Incident Action Plan - Assignment Example

INCIDENT ACTION PLAN Introduction This incident action plan presents the general response guidelines for dealing with the incident (Gantt, 2009). The incident, in this case, is presented as a large truck full of cartons of pellets that slid on ice in the parking are, crashed into empty trailers and is now in flames. An analysis of the pellets Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) shows that they release toxic smoke. The incident occurred in a large plastic manufacturing company. The city emergency services delayed due to ice storm that made roads impassable, therefore the company emergency response team will respond to the incident. This incident action plan is intended to provide a system that is responsive to the incident needs. The city emergency services delayed due to ice storm that made roads impassable, therefore the company emergency response team will respond to the incident. Incident action plan goals The incident response team should be located at the incident area and at the area where the company personnel have congregated. The goals of this incident action plan are to (Parker & Handmer, 2013): Ensure that the response teams coordinate operationally and technically to ensure that the incident site is returned to normal as soon as possible. They will each be assigned duties that do not overlap and a central communication office established. A common and synchronised action plan will be implemented. Contain and control the incident to protect property, environment and life from uncontrolled effects. The incident, buffer and safe areas will be designated and demarcated. Allocate legislative obligation capacities of authority and responsibility for incident scene management and control. Responsibilities will be assigned to specific persons in the response team to ensure that a command structure is established and observed. Establish a verification process for ensuring that this plan is maintained with the necessary skill levels to ensure safe and effective operations at the incident scene. The response team members will be assigned responsibilities based on their knowledge and skill, for instance the health personnel will be assigned the responsibility of establishing and implementing a health and safety code while the Hazmat team will be assigned the responsibility of establishing the incident, buffer and safe zones. Operational objectives The operation objectives of this incident action plan are to fight the fire to ensure that it does not spread, ensuring that no one is exposed to the smoke and those who are exposed are treated, and ensuring that all the personnel are accounted for and none are injured. If anyone is missing, find them. If anyone is injured, they will be treated and referred to health response services. The emergency response team will assume the position of incident commanders upon arriving at the incident scene. They will be responsible for implementing the incident command system and determine the incident level during the initial survey of the incident site. They will be assigned positions based on their command structure and according to the incident level and objectives of the incident plan until they are relieved by more qualified persons. They will adopt the structure for incidents as presented in figure 1 until the incident level is upgraded or threat eliminated (Parker & Handmer, 2013; Tweedy, 2014). Fig 1. Incident site operational objectives Response strategies and plan The response strategies will involve: all actions aimed at fighting the fire; evacuating the incident area; establishing safe, buffer and incident zones; and ensuring that all persons are safe. The response strategies adopted for the incident will involve four approaches (Parker & Handmer, 2013; Tweedy, 2014): Initial response – the incident will require that a safe approach be adopted that entails and uphill and downhill approaches. The apparatus will be positions to face away from the incident to facilitate rapid escape if needed. The setback distances guide will be adopted for the incident and only modified when it has been determined that it is safe to do so. The initial upwind setback for the incident will be 600 feet as it is an industrial fire in a facility where there are hazardous materials used in manufacturing and processing, and involves trucks with trailers. Assistance – all responders will be directed to report to the incident commander unless directed to do otherwise. Given that the incident occurred in the parking area, all responders will be required to don Level A and B suits. They shall also done identification vests to show their positions and roles in the response team. Establishment of the incident level – the incident has been designated as level 1 and will require response by the company response team and local safety companies. An ambulance will be dispatched in case an injury is reported. The ranking medical officer will be the incident medical supervisor and the ambulance crew will for the medical response team. The incident will be upgraded to level 2 if it requires more resources than the first responders have. Plan of action – it will address the safety plan, identify the hazard, control the incident site, establish a control zone, select protective clothing for response teams, facilitate entry of response teams, develop a medical plan, and a disposal and clean-up plan. Organisation list The incident command system described in figure 1 will be applied. All response teams will be required to dress in Hazmat protection gear and identification vests. The response team will be expected to perform the functions as presented in figure 2.The incident command will be responsible for setting up the incident zone, and determine entry and exit requirements. In addition, they will confirm the hazardous material identity, lay a line and confirm it for protection and emergency decontamination, and directing non response persons to safe refuge areas. The emergency medical group supervisor will be responsible for assembling emergency rescue equipment, determining medical significance of exposure, providing medical assistance, package injured persons for transportation to health facilities, establish contact will relevant health offices, relay the pellet MSDS to hospital receiving facilities, and relaying medical report to the incident command (Haider, 2010; Turner & Doty, 2007). Fig 2. Organisation list showing responder duties and positions Health and safety plan The health and safety plan: addresses the secondary means of entry and exit from the incident area by cordoning off the incident zone and controlling all entry and exit from the zone; identifies the safety officers; identifies the response groups who include fire fighters, Hazmat team, communications team and health team; confirms that decontamination is in place prior to entry into the incident area to ensure that all persons who are exposed to the toxic smoke can get immediate medical attention; established the time limit for the response team to be in the incident area to ensure that they are not overtaxed and their health risked; determines the placement of the emergency hose line to combat the fire in case it spreads beyond the incident area; and locates and places response equipment on scene to ensure that the incident team can access equipment as they need them (Department of Local Communities and Local Government, 2006). The plan establishes a health compliance threshold for the responding team that includes (Tweedy, 2014): Body temperature threshold set at approximately 37.3oC ± 2.0oC. Persons reporting temperatures above 38.9oC will be asked to rest in cool places with cold presses in their underarms, groin areas and necks. If the temperatures exceed the set limit and show no signs of dropping then the personnel will be referred for immediate medical attention. Respiration rate threshold set at 24. Any persons with respiration rate exceeding 24 will be placed on oxygen mask immediately and referred for additional medical attention. Blood pressure threshold set at 160/90. Any persons with blood pressure exceeding 160/90 will be referred for immediate medical attention. Pulse threshold at 110. Any persons reporting a figure higher or lower than the set pulse threshold will be evacuated from the incident area and referred for immediate medical care. Any response team member whose medical figures are outside the set limits will be denied entry into the incident area and referred for medical attention. In addition, all team members will be encouraged to drink fluids to hydrate and will be monitored for signs of heat and toxic fumes exposure. As a matter of fact, all response teams using suits will be monitored to ensure that they are in the incident area for 10 minutes if the ambient temperature is greater than 37.2oC, and between 10 and 20 minutes if the ambient temperature is between 22.8 and 37.2oC. No team will be allowed to exceed the set time limit. All response team members will operate in the buddy system whereby each team member will be assigned a partner (Tweedy, 2014). Communication plan The communication plan reviews the safety hand signals and checks the radios of all teams. In addition, the communication plan establishes the incident site control by controlling all entry and exit from the incident site. The control has been established by setting up control zones and lines as presented in figure 3. The incident area is where the fire is and the smoke has spread to (Muckett & Furness, 2007; Sharma, 2005). Fig 3. Incident site zoning based on health risks presented All response teams will remain in constant communication – using verbal, visual and radio – with their team members and supervisors. Any failure in communication will require the response team to exit the incident area. A media office has been designated, within the Hazmat safety office, to handle all crowd control and evacuation functions. Evacuation plans will be initiated as the smoke is likely to be toxic and the fire may also spread (Muckett & Furness, 2007; Sharma, 2005). The emergency response team will adopt the following signals in the incident area (Muckett & Furness, 2007; Sharma, 2005): Thumbs down – negative, not okay and may need assistance. Does not have control of the situation. Thumbs up – positive, okay and does not require assistance. Has control of the situation. Gripping the next person’s arms – imminent danger and must leave the area immediately. Hands on the waists – imminent danger and everyone must leave the area immediately. Hands raised above the head or on top of the head – in a precarious position and definitely needs assistance. Hands and fingers clutching the throat – chocking, cannot breath, out of air and needs assistance. The response team will also attend debriefing and complete reports as their positions designate. The incident command will use radios and public address systems to inform the rest of the facility personnel of the incident and ask them to evacuate. Air horns in the facility will sound with three blasts to indicate that personnel must evacuate the facility immediately and report to fire drill and safety sites (Muckett & Furness, 2007; Sharma, 2005). Incident map The industry building complex occupies approximately 50,400 square feet, of which a parking area occupies approximately 22,000 square feet to its south-side. Industries are located on both the north- and the north-side of the structure. The building was constructed over a sublevel. Access to the parking area is through a central gate located on the eastern perimeter wall of the industry building complex. The structural outline for the parking area roof comprised steel beams and columns with 6” columns holding the beams. At the northern end of the parking area is a bank of three power transformers that feed the entire building complex. The electrical wires ran along the wall. The fire incident occurred 15 feet from the bank of fire transformer. References Department of Local Communities and Local Government (2006). Fire safety risk assessment. London: The Stationary Office. Gantt, P. W. (2009). Hazardous materials, regulations, response, and site operations. Delmar: Cengage Learning. Haider, S. I. (2010). Environmental management system ISO 14001: 2004. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. Muckett, M. & Furness, A. (2007). Introduction to fire safety management. London: Routledge. Parker, D. & Handmer, J. (2013). Hazard Management and Emergency Planning: Perspectives in Britain. London: Routledge. Sharma, R. P. (2005). Industrial security management. Seborga, Liguria: New Age International University Press. Turner, W. C. & Doty, S. (2007). Energy management handbook. Lilburn, Georgia: The Fairmont Press, Inc. Tweedy, J. T. (2014). Healthcare hazard control and safety management, 3rd ed. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. Read More