Emergency planning - Keele University
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Department of Occupational Health and Safety

 

Department of Occupational Health and Safety

Emergency Planning

Fire

See also 'Fire Management'

  • ALWAYS RAISE THE ALARM AT ONCE -
  • ALWAYS CALL THE FIRE SERVICE ON 9-999 GIVING THE CORRECT ADDRESS
  • ALWAYS CALL SECURITY ON 888 FOR DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS SEE FIRE ACTION NOTICE DISPLAYED IN EACH ROOM

Suspect Bomb / Terrorist Threat

See also 'How to Handle Suspect Mail'

THE THREAT MAY BE FROM A TELEPHONE CALL OR FROM THE DISCOVERY OF A SUSPECT DEVICE -

  • CALL SECURITY ON 888 -
  • TAKE NO FURTHER ACTION UNTIL ADVISED BY SECURITY (DO NOT SOUND THE FIRE ALARM AT THIS STAGE) -
  • CARRY OUT ANY INSTRUCTIONS FROM SECURITY

Gas release

See also 'Gas Safety'

WITHOUT PUTTING YOURSELF AT RISK:

  • TURN OFF AT MAIN IF POSSIBLE
  • FROM A TELEPHONE WHERE GAS IS NOT A PROBLEM -
  • TELEPHONE 9-999
  • TELEPHONE SECURITY ON 888
  • TELEPHONE BRITISH TRANSCO EMERGENCY LINE 0800 111 999
  • DO NOT USE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT

Emergency Planning

The issue of post-event recovery is being considered by staff of the Vice-Chancellor's Office as at June 2004.  

The University recognises that there are a number of specific statutory requirements containing the need for emergency planning. For example

  • Management at Work Regulations 1992, Regulation 7
  • Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1984 (CIMA)
  • Pressure System Regulations 1989, Regulation 11
  • Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) (Amendment) Regulations 1996, Regulation 13
  • Ionising Radiation Regulations 1985

An emergency can be defined as any occurrence outside the ordinary requiring a unique response to restore the organisation to normality. (A disaster is an emergency getting out of hand and normally requiring assistance from external services).

External factors which may give rise to an emergency could be:

  • natural - severe weather
  • environmental - fire, pollution, waste from fire
  • departmental - toxic release, biological release, radioactive release, loss of utilities such as water, gas, electricity for 24 hours or more
  • transport - accidents on campus or off e.g. accident on M6 causing an unconfined toxic or flammable gas cloud
  • aggression - vandalism, civil unrest

Internal factors could be:

  • carelessness - lack of maintenance or safety procedures
  • environmental - noise
  • accident - personal, operational, fire, structural
  • aggression - vandalism

At University level an umbrella emergency plan is being framed. The plan will examine remote combinations of adverse events and circumstances leading to emergencies, for example an aircraft falling, and when that process is complete further information will be distributed in the usual way.

At Departmental level, particularly in the high risk Sciences, Heads of Departments should already have considered, drawn up and implemented a scheme of arrangements for dealing with departmental emergencies. This is particularly important in areas where equipment and/or experiments are left running outside normal working hours.

The following key aspects will enable Heads of Departments to audit their existing plans where they exist or to lay the foundation for a new emergency plan.

Key Aspects

Emergency procedures should be written down in clear concise terms and reviewed periodically. It is essential that everybody knows:

  • the possible risks they might face
  • what to expect in an emergency
  • what to do and what not to do

Everybody in the department should know what to do if they:

  • hear or see an alarm
  • discover a fire, leak of spillage
  • discover an injured person
  • experience an equipment or service failure

The Departmental Emergency Procedure should cover:

  • when, how and by whom the alarm is to be raised
  • an early assessment by a responsible person of how much action is needed
  • immediate action to contain the incident
  • liaison with the emergency services and University Security, including first aid arrangements
  • preventing access of non-essential personnel to the area
  • evacuation or sheltering of non-essential personnel depending upon the type of incident
  • accounting for site staff, students, contractors and visitors
  • shutting down and isolating of equipment and making it safe
  • isolating the source of a leak or spilled material and clearing up spillage using safe systems and appropriate personal protective equipment
  • access to records, e.g. hazard data sheets, COSHH assessments or personal details
  • the provision of an up-to-date set of key information for the use of emergency services including laboratory layout, position of fire extinguishers, position of gas cylinders and their nature, position of large quantities of highly flammable liquids, isolation positions for gas, electricity supplies etc.

These records should be kept in an immediately available position adjacent to the main foyer of Departments. (See Part I, Section F, Document F10).

Controlling an Incident

The Departmental Emergency Procedure should include at least the following core elements:

  • someone appointed to take charge at the scene of the incident (to direct rescue operations until the arrival of emergency services)
  • a competent person responsible for directing operations to ensure any casualties are receiving adequate attention
  • consideration of a place where an emergency may be directed and controlled.

Training

All staff should be trained and practised in the emergency procedures. The system should include new staff and everyone should receive refresher training. You may wish to check that training has been effective by

  • questioning, to test basic knowledge of the emergency procedure
  • testing skills, such as putting on breathing apparatus o testing elements of the emergency procedure, for example how quickly the emergency team can mobilise
  • carrying out drills wearing any necessary equipment.
  • realistic departmental exercises should be carried out.