Shelter-in-place plans are commonly overlooked when evaluating a plant's emergency procedures. Here is a recent story that emphasizes the importance for shelter-in-place plans.
Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be released into the environment in such quantity and/or proximity to a place of business that it is safer to remain indoors rather that to evacuate employees. Such releases may be either accidental or intentional.
Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be released into the environment in such quantity and/or proximity to a place of business that it is safer to remain indoors rather that to evacuate employees. Such releases may be either accidental or intentional.
Shelter in place means selecting an interior room or rooms within your facility, or ones with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. In many cases, local authorities will issue advice to shelter in place via TV or radio.
Here is the story:
Employees at the Alcoa plant in Point Comfort, Texas in the United States sheltered in place about two hours Tuesday during the week of June 2, 2013. That was because an ammonia leak from a nearby pipeline.
"About 300 employees and contractors who work at the site were affected" said Alcoa spokesperson. "I arrived at the plant at 6:30 AM and people were sheltered in place at that time".
The plant received the all-clear at 8:15 AM.
A spokesman for the pipeline company confirmed an ammonia release but did not verify the source of the leak.
"We don't believe it is a reportable quantity as it stands right now" pipeline spokesman.
The threshold is determined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, added the pipeline spokesman.
That threshold is determined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
"The TCEQ, did not intially have information on this incident as it was a non-reportable release," TCEQ spokesperson "The company is required to maintain a record of the release, but is not required to provide a report."
Local county sheriff is concerned that his department did not receive any notification for the pipe line company, which has pipelines at the port's dock.
"We never got a call from the pipeline company," said the sheriff. "We got a call from Alcoa, and that was more than an hour after it occurred."
The sheriff said his office was called at 7:39 AM, and told of the release from an pipeline at the docks.
"We have a populated area in the city of Point Comfort near by, so that does concern me. Until I found our exactly what happened, I can't say much more."
What is a further concerned is that there is a disagreement when the "all clear" was given.
- 7:30 AM, pipeline spokesperson
- 7:39 AM, sheriff department, whose dispatchers logged the call they received.
- 8:15 AM, Alcoa spokesperson.
This Alcoa plant should be commended on having a shelter-in-place plan installed in the emergency procedures, and for successfully enacting such plan on this day. Great job Alcoa Point Comfort!
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has an informative document on "shelter in place". It can be viewed here.
Does your facility have a "shelter in place" plan? Please comment.
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has an informative document on "shelter in place". It can be viewed here.
Does your facility have a "shelter in place" plan? Please comment.
1 comment:
Emergency procedures including shelter-in-place are something that every workplace needs to have, What concerns me about this report is who determined it was an emergency requiring the steps taken. Was it Alcoa or the pipeline company? Why weren't local authorities informed at the time of the incident? What really got me was the spokesperson saying that personnel were already sheltering in place when the spokesperson arrived on site at 6:30. Common sense says if you have declared a chemical release emergency you are going to be restricting access into the area. Too many unanswered questions for me to be comfortable about who and how this was determined to be an emergency.
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