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From the July/August 2004 issue of The American Postal Worker article by Cliff Guffey, APWU Executive Vice President EMERGENCY ACTION PLANS: YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW CAN SAVE LIVES Some calls I have received over the year. . . "We found a bomb over the weekend; the supervisor had us move it to his desk and would not let us go until the first-class mail was put up--what should we have done?" "There was a package leaking a substance that made everyone nauseous. What were we supposed to do about it?" "A white powder spilled out of a letter; the supervisor came and wiped it up. What should have been the procedure?" Unfortunately, there's a simple answer to each of these questions. That answer is: By the time situations like the above occur, it is too late to do what needs to be done. Each office is supposed to have an Emergency Action Plan in place that can be used in virtually any dangerous situation. These plans are supposed to be made known to all employees on site. If you have not seen the emergency action plan for your facility, ask for a chance to review it. Not Just For Fires The Emergency Action Plan is not simply a fire evacuation plan! If it is not clear to you what should happen during an emergency, you should file a Safety Hazard Report and notify your local that the emergency plan in your office needs to be updated. You local safety and health committee should be regularly reviewing emergency action plans to determine whether they cover all possible emergencies in your postal facility. The following list shows many of the emergencies that must be planned for and covered by the Emergency Action Plan: *Flood *Hurricane *Tornado *Fires--either inside or outside a facility *Chemical or biological weapon attacks *Toxic gas release *Chemical spill *Radiological accident *Explosions *Civil disturbance *Workplace Violence *Bio-detection system alert *Inclement weather (snow, ice) *Road closure *Suspicious materials incident *Medical crisis *Industrial accident *Water line breaks, loss of water pressure
Key to the Plan Each plan must contain sufficient information to ensure the safety of all employees. The written procedures must be detailed and communicated to every employee. A record should be maintained demonstrating that each employee has received training on each emergency plan, and that the employee understands the plan and his or her role in making it work. At a minimum, plans must include:
Every plan must also include an "alarm system," a method for notifying all employees of an emergency, with special consideration given to ensure that deaf and hard-of-hearing employees are properly notified. And before any plan can be successfully implemented, training must be provided, with the employer designating and training a sufficient number of people to provide assistance for an orderly evacuation. Finally, all employees should receive training on the plan once it has been developed (and every time it is changed) and whenever their responsibilities or designated actions change under the plan. No Reason to Wait A written Emergency Action Plan is the initial document that outlines the specific task and responsibilities of everyone in a facility during an emergency situation. Plans must be facility specific and, for them to be effective, employees should routinely receive updated information about the plans, and participate in drills. Every employee must have access to the facility's plan, should read and understand the plan, and know the basic responsibilities in the event of an emergency: Every employee should be prepared to act safely and be safe. Emergency Action Plans save lives. If an employer has not or will not develop and train all employees on a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration will enforce its standards. Any employee can file a formal request to OSHA asking it to conduct an on-site inspection. If management balks at considering emergency issues that workers believe to be important -- or if a plan is not specific enough and might place lives at risk -- it may be time to file an OSHA charge. Don't leave the decision to a low-level supervisor or 204b. It is every employee's right to know exactly what to do during an emergency. |
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