Best Practices for Emergency Response
Preparation and Risk Mitigation
“The importance of Emergency Response Plans and ER
readiness”
Variety of Responses
• Fixed Facility Fire and Chemical
Releases
– Refineries
– Chemical Manufacturing Companies
– Hazardous Waste Facilities
• Pipeline Transportation Companies
• Train Derailments
• Oil and Gas Exploration Companies
• Barge Shipping Incidents
• Forest Fires
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BEFORE the Incident: Preparation
• Contractors/Consultants and RP must have:
– Properly trained personnel on call
– Necessary equipment ready to go
– Rapid response time
– Ability to begin work on site immediately
– Ability to staff multiple shifts within 24 hours
– Draft plans ready for review upon arrival
• Emergency Response Plan (ERP)
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Four Steps for ER Preparedness
“Before the Incident”
1. ERP drafted
2. Personnel certifications & equipment on
hand
– annual certs up to date
– contractor trainings
– equipment calibration
3. Tabletop drill
4. ICS trained
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Step 1: Draft ERP
• Provides information necessary to respond to incidents in a
safe, rapid, and affective manor
• Primary goal is to help company prevent injury, loss of life,
or damage to the environment
• ERPs typically include:
• Notification flow chart
• Emergency Response Procedures
• Incident Management System
Fema.gov
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Step 2: Worker Certs Current &
Equipment Calibrated
• 40 HAZWOPER
• Fit tested
• Contractor Safety
Tabletop Drills
• Annual drills are important (may be required)
– Start with internal tabletop exercises
– As experience grows work towards full scale drills
• Invite external stakeholders i.e. state EPA, agencies, etc.
• Exercising keeps ERP current
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ICS Training
• Online - FEMA National Incident Management
System training at https://training.fema.gov/nims/
– ICS-100: Intro to ICS
– ICS-200: Single Resources & Initial Action
– ICS-700: NIMS, an Intro
• In person training
– 300-Intermediate ICS for Expanding Incidents
– 400-Advanced ICS for Command & General Staff
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DURING an Incident
• The response itself must:
– Be rapid
– Involve more resources than needed at the outset
– Be properly staffed
• Emergency responders must:
– Be properly trained
– Be properly equipped
– Have the proper expertise
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Responding to a Chemical Emergency
• PEAR
– People
– Environment
– Assets
– Reputation
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Responding to a Chemical Emergency
• Things that are not always so obvious:
– Public perception of the response
– Public anxiety about returning home
– The extent of offsite impacts
– Variable data quality/management
– Regulatory agendas
– Media influences
– Litigious interests
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Chemical ER Best Practices
1. Air monitoring
2. Environmental
Sampling
3. Waste Management
4. Situational
Awareness
Air Monitoring
• Worker health and safety
• Community health and safety
• 360 degree perimeter and offsite documentation
– Document presence of chemicals
– Document absence of chemicals
• Recommendations on PPE, evacuations, and “all
clear”
• Rapid data collection, interpretation, and
presentation
Environmental
 Prepare, Coordinate, and Implement IC/UC
approved Environmental Sampling & Analysis Plans
(SAPs) to delineate impact
 Surface/subsurface soil
 Surface water (lakes, rivers, ponds, etc.)
 Ground water aquifers and wells
 Drinking Water
 Waste
 Regulatory interface and negotiation for appropriate
analytes of concern and Action-levels
 Help Determine End-point (i.e., how clean is clean)
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Waste Management
•
•
•
•
•
Risk Mitigation
Cost Control
Storage Considerations
Disposal Considerations
Public Perception
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Situational Awareness
• Aerial imagery
– Response documentation
– Resource tracking
• Web-based data portals
• Response management software
Situational Awareness: Quadcopter
Aerial Imagery
• Aerial imagery
– Response documentation
– Resource tracking
• Web-based data portals
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Why go to such efforts?
• Address stakeholder concerns
• Timely and effective risk/crisis
communications
• Document the negative
• Increase transparency/trust with
regulators and public through data
• Delineate actual versus perceived or
alleged impact
• Provide data/information for
addressing claims
• Provide overwhelming valid,
defensible data for regulatory and
legal objectives
Crisis Communication is Crucial
BP:
https://youtu.be/L10W8tgpPwc
Lac Megantic:
• https://youtu.be/I9eU59R3Xq0
• How not to handle a crisis:
- https://youtu.be/25784tvVxvI
Hot Topic:
Crude Oil Transport
Crude by Rail
Crude by Pipeline
Crude by Ship/Barge
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Lac Megantic, Quebec
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Lac Megantic
The first two weeks…
• Lac Megantic was in shock
– Emotionally charged areas surrounding site
– Difficult to get the right resources in place to start
recovery
• Many response resources were idle for several
days
Incident Challenges
• Action limit for ½ face APR = 0.5ppm benzene and
25 ppm VOC. Full face required over 5 ppm
benzene.
– Respirator supply and fit testing for wreckers
• No additional release or spill of crude oil or
firefighting water/foam allowed
• Foam application before moving each car
• No torches
• High benzene concentrations when digging or
dragging
• Limited confined space entry capabilities for tank
car decontamination
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Summary
• Preparedness and prior relationships are crucial.
• Air, environmental, and safety are priorities when
it comes to litigation and risk.
• Aerial imagery can be used for better perspective.
• Crisis Communication to public is crucial.
• Crude oil
– Respiratory hazards produce heightened concern.
– Tact is essential in emotionally charged situations.
– Crude by rail safety- is there an answer?
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COMPANY SNAPSHOT
9 Locations
Recent International Work:
Canada
Mexico
UK
Benin – West Africa
China – Tianjin
Germany
Tel Aviv
Dominican Republic
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Questions?
Kyle Lawrence
• [email protected]
• 501-366-2698
24 Hour Toxicology ER Help Desk
• 1.866.869.2834
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