Strategic Action Plan for a hazardous materials incident

Chemicals involved

An overturned cargo tanker could be transporting any one of a variety of liquids. The most hazardous ones include gasoline, propane, and corrosive liquids.

2. Interagency responsibilities and cooperation

Upon reporting the matter, various agencies should get involved at once. These include ambulances, fire companies and the police. All groups should co-operate towards containing the disaster. The police should help in the evacuation process and crowd control. On the other hand, the fire fighters should try to contain the situation while staying on the ready in case there is a fire. Ambulance teams should be on the standby in case there are eventualities.

3. Risk Assessment

– Hazard Assessment

The hazard is likely to be detrimental in various ways to the environment. First, an expert should be sent to the site to assess the risk and determine the best methods that can be used in cleaning up the spill. The hazard could be flammable. People should be kept safe distance from the spill site to prevent any fatalities and injuries in case of an accident. Volatile liquids will catch fire faster since they are likely to occupy a larger area.

– Vulnerability
Depending on the location, the amount spilled and the population of an area, an oil spill could cause any level of vulnerability to the community. For a large spill, the community is at a higher risk. If the population is high, it is likely that crowd control could become difficult. The number of people affected in case of a fire would also increase with an increase in the population size. A spill that occurs near an industry or residential houses could be more vulnerable to catching fire and causing damage than one that occurs on a vacated road.

– Threat
The levels of threat vary from situation to situation. First, there is a threat to human life and health. Fumes emitted from the spill could be detrimental; to human health. The fire could both cause injury and death. Second, the fire poses a threat to property. All property in the adjacent area is at risk of being destroyed by the fire and any debris that may be thrown its way. The situation also poses a threat to the environment. It is important that all action that is taken be taken with the environment in mind. If there are any rivers nearby, these rivers could become contaminated and pose a threat to aquatic life. This also applies to other water bodies like oceans and lakes. If there is a fire, the gases produced could pose a threat to health as well as to the environment.

4. LERP based on Conditions, Occupancies, Resources, Response Capabilities

LERP should be based on the knowledge already born by the community. In the case of a spill, the community should be ready with the most reasonable methods of handling the hazard. First, the community should know how to handle the evacuation. The evacuation of the community should be done preferably by a small group of the community. Crowd control should also be handled by the same group especially with regard to children. For companies that are affected by the spill, the community should ensure that a census is held to ensure that no people are locked up. Creative methods of taking the census can be employed.

The community should also stay ready with means of getting rid of the spill. Suitable methods include sand and other absorbents. The community can also stay ready with methods of fire control if need arises. However, the community should not intend to resolve the problem single handedly. Instead, they should call for back-up as soon as possible.

5. Helpful before incident- Training, Planning, Exercises

The community should be equipped with proper training and equipment. This will enable them to handle the situation with ease if it ever occurs. The LERP should also engage in continuous training and drills to ensure that everyone is set for the event if it ever occurs. The community should also be informed about the companies that are within it that deal with chemicals.

6. Helpful during emergencies- One of the first reference materials to consult.

• The U.S. Emergency Guidebook – contains a step by step guide on how hazards should be handled and helps in assessing the risk. It is recommended that the risk be assessed within the first thirty minutes after the risk has been identified.

7. Typical ERP

Physical and chemical hazard evaluation should be conducted as appropriate. Container labels can offer a direction to this end. If the identity of the substance still remains unknown, the substance could be chemically tested as appropriate and necessary action taken. Physical properties like smell and appearance can also help in the identification of some chemicals.

Employees and community should be kept informed about the hazards within their precincts. This will help in the case of hazards to prevent hazards from causing preventable losses. In the time of emergency, the community should employ swift and effective procedures in resolving the problems. Community members and employees should be trained in handling emergency cases to avoid lack of personnel in such times. The community should obtain funding to get ER training and equipment. These should help in time of emergency and should be kept within easy reach. During emergency, people should contact 911 to ensure that emergency response teams are on their way. It is also important that facilities inform the right authorities about the chemicals that are stored in the company.