ExxonMobil Security Recovery Plan - Essay Example

Running Head: Emergency Management Response Preparedness, Prevention, Response, and Recovery Plan At Exxon Mobil Security Exxon Mobil Security is deeply concerned of mitigating risks through a comprehensive design of a management emergency response procedure. The emergency management response encompasses facets of preparedness, prevention, response and recovery in instances of disasters and other extreme events. The essay would detail a critical incident and emergency management response plan for Exxon Mobil Security. The plan would include preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery to catastrophic events or significant security incidents. In addition, the design would include external relations and communications necessary to execute the plan. The rationale and a preliminary budget for suggested recommendations would be proffered. Preparedness, Prevention, Response, and Recovery Plan At Exxon Mobil Security Emergency incidents occur due to disasters and accidents which happen in the most unexpected place and time. Thousands of lives are lost due to various sudden, haphazard events such as vehicular accidents, slips and falls, animal accidents (bites), medical related errors, food poisoning, and chemical accidents and spills, among others. Aside from work-related injuries and illnesses, natural disasters and terrorist attacks also pose grave threats to people’s lives, properties and the environment. Exxon Mobil Security acknowledges the threats eminent in the abovementioned scenarios. Accordingly, the organization is deeply concerned of mitigating risks through a comprehensive design of a management emergency response procedure. The emergency management response encompasses facets of preparedness, prevention, response and recovery in instances of disasters and other extreme events. The essay would detail a critical incident and emergency management response plan for Exxon Mobil Security. The plan would include preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery to catastrophic events or significant security incidents. In addition, the design would include external relations and communications necessary to execute the plan. The rationale and a preliminary budget for suggested recommendations would be presented. Emergency Response Generally, an emergency is defined as any unplanned or unforeseen event that calls for immediate action as it can cause death or significant injuries to the organization’s personnel or to the public, or that can shut down business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or can threaten the institutions financial standing or public image. Business Dictionary defines disaster response as “aggregate of decisions and measures taken to (1) contain or mitigate the effects of a disastrous event to prevent any further loss of life and/or property, (2) restore order in its immediate aftermath, and (3) reestablish normality through reconstruction and rehabilitation shortly thereafter. The first and immediate response is called emergency response.” (Business Dictionary, 2010, 1) Exxon Mobile is regarded as one of the world’s globally traded oil and gas corporation. As such, it is expected to design a strategically structured emergency management response plan to encompass preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery to catastrophic events or significant security incidents. According to the official website of Exxon, “risks associated with safety, security, health, and the environment are inherent in the energy and petrochemical business. Recognizing these risks, ExxonMobil takes a disciplined and systematic approach to business continuity planning and emergency preparedness.” (Exxon, n.d., par. 1) Exxon boasts of having consistently worked on ensuring workforce safety and workplace security by implementing programs and strategies the minimize accidents, injuries and illness. In fact, the company website indicated that Exxon “lead the industry with low incident rates for work-related injuries and illnesses. Based on analysis of incidents and risks, the organization continuously work to improve the safety and health of employees and contractors. Since 2000, Exxon has reduced workforce lost-time incident rate by an average of over 12 percent per year.” (Exxon, n.d., par. 1) When untoward incidents do happen at Exxon, the culprit was identified as frailty of human performance. By improving the tools and techniques to address the decline in performance of Exxon’s personnel, the number of accidents, work-related injury and illness was significantly minimized. Further, an assessment of the risks and threats at Exxon Mobil revealed different classes, agents, problems, severity and levels of risks confronting the organization. These factors are the necessary ingredients required for the company’s emergency response plan. Preparedness and Prevention The six essential elements in the preparedness cycle include “plan, organize, train, equip, exercise, and evaluate and improve.” (USDNS, 2008, 27) Exxon Mobil ensured appropriate planning is being undertaken through the risk and threat assessment, evaluation of current resources, responsibilities for carrying out specific actions in emergency situations, immediate response that requires coordination with external first response organizations, identification of a security strategy in the organization, and identification of various people to contact in an incident, among others. The contact information of key emergency personnel should be located at the front of the plan so one wont have to waste valuable seconds paging through a lengthy document. (Kirvan, 2009, 1) The security personnel and/or management personnel should be responsible in ensuring that this data is complete and workable. An external resources review should be undertaken by the security personnel and authorized management. The following offices should be identified and the respected contact numbers must be made readily accessible and available: Emergency Management Office; Fire Department; Police Department; Emergency Medical Services; Telephone Companies; and Electrical Utility, from among others. After identification of the externals first response organizations, an emergency response plan should be properly designed to enable the organization to relay the needed information to the external organizations. The following concerns should be put in mind: would the plan ensure that the situation is adequately assessed? Would the employees, customers, visitors, equipment, vital records, and other assets be initially protected? Would the organization have back up reports and plans to keep the business continuing after the disaster? To effectively coordinate with external organizations, support documents should also be available and accessible. The following numbers should be prepared: emergency call lists (people responding, their responsibilities and phone numbers), employee lists (employees with their home phone numbers and currently updated cell phone numbers), and resource lists (equipment and supplies that could be needed in an emergency). Training is manifested through testing of emergency response teams at various operating sites simulating a variety of disaster situations and extreme emergency scenarios. Accordingly, “these scenarios include responding to simulated product spills, fires, explosions, natural disasters, and security incidents.” (Exxon, n.d., par. 1) The area of equipping necessitates conducting regular inventory of supplies and equipment needed during emergency response situations. The asset valuation proffered during the risk and threat assessment phase reveals various asset categories which were classified according to values of availability, confidentiality, integrity for staff, intrinsic availability and replacement cost. Through frequent monitoring of assets and resources, appropriate planning is undertaken with the objective of identifying critical resources whose loss would definitely jeopardize the company’s operations. Evaluation and improvement of preparedness areas at Exxon entails review from emergency response personnel and management to continually update risk areas, identify changes in authorized personnel and replacement or repair of needed equipment which are critical in responding during emergency situations. As recognized, “by involving operating personnel and considering the principles of human factors early in a projects development, we are reducing costly rework and performing smoother startups with lower incident frequency.” (Exxon: Workforce safety, n.d., par. 6) A comprehensive review of the plan would ensure that Exxon have initiated preventive measures in anticipating and simulating various disaster scenarios. Human resources must be prepared and oriented to apply appropriate response, as detailed in the plan, to prevent any loss in lives, injuries, illnesses and untoward incidents to happen. An estimated budget of $50,000 would be earmarked for the preparedness stage to take into account risk and threat assessments, preparation of strategies, testing emergency personnel on competence to respond to emergency situations, materials to disseminate plans, to train, and regularly orient personnel on awareness for emergency response procedures. Response Procedures When disasters, chemical accidents and spills, work-related injuries and illnesses, or terrorist attacks occur, Exxon Mobil must be able to apply the required responsiveness criteria, to wit: “four key actions typically occur in support of a response :( 1) gain and maintain situational awareness; (2) activate and deploy key resources and capabilities; (3) effectively coordinate response actions; then, as the situation permits, (4) demobilize.” (USDNS, 2008, 32) Situational awareness requires the competent qualifications of security management and emergency response personnel. After proper and immediate identification of the emergency requiring immediate and appropriate action, Exxon’s security personnel must inform all authorized agencies and offices and automatically do the following tasks: (1) check for injuries and seek medical assistance for seriously injured people; (2) check for fires or hazards and hut off damaged utilities. Sniff for gas leaks. If a gas leak is suspected, if possible, turn off the main gas valve, open windows, and get everyone outside quickly; (3) check for damage in the organization. Use flashlights, do not light matches or candles or turn on electrical switches. Clean up spilled company flammables and poisonous liquids; (4) locate the emergency kit and make sure there is an adequate supply of water; (5) check on neighboring establishments; and (8) evacuate, if advised to do so. Since a chemical spill is most likely to happen at Exxon, the following should be the response plan: observe and assess the nature of the spill, stop or contain the spill (if it is safe to do so); call for assistance (if needed); and cleanup using appropriate means. When all guidelines on notification of the proper authorities have been undertaken, cleanup procedures will be based on the size of the spill, the location, qualities of the material, and training of the individuals involved. For cases requiring evacuation of personnel, the following steps should be followed: (1) sound the building fire alarm. Alert others in the area and evacuate everyone from the spill area; (2) contact Security at the organization’s trunk line number, as the alarm reports to the main emergency numbers and authorized offices; (3) assist those with disabilities to an area of safe refuge: stairwells etc. Notify first responders of those in areas of safe refuge; and (4) ensure all persons in an area of danger have been safely relocated. (Emergency Response, n.d., 2). Activating and deploying key resources and capabilities must be systematically done according to plans. Identified emergency personnel must carry out their respective tasks and responsibilities to ensure the safety of the rest of the personnel in the organization. Effectively coordinating response actions entail reporting the incident through dialing 9-1-1 in times of disasters especially when it poses a threat to human life and to the property. All calls will require: (1) name of caller; (2) telephone number for call-backs at the scene or facility; (3) have local officials been notified of incident – Fire, Police, Sheriff; and (4) date, time and location of the incident. (Emergency Response, n.d., 1) In addition, the assigned security personnel and/or management of the Exxon should inform the National Response Center, the State Emergency Response Commissions and Local Emergency Planning Committees. Fire departments must also be notified. The following telephone numbers should always be ready and all personnel should be advised of these numbers in cases of emergency: MOST IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS: EPCRA HOTLINE 1-(800) 424-9346 and NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER 1-800-424-8802. The following information should be relayed when making notifications of the disaster: (1) materials and quantity involved in incident; (2) incident location – physical address, nearest cross streets, section/range, etc.; (3) responsible party of incident (trucking firm name, property/business owner; name, etc.); (4) telephone number of responsible party; (5) any surface waters or sewers impacted of the disaster; and (6) what has happened or what is happening. (Emergency Response, n.d., 2) Demobilization entails applying measures from the emergency response scenario back to a normalized state. Information and communication processes must be disseminated at all channels to revert personnel, equipment, and resources back to their natural status. An equal amount of effort and resources are required for demobilization process. Therefore, emergency personnel must be trained to maximize reverting efforts at the most economical costs. There is no way to exactly allot a dollar amount for response procedures, as the necessary materials and resources have been deployed during the preparedness stage. Recovery Procedures The recovery phase necessitates an assessment of the extent of the damage unique to the organization but entails the inclusion of the development, coordination, and execution of service- and site-restoration plans; reconstitution of operations and services; programs to promote restoration of company operations; long-term care and treatment of affected persons; and additional measures for organizational restoration. (USDNS, 2008, 45) Exxon security personnel must conduct an updated inventory of all resources of the organization, especially those affected by the disaster or extreme emergency situation. Appropriate reorder or repurchase of needed materials lost or destroyed must immediately be made to restore normal operations. If casualties occur, management must conduct the necessary human resources hiring procedures to replace the lost personnel. For buildings or sites that were destroyed, the required reconstruction and rebuilding must immediately be done. The budget for recovery would depend on the extent of the potential damage that would ensue from the disaster or extreme emergency situation. It could be a minor thousand dollars or hundreds of thousands, if the damage is severe. Especially when lives are lost, there is no exact replacement for the life lost except to recruit other candidates for the position that were left vacant. In this regard, the cost of recruiting, training, and re-orienting new personnel would be inputted in the budget for recovery. Exxon must therefore calculate the number of fatalities over the years, the number of assets that need to be replaced, as a consequence of disasters or extreme emergency situations. These figures would be the data to be used to compute the projected amount of budget that must be allocated for future recovery procedures. Conclusion An emergency management response procedure was designed for Exxon Mobil Security encompassing areas such as preparedness and prevention, response and recovery, including external relations and communications necessary to execute the plan. In addition, as much as readily identifiable, the preliminary budget for the proposed recommendations was stipulated. Pursuant with the requirements stipulated in the US Department of National Security (USDNS), the six essential elements in the preparedness cycle included planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, and evaluating and improving. (USDNS, 2008, 27) When disaster strikes, the appropriate response criteria are: (1) gaining and maintaining situational awareness; (2) activating and deploying key resources and capabilities; (3) effectively coordinating response actions; then, as the situation permits, (4) demobilizing. (USDNS, 2008, 32) Finally, the recovery phase necessitates an assessment of the extent of the damage unique to each organization. In addition, relevant external organizations and appropriate communication patterns have been identified and specified in cases of catastrophic events. The National Response Center, the State Emergency Response Commissions, Local Emergency Planning Committees and fire departments were a must to be notified, among others. The key organizational authorized personnel must be available and accessible especially in emergency scenarios. The emergency plan must be disseminated to all personnel to ensure that each one is aware of the plan of action. As manifested, people and organizations respond differently to emergencies and threats depending on various factors. Organizations cannot solely rely on diverse reaction patterns of individuals in times of fire, medical emergencies, bomb threats or even terrorist attacks. To ensure each individual’s safety, organizations prepare emergency response procedures to explicitly state how the facility will respond to emergencies and threats. The best response is actually to remain vigilant and to continue the extensive efforts to thwart possible emergency situations to ensure the preservation of human lives. The emergency response procedures ensure that not only lives are protected, but also properties and the environment. A comprehensive plan incorporating the critical elements must be available and made aware to all personnel of the organization for it to be worthwhile. References Business Dictionary. 2010. Definition of Disaster Response. Retrieved 12 February 2010. < http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/disaster-response.html> Emergency Response. Moorhead Minnesota State University. Retrieved 09 Feb. 2010. ExxonMobil. (n.d.). Workface safety. Retrieved 09 February 2010. < http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community_safety_workforce.aspx> Exxon Mobil. (n.d.). Risk Management and Emergency Preparedness. Retrieved 09 February 2010. < http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/community_safety_security.aspx> Kirvan, P. (2009). Using a business continuity plan template: A free business continuity template and guide. Tech Target. Retrieved on 10 Feb. 2010. US Department of National Security. (2008). National Response Framework. Retrieved 12 Feb. 2010. Read More