Chapter 9 Industrial Hygiene and Emergency Response
9.4 Event Notification
Once an emergency has occurred, notification of the event to some authoritative entity is the start of the emergency response effort. Traditionally, event notification occurs via the telephone or pager. However, in the age of electronics, event notification can occur through the Internet or text. Event notification generally occurs to a primary notification recipient; a person is usually designated as the point of contact for initial notification of an emergency. Generally, the event notification process includes
• Notifying all affected personnel of an emergency, including corporate entities
• Performing an initial qualitative analysis of risks and conditions
• Evaluating personnel and logistics needs
In the case of a natural disaster, there is usually a warning that the event is going to occur, so the notification process can be communicated through normal channels, such as radio, television, or the Internet. The notification process can occur over time,
Initiating event
Event notification
Event response
Event/site transition
FIGURE 9.1 Four steps of an emergency response.
and there generally is preplanning associated with the response effort. In the case of a workplace accident, the notification process is implemented by a triggering event and the notification chain has typically been preestablished and documented in company procedures. However, in the case of a terrorist attack, there may be no notification process other than the event itself and communication of the subsequent events.
As part of the event notification process, the person notified usually performs an initial qualitative analysis. Of primary consideration is keeping the response team safe and uninjured. Items to consider when qualitatively evaluating information communicated as part of the initial event notification are listed below.
• Establishment of command and control. Because more than one per- son will be responding to the event, it is important to establish the hier- archy of authority and the person or persons who will ultimately be held responsible for leading the emergency response effort on the ground. In a planned response, the establishment of command and control is predeter- mined; roles and responsibilities have been clearly defined. In the case of an unplanned emergency, it is important to define, early in the response effort, who will be making the decisions on how the response effort will be imple- mented. Traditionally, the fire department, specifically the fire marshal, has served in this capacity because of their significant experience in dealing with emergencies on a daily basis.
• Determination of the primary hazard posed by the event and associated risks to response personnel. An analysis of the risks posed to response per- sonnel is initially done to support planning for the on-site response. The pri- mary hazard posed by an event or emergency is usually the most obvious.
For naturally occurring emergencies, the primary hazard is typically the event itself, such as water, wind, or fire. In the case of workplace accidents, it is conditions in the workplace as initially observed, such as a physical or chemical hazard. For terrorist attacks, the initial analysis is based on physi- cal conditions at the attack site and the believed cause of the event.
• Determination of secondary hazards caused by the event and associated risks to response personnel. Again, an analysis must be performed in order to better protect and prepare response personnel. For naturally occurring emergencies, secondary hazards may include destroyed property and roads, transportation and shelter, needed medical attention, and continued rescue of personnel. In the case of man-made emergencies, secondary hazards posed by the event may include lack of food and water, but also combustion products from isolated fires and physical, chemical, and biological hazards that may initially occur or occur over time. Often, for man-made disas- ters, which are unplanned, there is limited information regarding secondary hazards other than what was readily observed.
• Status of personnel and the need to rescue people. Initial analysis of an emergency event should include understanding whether members of the general public or workers are in needed of being rescued. If people are in need of rescue, then priorities for stabilizing the event site and the type of personnel needed to respond to the emergency need to be broader than when
responding to the event itself, and the prioritization of response efforts may be driven by the need to save lives.
• Conditions at the event site. When determining who should respond to an emergency, site conditions at the event site need to be generally understood because they could influence the type of people needed to respond. For example, do you know if there is any property damage, and do you have a good place for establishing a centralized command and control? Is the event site itself safe? What tools or instruments should we take with us when responding? These questions are all related to understanding any barriers posed by the event site itself.
• Logistical needs. When initially notified of an event, a significant consid- eration is how to keep response personnel safe. Maintaining the safety of response personnel is critical in order to rescue people, but also to stabilize the event site. Another consideration is the availability of electrical power, in particular, because of the dependence of society on the use of technology in our daily work activities. Having electrical power readily available is cru- cial to effective communications, collection of data, responding to medical emergencies, keeping instrumentation running, and general use as part of the response effort. Additional logistical needs that should be considered include water and food for both rescued personnel and those responding; the disciplines of the personnel responding, such as medical, engineering, mili- tary, and health and safety; equipment, such as medical supplies and moni- toring instrumentation; needed transportation; and where to establish a base working location. When responding to an event, the location that is estab- lished as a “base camp” should be safe and easily obtainable by personnel.
• Communication needs and the ability to effectively communicate. In today’s society, almost everyone relies on smart technology to enhance both their professional and personal life. The use of technology in communicating the occurrence of an event, warning others of the event, and responding to the event is extremely important. Because there may be times when the ability to communicate is impacted, in many cases in real time, the need to over- communicate becomes critical. Through the use of technology, emergency response efforts can be monitored and observed as they are occurring, and the ability to communicate with response personnel, and the decision-making process that response personnel must perform, can be assisted and enhanced.
Response personnel can directly communicate with personnel in command and control, and the decision-making process associated with emergency response efforts has been greatly improved through the use of technology.
The ability to more effectively communicate helps to assist in improving emergency response efforts, but it can also influence perceptions on how the emergency response effort is progressing. Through the use of technol- ogy, communications of events can influence whether the public believes the response agency is providing adequate resources and is responsible both mor- ally and fiscally. It is important to note that the larger the emergency response effort, the greater the amount of communication that is needed to effectively manage both emergency response personnel and the public.
• Special needs. Depending on the event, there may be special needs required for response personnel. For example, some regulations require medical physicals of response personnel. There may be special equipment or spe- cial skills needed to respond to the emergency or contaminants of concern.
Special equipment may be needed if responding to a biological, chemi- cal, or radiological event. Depending on the emergency, response person- nel should consider whether there is any specialized equipment needed or requirements that need to be addressed when responding to and stabilizing the event scene.