List Potential Emergencies

In the first column of the chart, list all emergencies that could affect your facility, including those identified by your local emergency management office. Consider both:

· Emergencies that could occur within your facility
· Emergencies that could occur in your community

Below are some other factors to consider.

· Historical — What types of emergencies have occurred in the community, at this facility and at other facilities in the area?

- Fires
- Severe weather
- Hazardous material spills
- Transportation accidents
- Earthquakes
- Hurricanes
- Tornadoes
- Terrorism
- Utility outages

· Geographic — What can happen as a result of the facility's location? Keep in mind:

- Proximity to flood plains, seismic faults and dams
- Proximity to companies that produce, store, use or transport hazardous materials
- Proximity to major transportation routes and airports
- Proximity to nuclear power plants

·Technological —- What could result from a process or system failure? Possibilities include:

- Fire, explosion, hazardous materials incident
- Safety system failure
- Telecommunications failure
- Computer system failure
- Power failure
- Heating/cooling system failure
- Emergency notification system failure

· Human Error —- What emergencies can be caused by employee error? Are employees trained to work safely? Do they know what to do in an emergency?

Human error is the single largest cause of workplace emergencies and can result from:

- Poor training
- Poor maintenance
- Carelessness
- Misconduct
- Substance abuse
- Fatigue

· Physical — What types of emergencies could result from the design or construction of the facility? Does the physical facility enhance safety?

Consider:

- The physical construction of the facility
- Hazardous processes or byproducts
- Facilities for storing combustibles
- Layout of equipment
- Lighting
- Evacuation routes and exits
- Proximity of shelter areas

· Regulatory — What emergencies or hazards are you regulated to deal with?

Analyze each potential emergency from beginning to end. Consider what could happen as a result of:

· Prohibited access to the facility

- Loss of electric power
- Communication lines down
- Ruptured gas mains
- Water damage
- Smoke damage
- Structural damage
- Air or water contamination
- Explosion
- Building collapse
- Trapped persons
- Chemical release