Emergency Planning and Management of
Chemical Emergency situations in
Chemical labs
HSP: Please finish slide 58.
Dr. Gameel Qasim Mohammed
In collaboration with Health Security Partners, USA
Why Are Chemical Safety and Security Important
for Your Institution?
Institutions must be aware of the potential for the
accidental misuse of chemicals, as well as their
intentional misuse for activities such as terrorism or illicit
drug trafficking.
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Fostering a Culture of Chemical
Safety and Security
A successful safety and security program requires
a daily commitment from everyone in the institution.
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Responsibility and Accountability for Laboratory
Safety and Security
Responsibility for safety and security rests
ultimately with the head of the institution and its
operating units.
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Other personnel with responsibility for maintaining a
safe and secure laboratory environment include the
following:
• Environmental Health and Safety Office.
• Chemical Safety and Security Officer (CSSO):
• Laboratory Managers, Supervisors, and Instructors:
• Laboratory Students and Staff:
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Ten Steps to Establish a Safety and Security Management
System
1.Develop a safety and security policy statement.
2.Designate a Chemical Safety and Security Officer.
3.Identify and address particularly hazardous situations.
4.Implement administrative controls.
5.Establish procedures for chemical management.
6.Employ Personal Protective Equipment and Engineering
Controls.
7.Train, communicate, and mentor.
8.Evaluate facilities and address weaknesses.
9.Plan for emergencies.
10. Identify and address barriers to safety and security
compliance
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Emergency Planning
There are four major phases to managing a emergency:
• mitigation.
• Preparedness.
• Response.
• Recovery.
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1- The mitigation phase
2- The preparedness
3- The response phase
4- The recovery
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The four phases are interconnected. Each phase
affects the other. The most important step in
managing an emergency, however, is planning for
one
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Developing an Emergency Preparedness Plan
Planning follows several steps:
1- Assess.
2:- Identify.
3:- Create a plan.
4:- Train.
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1- Assessing Laboratory Vulnerabilities
The first step in developing an emergency preparedness plan is to
assess laboratory vulnerabilities.
What kinds of emergencies are most likely?
What is the possible impact of a major emergency on laboratory
operations?
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The most common emergencies include the following:
✔ fire, flooding, and earthquakes ✔ pandemic alert;
✔ power outages; ✔ travel restrictions
✔ extensive absences due to illness ✔ hazardous material spill or
release
✔ high-profile visitors; ✔ political or controversial
researchers or research
✔ intentional acts of violence or theft ✔ loss of laboratory materials or
equipment
✔ loss of data or computer systems ✔ loss of mission-critical equipment
✔ loss of mission-critical equipment
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2-Identifying Leadership and Priorities
Put in place ahead of time a clear succession of
leadership and priorities to help provide clarity in an
emergency situation. Leaders need to be able to make
decisions, set priorities, and put plans in motion.
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2-1:- Decision Makers
Determine who will provide leadership for the laboratory in case of an
emergency. Designate an emergency coordinator to oversee emergency
preparedness for the laboratory.
Make a list of individuals authorized to make decisions, including
financial commitments.
Make sure that the people on the list know and understand their
responsibilities.
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2-2:-Essential Personnel
These staff members must be recognized as “essential
personnel.”
Make sure that essential personnel understand and accept
their responsibilities in an emergency, which may be
different from their usual responsibilities.
Make sure that essential personnel keep with them
documentation from the institution stating their positions.
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2-3:-Laboratory Priorities
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3- Creating a Plan
1- A laboratory survival 2- Loss of power
kit
3- Communications 4- An institutional or building
closure
5- Evacuations 6- Community emergencies
7- Sheltering in place 8- Fire or loss of the laboratory.
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3.1:- Survival Kit
• Survival kits contain the following items:
1-a change of clothing and shoes; 2- nonperishable snacks;
3- medications; 4- drinking water;
5- contact lens solution; 6- a blanket or jacket.
and
- a flashlight; a radio and batteries; and first aid kit.
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3.2:- Communications
Laboratory personnel should know:
• how to find information?
• how to contact people?
• what to expect in terms of communications?
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3.2.1:- Contact List
Must have up-to-date contact information for:
• A- key laboratory personnel
• .
• B- all laboratory personnel
Also include the name and contact information for at least one friend or
family member for each individual.
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3.2.2:- Communications Methods
Telephone:
Text messages:
E-mail:
Internet and blogs
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3.2.3:- Assembly Point
3.2.4:- Media and Community Relations
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3.2.5:- Outside Responders
• Some emergencies require police, fire, or ambulance crews or
other outside responders.
• Establish good communication with these responders in
advance of emergencies
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Contacts for laboratory emergencies
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3.3:- Evacuations
Fires, spills, and other emergencies may require evacuation of
the laboratory. All laboratory staff should be aware of the
facility’s evacuation procedures
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3.3.1:- Shutdown Procedures
1:- Make a list of processes that need to be shut down prior to evacuation.
2:- Note the risks of experiments left unattended for an extended
period.
3:- In the event a proper shutdown is not conducted prior to an
evacuation and may pose a risk to health, property, or the environment,
inform emergency responders to remedy the matter.
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3.3.2:- Evacuation Routes and Assembly Points
Post main and alternate evacuation routes.
The designated emergency coordinator should account for all
staff and should advise emergency responders.
Laboratory managers should make sure that all personnel are
familiar with the evacuation routes and assembly points.
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3.4:- Sheltering in Place
1. Go or stay inside the building.
2. Do not use elevators.
3. Close and lock doors and windows.
4. If possible, go to a location within the building that has no exterior
doors or windows.
5. If possible, monitor the situation by radio, Internet, or telephone.
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3.5:- Loss of Power
3.5.1 Short-Term Power Loss
3. 5.2 Long-Term Power Loss
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3.5.3 Planning for Power Loss
Generator power
Uninterruptible power supply
Dry ice:
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3.6:- Institutional or Building Closure
❖ Short-term closure
❖ Long-term closure
❖ Make a list of essential items for an alternative facility
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3.7:- Fire or Loss of the Laboratory
1) Take action to prevent fire.
2) Make sure, that there are extinguishing systems. Take
additional steps to limit the impact of a fire.
3) Think about how the laboratory would manage after a fire
and make plans for continuing operations.
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3.8 Emergency Training
✔ evacuation procedures.
✔ emergency shutdown procedures.
✔ communications during an emergency.
✔ the location of fire extinguishers and spill control equipment, and how and when to use them.
✔ how to report a fire, injury, chemical spill, or other emergency and how to summon emergency
response.
✔ the location of emergency equipment such as safety showers and eyewash units.
✔ the locations of all available exits for evacuation from the laboratory.
✔ how police, fire, and other emergency responders handle laboratory emergencies and the role of
laboratory personnel in emergency response.
✔ security issues.
✔ protocol for absences due to travel restrictions or illness.
✔ safe practices for power outages.
✔ shelter-in-place procedures.
✔ protocols for handling suspicious mail or phone calls.
✔ laboratory-specific protocols relating to emergency planning and response.
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Required Emergency Equipment
• spill control and personal protective equipment for
employees working in laboratories and other
workplaces.
• fire extinguishers.
• eyewash and shower facilities.
• respiratory protective devices.
• first aid kits in all laboratories.
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Fire Alarm System
• All laboratory facilities must be capable of notifying all
personnel in the vicinity of a fire.
• Locations which have no alarm system must have alternative
ways of notifying employees and other persons.
• These alternative methods must be communicated to all
necessary personnel.
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Fire Extinguishers
•Portable extinguishers must be present in all laboratories,
chemical storage and preparation areas.
•They must be of the right type and the right capacity (volume).
•Fire extinguishers should be located near entrances to
storage/work areas, or just inside or outside of the entrance.
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The table shows the uses for different types of extinguishers and is a guide
for the choice of the proper extinguisher in any laboratory.
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What to do in the event of an accident or emergency?
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When an accident, unmanageable chemical spill,
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What to do in the event of a chemical release?
1:- Emergency Planning
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2:- Classifying Releases
Responses to incidental releases
An emergency response
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Situations generally resulting in emergency responses
include situations when:.
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3:- Release Notification
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4:- Emergency Response
❖ there is an immediate fire or health threat
❖ individuals are experiencing exposure symptoms
❖ a large quantity of flammable or toxic material is involved
❖ an acute toxin is involved
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❖ Provide as much information about the spill as
possible including:
o specific location
o the name of the spilled chemical if known
o if it can be determined without risking additional
exposure
o and the estimated quantity spilled
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5:- Incidental Release Clean-up
Before proceeding to clean up any spill, ALL
• One:
• Two:
• Three
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If the spill is an incidental release and can be cleaned up by or
under the supervision of the faculty member or Lab Manager
1) Assign specific tasks and keep everyone else away from the area.
2) Obtain the supplies and equipment needed from the laboratory or
spill control supplies.
3) Wear protective equipment, at a minimum: lab coat; splash
goggles; chemical resistant gloves (do not use disposable latex
gloves).
4) Contain the spilled material to as small an area as possible.
5) Proceed to clean up the spilled material using absorbent,
neutralizers etc.
6) Collect the spilled material and contaminated material for proper
disposal.
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6:- Nitrogen release in NMR Room
If advice or assistance is needed, contact:
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7:- What to do in the event of an injury, chemical exposure or burn?
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7.1:- Chemical Exposure
In the event of a chemical spill to the body take the
following action:
A:- the sink
B:- the emergency shower
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In the event of a splash to the eyes take the
following action:
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7.2:- Clothing Fires
• STOP –
• DROP -
• ROLL –
• Call
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7.3:- Cuts and Burns
•Minor cuts should be flushed and treated with first aid supplies.
•If there is significant bleeding, chemical contamination, possible
foreign material such as glass inside the cut, or questions as to the
severity of the injury, call ambulance teams for assistance.
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8:- What to do in the event of a fire?
In the event of any fire:
• pull the fire alarm immediately.
• call Campus Police and give details about the fire.
• evacuate the area and close any doors to the area.
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Fire Extinguishers
Student should not use an extinguisher unless
they cannot escape the area
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When use a fire extinguisher:
P.A.S.S.
∙ P-
∙ A-
∙ S-
∙S-
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9:- What to do in the event of an emergency evacuation?
All students, faculty, and staff should exit the building immediately
upon hearing the fire alarm.
and the following actions should be taken.
Do not use the elevators.
Do not re-enter the building or leave the assembly area until instructed
to do so by Campus Police or the Fire Department.
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