Suppose there is a train derailment in your community and a cloud of poisonous gas is released. It's heading toward your funeral home. What would you do? Would you evacuate the building or stay where you are? The wrong decision could mean the difference between whether you live through the emergency or not.
O.K., enough drama. In reality, you would not have to make this decision on your own. When a chemical release occurs that could threaten the public, hazardous materials specialists in your local fire department or other emergency service provider will alert the public via the emergency broadcast system. They will determine whether evacuation or sheltering in place is the better option. Your job is to be prepared in either case.
As you should be aware, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires businesses to have emergency evacuation procedures in place. All OFDA members should have a written Emergency Action Plan in their OSHA manuals. (Right now, before you forget, go get your manual and make sure you have completed the plan and that you have trained your employees on the contents of the plan.) Although OSHA doesn't require it, you should also have a shelter in place plan for your business in case evacuation is not the right response to an emergency.
The basic shelter in place steps are as follows:
1) Shut and lock all windows and doors.
2) Turn off all air handling equipment (heating, ventilation, and/or air
conditioning).
3) Go to a pre-determined sheltering room (or rooms).
4) Seal any windows and/or vents with sheets of plastic and duct tape.
5) Seal the door(s) with duct tape around the top, bottom and sides.
6) Turn on a TV or radio and listen for further instructions.
7) When the "all clear" is announced, open windows and doors, turn on ventilation systems and go outside until the building's air has been exchanged with the now clean outdoor air.
The National Institute for Chemical Studies (NICS) has published Shelter in Place at Your Office: A General Guide for Preparing a Shelter in Place Plan in the Workplace. A copy of the document can be obtained at www.nicsinfo.org.
In the publication, NICS makes the following important points about a shelter in place program:
* Because employees cannot be forced to shelter in place, it is important to develop your shelter in place plan with employees to maximize the cooperation of employees with the shelter plan.
* You should develop an accountability system so you know who is in your building and where they are if an emergency develops.
* Specific duties should be assigned to employees and there should be designated alternates or backups in case they cannot perform their assigned duties.
* Drills should be planned and executed on a regular basis.
The document also provides a list of items that you should keep in the room or area you designate for sheltering. They include:
* Plastic sheeting - Pre-cut plastic sheeting to fit over any windows or vents in the sheltering area.
* Duct tape - Rolls of duct tape to be used to secure the plastic over windows/vents and to seal doors.
* Battery operated radio with fresh batteries - In the event of a power outage, a battery operated radio is necessary to hear emergency announcements including the "all clear" when the emergency is over.
* Flashlight and fresh batteries.
* Bottled water for drinking.
* First aid kit.
The shelter room should also have a telephone (either regular or cellular) for emergency use only. If you have any questions about developing a shelter in place program for your funeral home, or any other health and safety questions, please contact Safex, Inc., toll-free at 866-723-3987.