Emergency Response

Emergency response is something people don’t usually think about when they think about safety.  In this case, we are talking about a worse case scenario incident.  Regardless of any prior safety measures taken, either someone has been injured, or a disaster such as a fire has happened.  Emergency response is so crucial, because how people act following a disaster can literally be the line between life or death.  Not only that, but in the event of a disaster like a fire, how people handle themselves also plays an economic role. For example, a fire can start and maybe cause a few hundred dollars in damage.  But that same fire, if started, and there is a lack of response, can burn down a multimillion-dollar facility. 

  So it pays to have an emergency action plan in place.  A fire is not the only emergency that can happen in a Lab.  In fact labs are even more dangerous than most workplaces due to the nature of the work being carried out in them.  Dangerous and even deadly chemicals can be spilled exposing employees.  Employees can injure themselves while using equipment in the lab.  Labs often use dangerous equipment, often with open flames, which greatly increase the chance for personal injury.  The first step in emergency response when an emergency is realized is to get out of the area.  Once you are clear from danger, you must contact the primary emergency response team, usually meaning the fire department.  Depending on the size of the emergency, a “safe zone” perimeter must be established.  In other words, an area that is designated as being far enough away from the incident to be considered safe.  In the event of a chemical/radioactive leak, the area must be deemed safe for emergency responders to enter.  In events like 9/11, emergency responders are often killed, or develop acute/chronic diseases.  Many responders from 9/11 have developed chronic respiratory conditions after the disaster from breathing in the materials suspended in the air.  A similar situation happened in Japan’s most recent nuclear reactor failure.  Many of the emergency responders entered the area knowing that the radiation may kill them, or give them life long effects. So the safety of the emergency responders is something that needs to be considered when dealing with a disaster.  Now of course, there will never be a completely safe disaster (for responders).  What makes it a disaster is that is poses a danger to human life and property.  So anytime someone is entering this type of environment, a danger is involved.  All we can do is try and be as systematic, and consistent as possible when reacting to such events.  The most crucial aspect in emergency response is the chain of communication.  This is how people are contacted and made aware of the emergency. 

Having an efficient chain of communication can safe lives and property.  Most companies that run labs have such chains of communications in place.  This is how the safety managers, and emergency response teams become aware of the situation and they respond accordingly.  Overall, emergency response is something not thought of right away by most in safety, but it is one of the most crucial aspects of it.