eergency response CONTENTS 8.1 Eergency response... 97 8.2 Eergency preparedness... 98 EMERGENCY RESPONSE chapter 8
Eergency response 8.1 Eergency response According to the Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996, an eployer requires a plan for eergency response. When an eergency occurs, your ability to ake decisions iediately and bring resources into use quickly can ean the difference between life and death, saving your business or losing it. An eergency is an incident or disaster causing serious injury or daage. Eergencies coonly include: Fire Hazardous spills Severe injury that requires first aid or CPR Utility disruptions or leaks Thunderstors Major otor vehicle collisions Train derailents Natural disasters Extree cold or heat, and Robbery or bob threats. EMERGENCY RESPONSE Your copany ust ake effective eergency response plans and be able to support the. Effective plans prevent or iniize fatalities, injuries and loss. Clearly define who is responsible for what. Train everyone to follow procedures and use appropriate equipent. Provide refresher training regularly. Whose job is it? The eployer sets the plans. A senior anager or supervisor should be accountable for keeping plans effective. The coittee provides input and onitors the plan s effectiveness. Docuent your plan, test it regularly and keep copies on file. Chapter 8.1 97
Eergency response 8.2 Eergency preparedness Eergency preparedness eans aking sure you have the resources to deal with eergencies in the workplace. Take the tie BEFORE an eergency to identify hazards your copany ay face. Be confident that you have the right equipent, aterials, training and procedures to respond properly. To be prepared, do the following: Manageent ensures that: First aid services, equipent and supplies are readily available onsite, and kept stocked, up to date, clean and dry. Workers with valid first aid certificates are available onsite as required by Saskatchewan Occupational Health and Safety regulations. The first aid record book is: Accurately kept, and Reviewed by anageent, the OHS coittee and/or safety representative on specific dates, as required by the health and safety policy. Provide eergency lighting in places of eployent norally used during periods of darkness or that do not have an available source of natural light. Eergency exits should: Open in the direction of exit travel Reain unlocked Be accessible Be arked by an exit sign, and Be illuinated. Devise an eergency plan, including a fire-fighting plan, with which all workers are failiar. This includes procedures for the following eergencies: Electrical failure or power outage Cheical spills or gas leaks Structural failure Industrial specific eergencies (i.e., flood, ine rescue, confined space rescue), and Chapter 8.2 98
Eergency response Severe weather conditions in Saskatchewan, such as: Blizzards and extree cold Extree suer heat Tornados, and Hail stors. 58% of Canadian sall business owners are either not very (40%) or not at all (18%) prepared for a variety of disruptive events like flood, fire or illness. The Canadian Sall Business Monitor Quarterly Tracking Survey Q3 2009 conducted by Angus Reid for Aerican Express Monitor; Courtesy of The Canadian Centre for Eergency Preparedness http://b-readynow.co/ Chapter 8.2 99
Eergency response It is now over a year since Gil s Gears fored the OHS coittee. Larry is back to his original work schedule. He didn t need surgery. Vincent has been added to the staff as a salaried eployee. The extra steps for safety have becoe routine, and all eployees look forward to the 5-inute toolbox talks that start each onthly staff eeting. They ve begun to share their own safety oents fro hoe and work. The pre-use equipent inspections have spilled over into their hoe renovations and yard work. Gil s Gears staff recently voted to donate skating helets to the local school. Every staff eber has received WHMIS and first aid training, and becoe CPR-certified. Mike and Rick posted a sign on the office door that says: At Gil s Gears, safety doesn t happen by accident. At Gil s Gears, safety doesn t happen by accident. The End for now... Chapter 8.2 100