Page 43 - OHS, April/May 2023

common operating framework during a variety of emergencies that helps you rap- idly respond to incidents, limit financial loss and protect human health. In communities across the globe, most residents living near chemical facilities have not been trained on how to respond during a chemical accident, meaning it’s up to facilities to protect their communities from any hazardous gases, fires, explosions or other related incidents from the facility. Including local communities in an operational readiness plan is crucial. By outlining communication plans and training the community and staff on sheltering-in-place and other protective measures, safety managers can assure community members that a facility is ready to handle emergencies quickly and confidently to protect nearby residents. So, what else should you include to protect your people, plant and community during a chemical emergency? The first line of defense against gas hazards, particularly ones that could spark a fire or worse, is a small personal monitor. While personal gas monitors are essential and critical in protecting individual personnel, a true emergency response plan requires careful consideration of how these tools can be used in a broader context. Adding connected area monitoring equipment, for example, greatly improves multi-threat detection, establishes hazard perimeters, monitors for long-term hazards, enables remote monitoring of potential critical receptors and is easy to move as an emergency event unfolds. Plus, connected area monitoring equipment can be further enhanced with real- time weather data and dynamic plume modeling software to predict the path of airborne hazards, allowing you to truly take control of any emergency. Incorporating real-time weather data in an operational readiness plan and chemical emergency toolkit helps increase the scope of a facility’s ability to respond. Conditions can change rapidly during a crisis, and relying on outdated data can prevent you from making the safest decision. By understanding live weather conditions surrounding a site, safety managers can pinpoint areas of concern, such as where a fire or gas hazard may spread and ensure the safety of nearby residents. No matter the hazard, real- time weather data determined by plume modeling helps you determine where to deploy team members in an emergency. Using an Emergency Toolkit... Outside of an Emergency To get the most value out of an operational readiness plan and chemical emergency toolkit, use them for day-to-day opera- tions as well. When running plume mod- els and preparing for planned events that may be risky, users can take safety plans from reactive to proactive to prevent ex- posure and reportable incidents. For example, if your facility is planning a turnaround, you might run models to understand which areas of the site are more likely to be impacted by a leak that could spark into a larger explosion or fire. With this information, you can strategically place area monitors around the perimeter to alert you if the gas plume extends beyond the expected boundaries. If something goes wrong, you are already prepared and can avoid sending workers into the gas plume to set up gas monitors. Furthermore, by combining your toolkit and operational readiness plans with emergency drills, you can take control of any situation to protect your workers, community and environment. For example, safety managers can review emission sources, chemical data, pre- defined worst-case scenarios and more to say, “if this chemical tank explodes today, what will happen?” With one click, safety personnel can factor in real-time weather data and see what the true worst-case scenario is in that moment, if and where a fire could occur, if a chain reaction is possible and much more. By using these real-time tools, you can take the guesswork out of planning for and responding to a chemical release, allowing you to partner with first responders to make safe decisions with confidence, both inside your facility and in the communities surrounding it. ? Forrest Thomas is a Sales Executive for Industrial Scientific with a focus on SAFER One solutions, and has been instrumental in its development as an operational readiness and preparedness solution. He can be contacted at fthomas@indsci.com to learn more. Industrial Hand & Surface Cleaners Phone: 800.631.1246 Fax: 800.635.1591 Shop Online: northernsafety.com www.ohsonline.com APRIL/MAY 2023 | Occupational Health & Safety 43