strategy may be used for similar activities. Using a c o m m o n strategy for occurrences such as chemical spills or gas releases will reduce the development work required and will facilitate the coordination of assistance provided by outside response groups. T h e most basic strategies will include procedures for notification, evacuation, response by trained personnel and communication of pertinent information to the appropriate persons. Different actions may be required simultaneously within various organizational groups and these actions should be specifically outlined. All strategies should be realistic and should not present an unusual exposure to the personnel implementing them. The limitations presented by resources and skills available must be recognized and at some point all or part of the response to an emergency must be surrendered to outside groups. Responsibilities and authorities for on-site personnel and outside response groups should be assigned in the strategies to avoid conflicts and delays at the time of an emergency. Fire departments, law enforcement agencies and other outside response groups have their authorities defined by law and internal emergency strategies should not be contradictory. For larger organizations that involve multiple activities or locations the individual strategies can be referenced in a master emergency plan.
348 These organizations should also ensure that certain aspects of the individual strategies, such as communication and assignment of authority, are uniform. It may be necessary to establish a multi-level response structure, with different levels being activated depending on the severity of the emergency. An example would be a multiple location organization that allows local control of emergency response up to certain levels of severity, with activation of a master control center for more serious occurrences. 3.3. Resources The next step in the development of an EPP is an inventory of the resources required to implement the emergency strategies and a comparison of the inventory results with the resources that are actually available. Resources will fall into the categories of equipment and trained personnel and deficiencies can be made up internally or through the use of outside agencies. Equipment for internal emergency response in the photovoltaics industry include medical supplies, eyewash and shower stations, spill control and clean-up materials, self-contained breathing apparatus, personal protective equipment, portable fire extinguishers, portable and fixed monitoring equipment for chemical and gas releases, communication equipment, facility diagrams, an inventory of chemicals utilized, material safety data sheets (MSDS) for hazardous materials and medical protocols for injuries specific to certain operations. The chemical~nventories, MSDS and medical protocols are often overlooked b u t are of vital importance to outside agencies responding to an emergency. Internal resources should match the level of reponse specified in emergency strategies but should not exceed the staff's ability to maintain the equipment and to be proficient in its use. Poorly maintained equipment or inadequately trained response personnel can actually increase the level of exposure during an emergency situation. The primary outside agencies available in most areas are police, fire and medical services, with specialized services such as hazardous materials response teams becoming available. Outside agencies should be consulted early in the EPP d e v e l o p m e n t process to ensure that their services are not being duplicated internally and to determine if their response procedures are compatible with proposed emergency strategies. These agencies may also be able to provide sample emergency plans from similar operations, but it should be recognized that each EPP must be tailored to the existing hazards. Training services can occasionally be provided b y outside agencies and this will be addressed during the discussion of EPP implementation. Resources must be provided for larger operations that will have an emergency control center and will consist of the equipment and space necessary for these activities. The equipment will primarily be communication systems and the location should therefore be convenient to existing telephone exchanges, radio base stations and public address system controls. These resources may be provided at a later stage if a time-phased implementation is involved, as resources for first response personnel are a priority.
349
3.4. Communication A critical element in the development of any EPP, and one that is often overlooked, is a communication network. Regardless of the size of an operation, there are certain people that must be notified during an emergency situation. Notification lists should be established for business and nonbusiness hours and should include internal and external response groups, c o m p a n y management, supervisors for the involved areas and government or public agencies. Activation of the notification system is often performed through a central contact point within the organization to which all emergencies are reported, thereby requiring the reporting person to make only one phone call or report. The central contact point then performs all necessary notifications utilizing a current copy of the notification list. The central contact point is preferably one that is constantly staffed and remote from potential emergency areas. Personnel having notification responsibilities during non-business hours should maintain current notification lists at their residence. Communications with the news media should be restricted to a designated c o m p a n y spokesperson to prevent inaccurate or conflicting releases of information. Releases concerning chemicals or gases and related injuries must be accurate, owing to the increasing concern over " t o x i c " and "hazardous" chemicals. It is unlikely that notification of the news media will be necessary when an emergency occurs as they generally respond shortly after the outside agencies. It is important, however, to provide follow-up information and the news media should be included in any postemergency notifications. 3.5. Formal plan The final stage in the development of an EPP is to combine all of the previously developed elements into a formal d o c u m e n t that will be utilized for reference, training and updating of the plan. As previously stated, the formal EPP will vary in size and content depending on the emergency potential present. This may range from several pages for a small facility to a large manual for a multiple location operation. It is beneficial for larger operations to have a master plan that covers items that are identical at all locations, with separate localized plans for items that are specific to each facility. Specific information that must be available during an emergency can be taken from the master plan and maintained in appropriate areas. Examples are notification lists, chemical inventories and building diagrams for each facility.
4. Implementation Regardless of how well developed an EPP is, it will be of little value if it is n o t properly implemented. The formal plan is not intended for reference at the time of an emergency b u t is a resource for use during
350 implementation. The implementation process has three steps. These steps are as follows: (i) the training and education of internal and external personnel; (ii) the testing of the EPP through drills and exercises; {iii) the routine review and updating of the EPP [2]. Once the initial implementation is completed, the ongoing activities will require a minimal c o m m i t m e n t of time.
4.1. Training The training phase ensures that all personnel have a general knowledge of the emergency response structure and that they understand their responsibilities within the plan. It is imperative that all personnel know the procedure established for reporting an emergency and the consequences of poor communication should be emphasized. Training in evacuation procedures should be provided for all staff members and new employees can receive necessary information as part of an overall orientation program. Specialized training will be necessary for personnel with first response or emergency strategy responsibilities and may involve the use of specialized equipment. Outside agencies are useful sources of specialized training such as first aid or fire extinguisher operation. Vendors may provide training in the use of self-contained breathing apparatus, spill control materials and other specialized equipment. Training films are available from various sources, including equipment manufacturers and safety organizations. Retraining in the use of specialized equipment is required on a regular basis to maintain proficiency levels and a retraining schedule should be established. Outside agencies that will be responding to emergencies should be given familiarization tours of the facilities and remote medical agencies should be advised of the types of injuries they may expect. All outside agencies should be familiar with the authorities assigned in the EPP as well as the communication network and any other elements that may affect their performance.
4.2. Testing Exercises or drills are necessary on a routine basis to ensure that the established procedures function as planned and to provide experience for all personnel. The EPP can be exercised as a whole or various segments can be tested individually. Localized exercises are recommended for larger operations to minimize business interruption, however, a site-wide exercise should be conducted occasionally. Outside agencies can be invited to participate in these exercises, if appropriate, and a critique should be performed following each exercise. One segment of the EPP that requires routine exercise is the notification and communication network as successful emergency response requires effective communications. These exercises can be performed individually with minimal effort and should be performed during business and nonbusiness hours.
351 For a newly implemented EPP it may be beneficial to conduct "table t o p " drills prior to an actual exercise. These involve key personnel talking their way through an emergency scenario and will indicate whether or not the EPP is ready for an exercise.
4.3. Review The last phase of implementation involves an annual review of the EPP to determine if its effectiveness has been impaired by changes in personnel, processes, materials or facilities. The review should also consider any emergencies or exercises that have occurred within the past year. Any required changes should be made to the EPP and affected personnel should be notified of the changes and retrained as necessary.
5. Examples Three examples are presented to illustrate the emergency preparedness needs of various size organizations. These examples also illustrate how increasingly complex EPPs can be created through the same basic process. It is assumed that the development and implementation procedures previously outlined have been utilized and in some cases only the resulting EPP elements are listed. These examples are based on an existing research facility EPP b u t the elements are applicable to photovoltaics pilot plant and production facilities.
5.1. Single facility with limited hazards The first example is based on an organometallic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) laboratory that is being considered as a stand-alone operation. Following a JSA the risk is reduced to the lowest possible level through engineering and administrative controls. An air dispersion modeling program is also conducted to identify the off-site exposure potential owing to toxic gases. The principal remaining hazards with emergency potential are the storage, handling and use of toxic and flammable gases in moderate quantities, pyrophoric organometallic compounds in small quantities, flammable and corrosive liquids in moderate quantities, radio frequency (r.f.) radiation sources and high voltage equipment. Strategies are developed for emergency response and incorporated in a safe operating procedure (SOP) for the laboratory. The SOP is used as an educational and reference document and is posted near the laboratory entrance for access by outside response groups. The resources provided in support of the response strategies are as follows: (i) fire alarms with manual and automatic activation; (ii) a toxic gas detection system with alarms in the laboratory and a concentration read-out in a remote area; (iii) portable toxic gas detectors for use on and off site; (iv) self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) mounted in pairs outside
352 the hazard area; (v) first aid supplies, showers and eyewash stations; (vi) portable fire extinguishers; (vii) an emergency power shut-off (EPO) controlling all high voltage equipment, including r.f. generators; (viii) spill control materials; (ix) a chemical inventory and material safety data sheets
(MSDS). Communications and notification provisions for internal and off-site personnel are as follows: (i) a business hour notification list; (ii) a nonbusiness hour notification list with appropriate contacts posted outside the main entrance to the facility; (iii) hazard postings based on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) diamond symbols; (iv) posting of toxic gas alarm procedures for outside response personnel; (v) toxic gas alarms and fire alarms in two locations that are normally attended and remote from the laboratory. Finally, training requirements identified by the JSA for some or all of the personnel are as follows: (i) toxic gas emergency procedures; (ii) evacuation and notification procedures; (iii) basic fire fighting; (iv)SCBA certification (annual retraining required); (v) chemical spill control procedures; (vi) gas cylinder handling procedures; (vii) first aid (three year retraining required); (viii) cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (annual retraining required). Exercises, SOP updating and training are performed per established schedules and outside response groups are involved in the appropriate preplanning elements.
5. 2. Single facility with multiple hazards The second example is a single building containing multiple research and development laboratories with unique hazards. Emergency preparedness activities are conducted for each laboratory, as outlined in the first example, and the laboratories are then considered as a group for overall emergency preplanning. Resources, training programs, response personnel and other c o m m o n laboratory elements are combined or expanded to suit the overall emergency needs of the facility and to reduce expenses and time commitments. A formal EPP is developed for the building and includes assignments of authorities and responsibilities and references to the laboratory SOPs. The resources provided in addition to those in individual laboratories are as follows: (i) a building fire alarm system with direct communication with the local fire department; (ii) a building public address sytem; (iii) larger quantities of spill control materials and personal protective equipment on a portable cart; (iv) a trained team of personnel responsible for evacuation, accountability and communication; (v) diagrams of the building; (vi) a master chemical inventory; (vii) support services provided by internal security, maintenance, medical and safety personnel. Communication and notification provisions are expanded over the first example through master notification lists for business and non-business hours, a central reporting point for activation of the emergency notification
353 process and formal procedures for internal and external emergency communication, including those involving the news media. Activities involving training and outside response groups are expanded accordingly.
5.3. Multiple facilities The third example consists of multiple buildings containing research and development laboratories, pilot plant operations and administrative and support services. The individual buildings are up to twenty miles apart and a formal EPP is developed for each building, as outlined in the second example. A master EPP is then developed for the entire organization and references the EPPs established for each building. The master EPP also establishes emergency authorities and responsibilities throughout the organization and includes formal emergency response procedures developed by internal response groups, e.g. medical, plant engineering, public affairs, safety and security groups. These internal response groups provide specialized support services to each building as necessary during an emergency. An emergency operations center (EOC) is established and equipped to address large scale emergencies but is not activated if the emergency can be mitigated by the building involved with support from internal and outside response groups. Additional resources provided at this level are primarily for communication and EOC activities and include a portable radio network as a back-up to the telephone system, a central monitoring station for all alarm and detection systems and the EOC proper, which is an existing conference room located near the telephone operators station, radio base station, public address system master console and alarm monitoring console. Notification and communication provisions, training, exercises and coordination with outside response groups are again expanded accordingly.
6. Conclusion Development and implementation of an effective emergency preparedness plan is a straightforward process when approached in a logical manner and can provide real benefits to photovoltaic industry members of all sizes. Many of the elements necessary for an EPP already exist in safety, health and security programs conducted throughout the photovoltaics industry. References I A. Ellingson and E. Gunderson, A model plan for institutional emergency response programs, Rep. S A N D 81-0635, 1982 (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, N M 87185, U.S.A.). 2 Chemical emergencies in laboratories--planning and response, Proc. 1982 N I H Research Safety Symp., Frederick, MD, 1982, National Institute of Health Publ. 83-2634.