Washington Administrative Code › Title 296 - Labor and Industries, Department of › Chapter 296-824 - Emergency response › Section 296-824-20005 - Develop an emergency response plan

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
Note:
1. You may already have an emergency response plan,
						  such as required by chapter 296-843 WAC, Hazardous waste operations or by state
						  and locally coordinated response efforts (Section 303 of Superfund Amendments
						  and Reauthorization Act (SARA), Title III). You may use those plans to comply
						  with this section, if they include the items listed below.
2. Before a written emergency response plan can be
						  developed, you will need to anticipate the types of uncontrolled releases that
						  employees could encounter in your workplace(s).
(1) You must make
			 sure your plan is written and adequately addresses, as a minimum, all of the
			 following:
(a) Preemergency planning and
			 coordination with additional responders (including personnel from other
			 employers such as: Fire departments, law enforcement agencies, emergency
			 medical services, and state or federal agencies);
(b) Personnel roles, (See Table 1) and lines
			 of authority and communications for all affected parties including
			 responders;
(c) Employee training
			 (see WAC 296-824-30005 for more detail):
Note:
1. Responders' level of training depends on the duties
						  or roles the employer assigns.
2. Training for the employees' role should address the
						  competencies specified in Tables 3 through 6.
3. Training on specific substances may be appropriate
						  depending on the number and characteristics of hazardous substances expected to
						  be encountered. For example, if employees may only respond to one substance,
						  you could provide training (covering the knowledge and skills specified in
						  Tables 3 through 6) on that single substance. If employees might respond to a
						  range of hazardous substances, training may be required to cover categories of
						  hazardous substances.
4. Videos and automated training methods (for example:
						  Interactive computer-based programs) may be used in training; however,
						  instructors must be readily available to:
a. Encourage and provide responses to questions for the
						  benefit of the group.
b. Evaluate employee understanding of the
						  material.
c. Provide other instructional interaction to the
						  group.
(i) Emergency
			 recognition;
(ii) Immediate
			 emergency procedures including:
(A) Methods
			 of alerting employees (see WAC
			 296-800-310, exit routes and
			 employee alarm systems) and outside responders;
(B) Procedures for limited action (emergency
			 prevention);
Note:
Limited action
includes
						  shutting down processes, closing emergency valves and other critical actions to
						  secure the operation, or prevent the incident from increasing in
						  severity.
Limited Action and Employee Roles
If . . .
Then employees involved would be:
Limited action could be conducted in the danger
						  area
Considered emergency responders
Limited action will not be conducted in the danger
						  area
Considered evacuees, not emergency responders
(C)
			 Details of who will evacuate immediately and who will remain behind for limited
			 action;
(D) Evacuation routes and
			 procedures;
(E) How to establish
			 safe distances and places of refuge (for example, during emergency response the
			 incident commander (IC) decides to make changes based on new developments,
			 i.e., changes in the wind direction).
(d) Methods of securing and controlling
			 access to the site;
(e) Emergency
			 medical treatment and first aid;
(f) A complete personal protective equipment
			 (PPE) program that addresses:
(i) Selection
			 of PPE including selection criteria to be used and the identification,
			 specified use and limitations of the PPE selected.
(ii) Training on proper use of PPE (including
			 maintenance).
(iii) Hazards created
			 by wearing PPE including heat stress during temperature extremes, and/or other
			 appropriate medical considerations.
(iv) Criteria used for determining the proper
			 fit of PPE.
(v) Procedures covering
			 proper use of PPE including procedures for inspection, putting it on (donning)
			 and removing it (doffing).
(vi)
			 Maintenance of PPE including procedures for decontamination, disposal and
			 storage.
(vii) Methods used to
			 evaluate the effectiveness of your PPE program.
Note:
1. If a manufacturer's printed information or WISHA
						  rule adequately addresses procedural requirements (such as donning or doffing
						  for PPE), it is not necessary to rewrite this into your program; simply attach
						  the printed information.
2. You may use written procedures provided by the
						  equipment manufacturer when they meet the requirements of other chapters,
						  including chapter 296-842 WAC, Respirators.
(g) Emergency equipment;
(h) Emergency response procedures;
(i) Decontamination procedures determined by
			 a hazardous materials specialist or other qualified individual;
(j) Methods to critically assess the response
			 and conduct appropriate follow-up.