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COATINGSPRO SEPTEMBER 2015 39 WORK IT SAFE Nobody expects an emergency or disaster, yet emergencies and disas- ters can strike anyone, anytime, anywhere. Employers should establish effective safety and health management systems and prepare their workers to handle emergencies before they arise. PLANNING W h e r e r e q u i r e d b y s o m e O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h Administration (OSHA) standards, firms with more than 10 employees must have a written emergenc y ac tion plan; smaller companies may com municate their plan s orally. Top mana gem ent suppor t and the commitm ent and involvem ent of all employee s are e s s ential to an ef fective emergency action plan. Employers should review plans with employees when initially put in place and re-evaluate and amend the plan periodically whenever the plan itself or employee responsibilities change. Em er genc y procedure s , including the handling of any toxic chemicals, should include: Escape procedures and escape route assignments; Special procedures for employees who perform or shut down criti- cal plant operations; Systems to account for all employees after evacuation and for information about the plan; Rescue and medical duties for employees who perform them; Means for reporting fires and other emergencies. CHAIN OF COMMAND The employer should designate an emergency response coordinator and a backup coordinator. The coordinator may be responsible for all opera- tions, public information, and ensuring that outside aid is called. Having a backup coordinator ensures that a trained person is always available. Employees should know who the designated coordinator is. Duties of the coordinator and employer should include: D e t e r m i n i n g w h a t e m e r g e n c i e s m a y o c c u r a n d s e e i n g t h a t emergency procedures are developed to address each situation; Directing all emergency activities, including evacuation of person- nel; Ensuring that outside emergency services are notified when neces- sary; Directing the shutdown of plant operations when necessary. In addition, the company should designate emergency response teams, coordinate response activities, train every employee in the emergency action plan, provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and offer first aid. For more information, contact: OSHA, www.osha.gov activities, such as excavations, underground construction, caissons, coferdams, compressed air, and diving, which are separately regulated. OSHA announced it was postpon- ing full enforcement of the new standard until October 2, 2015, after employers requested additional time to train and acquire equipment necessary to comply. During the 60-day temporary enforcement period, the agency said no citations would be issued to employers who take steps to comply. Tese compli- ance eforts include: 1. Scheduling training for employees; 2. Ordering or arranging to obtain the necessary equipment, includ- ing personal protective equipment, and taking alternative measures to educate and protect employees from confined space hazards; 3. Making any additional efforts to educate workers about confined space hazards and to protect them from those hazards. Tere is one exception to this temporary policy, though. OSHA said employers must be in compliance with either the training requirements of the new standard or those of the former standard. Employers who fail to train their employees consistent with either of these two standards will be cited under the new standard, the agency said. T he new standard places emphasis on training, monitoring /evaluating, and communication requirements. T he standard requires ever y construc- tion employer who has employees who may enter into a confined space to have a written permit-required confined space program that meets the requirements of the new standard. T he confined space program must be set up to control and protect employees on the jobsite from hazards in the permit spaces and to regulate entr y into these confined spaces. Safety Watch