8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response [ISO 45001, with Procedure]

What is Emergency Preparedness and Response?

The revised standard strengthens and expands on the previous requirements and also includes communications. Ensure that emergency plans take the needs of relevant third parties into account and are tested periodically and are maintained and retained as documented information.

Emergency drills should be evaluated, learned from and improved.

Contents

• What is Emergency Preparedness and Response?
• Step 1: Identification of Potential Emergencies
• Step 2: Emergency Response Plans
• Step 3: Emergency Response Review
• Emergency Preparedness & Response Procedure [Template download]

Emergency situations may originate within your organization and have the potential to affect the environment or may be an health and safety condition that has the potential to affect your organization.

You should determine whether your organization has the:

• Processes in place that are tested, and ready to be triggered
• The planned response actions need to be tested, reviewed and revised, when necessary, in particular after the occurrence of emergency situations and after tests
• Capability to respond effectively to emergency situations
• Interested parties are made aware of these arrangements, (and when necessary trained if they are required to participate in the emergency response)

You should establish and maintain a procedure to:

• Identify potential emergency scenarios
• Respond to incidents and emergencies
• Prevent and mitigate any impacts and risks that may be associated with incidents and emergencies

Your organization should review and revise, when necessary, the emergency preparedness and response procedure, especially after an incident or emergency situation.

Your organization must also periodically test such procedures where practicable.

Whether your facility has emergency response plans or not, you should review the following sections to ensure you meet the emergency response requirements. Develop a procedure to respond to emergency situations.

Step 1: Identification of Potential Emergencies

The emergency response procedure(s) describe how you plan to identify potential incidents and emergency situations.

Potential incidents and emergency situations could include:

• Fire
• Accidental emissions to the atmosphere
• Accidental discharges to water
• Accidental discharges to land
• Specific health and safety effects from such accidental releases and emergency situations

Identifying potential incidents and emergency situations requires intimate knowledge of operations including, processes, materials used, and operating practices.

When determining potential incidents and emergency situations, consult the following sources:

• Health and Safety Representatives
• Hazard logs and risk assessments
• Process engineers
• Equipment manufacturers
• Incident reports and records
• Maintenance personnel
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
• COSHH data sheets

In addition to consulting the above resources, it is useful to perform a walk-through inspection to identify potential health and safety incidents and emergency situations.

Walk-through inspections are most effective when performed during typical operating conditions using observational and non-threatening interview and communication techniques.

Step 2: Emergency Response Plans

Emergency response plans are the result of prior planning, testing, and the coordination of internal and external resources. Emergency response plans provide written instructions and information to use during incidents and emergency situations.

Such plans can also provide information to prevent or mitigate health and safety impacts and health and safety risks. It is recommended that emergency response plans include:

• Emergency organization and responsibilities
• A list of key personnel
• Provisions for safe evacuation, assembly and accounting of personnel details of emergency services (e.g.; fire department, ambulance services, spill clean-up services, etc.)
• Internal and external communication plans
• Actions taken in the event of different types of emergencies
• Information on hazardous materials (COSHH & MSDS) that include each material’s potential impact on the environment
• Measures to be taken in the event of accidental release
• Training plans
• Procedures to test the plan’s effectiveness

Emergency response plans, including facility layouts and MSDSs, should be filed with the emergency responding agencies for emergency situations.

Emergency responders must be familiar with facility layouts and potential hazards and must be adequately trained to prevent and mitigate a variety of human and health and safety impacts.

Step 3: Emergency Response Review

Your organization must review and revise, when necessary, its emergency preparedness and response procedures, especially after an incident or emergency situation.

You must also periodically test such procedures where practicable. Otherwise, plans may never be determined to be adequate or inadequate until after an incident that may have been avoidable with proper testing procedures.

Related Information You Might Find Useful

• ISO 14001 — 8.2 Emergency Preparedness and Response
• Video — ISO 45001 2018 Clause 8.2 Emergency preparedness and response

Next ISO 45001 Clause

• 9.1 Monitoring, Measurement, Analysis and Evaluation

Each ISO 45001 Clause Explained

• Learn About ISO 45001

Updated: 25th April 2022
Author: Richard Keen

Richard Keen

Richard is our Compliance Director, responsible for content & product development.
But most importantly he is ISO's biggest fanboy and a true evangelist of the standards.
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	QMS ISO 9001	EMS ISO 14001	OH&S ISO 45001
Emergency Preparedness & Response Procedure The purpose of this procedure is to outline your organization’s methodology for controlling emergency situations. Effective emergency preparation and response can reduce injuries, prevent or minimize environmental aspects, mitigate health and safety hazards, protect employees and neighbors, reduce asset losses, and minimize downtime.   Forms & Reports also included: Emergency Situations Process Turtle Diagram Emergency Preparedness Response Matrix Emergency Equipment Log Incident Report >> Free Download - Control of Calibrated Equipment Procedure - this will give you a good idea of what to expect when you purchase the procedure. >> I'm looking for more Procedures			$19 USD add to cart

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