21 Emergency Drills
Michael Hrycay
Learning Objectives
Dramatize emergency drills.
An emergency plan specifies procedures for handling sudden or unexpected situations.
The objective is to be prepared to:
- Prevent fatalities and injuries.
- Reduce damage to buildings, stock, and equipment.
- Protect the environment and the community.
- Accelerate the resumption of normal operations.
Unexpected situations, or hazards, can be classified as technological or natural.
Examples of technological hazards are:
- Fire.
- Explosion.
- Building collapse.
- Major structural failure.
- Spills.
- Unintentional release of products.
- Deliberate release of products (e.g., hazardous biological agents, or toxic chemicals).
- Other terrorist activities.
- Exposure to ionizing radiation.
- Loss of electrical power.
- Loss of water supply.
- Loss of communications.
Areas where flammables, explosives, or chemicals are used or stored should be considered as the most likely place for a technological hazard emergency to occur.
The risk from natural hazards is not the same across Canada but the list would include:
- Floods
- Earthquakes
- Tornadoes
- Severe wind storms
- Snow or ice storms
- Severe extremes in temperature (cold or hot)
- Pandemic diseases like influenza or coronavirus
The emergency plan includes:
- All possible emergencies, consequences, required actions, written procedures, and the resources available.
- Detailed lists of emergency response personnel including their cell phone numbers, alternate contact details, and their duties and responsibilities.
- Floor plans.
- Large scale maps showing evacuation routes and service conduits (such as gas and water lines).
Since a sizable document will likely result, the plan should provide staff members with separate written instructions about their particular emergency response duties.
In any emergency plan, the evacuation order is of greatest importance in alerting staff. To avoid confusion, only one type of signal should be used for the evacuation order. Commonly used for this purpose are sirens, fire bells, whistles, flashing lights, paging system announcements, or word-of-mouth in noisy environments. The all-clear signal is less important since time is not such an urgent concern.
The following are “musts”:
- Identify evacuation routes, alternate means of escape, make these known to all staff. Keep the routes unobstructed.
- Specify safe locations (muster points) for staff to gather for head counts to ensure that everyone has left the danger zone. Assign individuals to assist employees who may need help evacuating quickly.
- Carry out treatment of the injured and search for the missing simultaneously with efforts to contain the emergency.
- Provide alternate sources of medical aid when normal facilities may be in the danger zone.
- Ensure the safety of all staff (and the general public) first, then deal with the fire or other situation.
Exercises and drills may be conducted to practice all or critical portions (such as evacuation) of the plan. A thorough and immediate review after each exercise, drill, or after an actual emergency will point out areas that require improvement. Knowledge of individual responsibilities can be evaluated through paper tests or interviews.
