Managers in the waste and recycling industry face a number of natural and man-made disasters that can strike with devastating results. Everything from accidents, earthquakes, fires, floods and hurricanes to spills, technology failures and terrorist acts can wreak havoc on an organization and its ability to service customers. Having a plan to address emergencies and recover from disasters is critical to every solid waste and recycling facility.

By Will Flower

Emergency response plans typically consist of guidelines that an organization can use when facing a crisis. The purpose of the plan is to allow an organization to respond in an effective and timely manner in an effort to minimize the damage and downtime of people and operations. A plan will also give guidance to managers for identifying and assigning key emergency roles and responsibilities to ensure that orderly and actionable steps are being taken to respond to the specific emergencies.

Developing the Emergency Response Plan

The first step in developing an emergency response plan is to identify potential risks that could impact operations. Events that could result in life threatening injuries, impact the environment or lead to the inability to service customers should be identified. Some of the circumstances that may represent a crisis include:

  • Natural disasters such as tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and storms
  • Fires and explosions
  • Injury or illness impacting multiple employees or members of the general public
  • Employee misconduct and damage to the organization’s reputation
  • Strikes and disruption of service
  • Damage to the environment as a result of a spill or release

Managers should also think about the geographic location of their facility.  For example, organizations in south Florida don’t need to plan for blizzards, but they certainly need to be prepared for hurricanes. Manmade disasters should also be evaluated. For example, organizations located near railroad tracks should review the type of cargo that travels over the rail near a facility and consider the risks associated with derailments.  The list of potential risks in and around a facility many be surprisingly long.

The second step in the planning process is the development of specific tasks that can be executed in response to the crisis. The tasks in the plan should describe the procedures that can be followed for the most likely emergencies.  However, even the best plans will require managers to remain flexible and use their best judgment while responding to a crisis.

The third step is to prepare for potential disasters, which requires time and resources. Some of the things that need to be done to prepare include:

  • Updating contact lists
  • Identifying backup communications strategies in the event phones are out of service
  • Gathering emergency supplies and storing them in a location that is easily accessible following a disaster
  • Preserving and backing up critical business records especially the information that will be needed to get the business back on track

Take Precautions

Emergency response plans are documents that can help put order into a chaotic situation. They should be tested in an exercise that will allow managers to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan.  Regularly reviewing and updating plans will ensure that they are accurate and reflect the risks and the resources available to respond to the crisis.

It’s important to remember that in almost any emergency, hazards and dangers can exist and employees must exercise extreme caution to ensure that physical injury or death is avoided while working in and around emergencies. Therefore, employees should:

  • Take precautions to remain safe before, during and after the performance of hazardous tasks.
  • Use caution when handling or removing hazardous or dangerous material.
  • Notify appropriate safety personnel in the event of a hazardous material spill and get professional help to aid in a cleanup. Do not attempt to clean up any potentially dangerous spills unless you are properly trained and have the proper equipment to perform the task.

Finally, it’s important to remember that even minor incidents at a facility can rapidly evolve into a crisis if not dealt with in a timely and appropriate manner.  In all cases, being alert and making good use of routine management procedures and referring to the emergency response plan will help to address issues as your team works through a crisis. | WA

 

Next month’s safety tip will focus on the dangers associated with distracted driving and the need for strong defensive driving skills.   

 

Will Flower is the Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs at Winters Bros. Waste Systems (Danbury, CT).  Will has 33 years of experience in the area of solid waste management and environmental protection.  He has held operational and executive leadership positions at the Director’s Office of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services. Inc. and Green Stream Recycling.

 

 

The Basic TO DO List for Emergency Response Plans

The tasks listed below are applicable to any type of emergency and should be followed in addition to the ones identified for specific emergency situations.

 

Before the Emergency

  • Become familiar with the contents of the emergency response plan
  • Regularly review emergency response plan available to managers
  • Ensure the emergency response plan is up to date
  • Make sure employees know the building’s emergency exits and where they lead
  • Educate employees about outdoor assembly areas

 

During the Emergency

  • Assess the event and determining if a crisis has occurred or is likely to occur
  • Assign roles and responsibilities for employees
  • Gain organizational command and control—be in charge
  • Coordinate communications
  • Stay calm and concentrate on responding to the emergency
  • Call in additional help and resources as needed
  • Follow the emergency response plans as appropriate for the type of emergency and pay attention to other instructions given by governmental officials such as police and firefighters.

 

After the Emergency

  • Inventory equipment and facilities to identify the scope of the damage or loss
  • Work to secure the scene if necessary and protect damaged buildings from further damage
  • Document all expenses incurred before, during, and after the emergency, keeping any available receipts and tracking the date, amount and employees benefited by the expense
  • Participate in the post event summary and lessons learned meetings
  • Update the emergency response plan based on discussions at the post event meeting

 

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