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Things to remember…
Things to remember. . . CH&S Netways
E
very time I pick up a newspaper these days, I read about something that has happened – be it a storm, power outage, wildfires, rail crash, or whatever; I begin to wonder about the individuals involved. This past June was full of these types of events. Then you read the stories and really wonder why individuals don’t prepare in light of potential events. OK, so maybe it is me or it just because I live and work in areas that are prone to these types of events, but it seems to me that common sense is not prevailing. For example, one person they interviewed in Colorado Springs, indicated that when the fires were up near Ft. Collins – they thought about the fact that this year was going to be a bad fire year and maybe they should get their escape pack together – you know the one with important papers, prescription medications, etc. Kept thinking about it but never did it, when the fires hit her area – she had three minutes to get out and had nothing prepared. The east coast was hit with massive power outages – but were they prepared in any shape or form? Nope. It will be interesting to see whether or not individuals will take this as a wake-up call. Of course in Oklahoma – power outages in the spring are a fact of life and many of us have numerous battery operated (or hand crank) radios, lanterns, etc. And several of us have generators for refrigerators and freezers as well as essentials. It will also be interesting to see what considerations have been put in place to protect the systems for the return of power. And, then there is the water issue. Society has gotten so complacent that everything will work and ‘‘it can never happen here’’ or ‘‘it can never happen to me,’’ no one is prepared for when it does. In fact, when the system breaks or someone is moving through the day without thinking and fails to take note of a warning sign, chaos reigns. What could have been a mild inconvenience becomes an emergency and may result in a disaster. We have seen it in the reports in the news where individuals now no longer have a barometer for measuring what is an emergency and bog down
1871-5532/$36.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2012.07.002
the emergency systems. (The reports of individuals calling 911 about the lack of proper service or that the ‘‘Burger King’’ was out of fries.) It has even gone so far that a car manufacturer is adding vibration alarms to the seats of the car because of ‘‘alarm’’ or sensory overload. (Wait – isn’t that something that the chemical plants reviewed in the late 90s because individuals had so many sensors they tended to ignore them?) So, what is the role of the Safety Professional?? In my view, we are a voice out there that is saying ‘‘be prepared’’ and plan for the Uh Ohs and hope they don’t happen. But, because of the information overload individuals shut down – so we have to make it simple and break it down. Things to remember – in the event of an Uh Oh 1) Life safety – this includes identification of safe locations for the particular event, and needs such as first aid kits, proper attire (shoes, gloves, etc.), water 2) Information – your battery or hand crank radios and means of communication (a traditional land line telephone is also a good thing to have access to) 3) Back-up systems – if you rely on electronics make sure you have some means of keeping them running as they will only last so long and think about hard copy. 4) Aftermath – this is where your emergency kit comes in – resources (papers, phone numbers, etc.), supplies, and the start of the regrouping. There are numerous resources out there – Ready.gov, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, etc. Use them to prepare. Be aware of the potential emergencies that may impact your area. Here in Oklahoma – hurricanes are not typical, but tornados, ice storms, and heat waves are. (Yes, we have even had earthquakes recently – so you can’t take any disaster for granted.) Help your constituents be prepared and recognize what they should do in the event that an Uh Oh occurs.
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
63
E
very time I pick up a newspaper these days, I read about something that has happened – be it a storm, power outage, wildfires, rail crash, or whatever; I begin to wonder about the individuals involved. This past June was full of these types of events. Then you read the stories and really wonder why individuals don’t prepare in light of potential events. OK, so maybe it is me or it just because I live and work in areas that are prone to these types of events, but it seems to me that common sense is not prevailing. For example, one person they interviewed in Colorado Springs, indicated that when the fires were up near Ft. Collins – they thought about the fact that this year was going to be a bad fire year and maybe they should get their escape pack together – you know the one with important papers, prescription medications, etc. Kept thinking about it but never did it, when the fires hit her area – she had three minutes to get out and had nothing prepared. The east coast was hit with massive power outages – but were they prepared in any shape or form? Nope. It will be interesting to see whether or not individuals will take this as a wake-up call. Of course in Oklahoma – power outages in the spring are a fact of life and many of us have numerous battery operated (or hand crank) radios, lanterns, etc. And several of us have generators for refrigerators and freezers as well as essentials. It will also be interesting to see what considerations have been put in place to protect the systems for the return of power. And, then there is the water issue. Society has gotten so complacent that everything will work and ‘‘it can never happen here’’ or ‘‘it can never happen to me,’’ no one is prepared for when it does. In fact, when the system breaks or someone is moving through the day without thinking and fails to take note of a warning sign, chaos reigns. What could have been a mild inconvenience becomes an emergency and may result in a disaster. We have seen it in the reports in the news where individuals now no longer have a barometer for measuring what is an emergency and bog down
1871-5532/$36.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2012.07.002
the emergency systems. (The reports of individuals calling 911 about the lack of proper service or that the ‘‘Burger King’’ was out of fries.) It has even gone so far that a car manufacturer is adding vibration alarms to the seats of the car because of ‘‘alarm’’ or sensory overload. (Wait – isn’t that something that the chemical plants reviewed in the late 90s because individuals had so many sensors they tended to ignore them?) So, what is the role of the Safety Professional?? In my view, we are a voice out there that is saying ‘‘be prepared’’ and plan for the Uh Ohs and hope they don’t happen. But, because of the information overload individuals shut down – so we have to make it simple and break it down. Things to remember – in the event of an Uh Oh 1) Life safety – this includes identification of safe locations for the particular event, and needs such as first aid kits, proper attire (shoes, gloves, etc.), water 2) Information – your battery or hand crank radios and means of communication (a traditional land line telephone is also a good thing to have access to) 3) Back-up systems – if you rely on electronics make sure you have some means of keeping them running as they will only last so long and think about hard copy. 4) Aftermath – this is where your emergency kit comes in – resources (papers, phone numbers, etc.), supplies, and the start of the regrouping. There are numerous resources out there – Ready.gov, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts, etc. Use them to prepare. Be aware of the potential emergencies that may impact your area. Here in Oklahoma – hurricanes are not typical, but tornados, ice storms, and heat waves are. (Yes, we have even had earthquakes recently – so you can’t take any disaster for granted.) Help your constituents be prepared and recognize what they should do in the event that an Uh Oh occurs.
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
63