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Evacuation Planning and Preparedness Checklist: Incorporating Terrorist Releases

 Yellow Zone Risk Matrix, Yellow Zone Shown

I. Response Procedures: Notification
  1. Does the emergency plan identify potential terrorist releases (chemical, biological, explosives, radiological, nuclear) as emergencies that may affect the workplace?
Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases

  1. In conjunction with local law enforcement and local emergency planning officials, evaluate the risk of a terrorist release in or near your workplace.
  2. Add terrorist releases to the list of potential emergencies the emergency plan covers OR state that the emergency plan does not address terrorist releases and indicate where the information about responding to these emergencies is located.
  3. Review the rest of the emergency plan and ensure that the current procedures (e.g., evacuation, critical operation, etc.) for potential emergencies are appropriate for terrorist releases that may affect the workplace and address the considerations identified in the rest of this checklist OR develop an emergency plan (or use an existing plan-State or Local Emergency Response Plan) that addresses anticipated terrorist releases and is consistent with the considerations identified in the rest of this checklist.
On-line Resources

To evaluate your workplace as a potential terrorist target and identify potential workplace hazards, review the State of South Carolina's Best Practices Workplace Security or (for chemical facilities) the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) Chemical Facility Vulnerability Assessment Methodology.

OSHA's Evacuation Plan and Procedures e-Tool and Small Business Training Handbook, Emergency Preparedness Chapter, identify and explain the elements of an emergency action plan and other important emergency planning topics for small businesses. This document includes training resources.

Expecting the Unexpected: What to consider in planning for workplace emergencies [PDF] is an effective workplace emergency planning guide from Oregon OSHA.

The Canadian Center for Occupational Safety and Health webpage on Emergency Planning provides general planning information and additional resources.

The Job Accommodation Network's publication Emergency Evacuation Procedures for Employees with Disabilities provides planning information and resources on emergency procedures for employees with disabilities.
  1. Does the emergency plan identify how:
    1. employees can activate the response system during a terrorist release?
    2. employees can activate the response system if they suspect a terrorist release?
    3. other employees would be alerted if a terrorist release were detected?

Yes No

Yes No

Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Consider modifying your employee alarm system to include a function to indicate a terrorist release. These system modifications can be done by using a different tone/message in the employee alarm system.
  2. Identify how an employee who suspects a terrorist release can activate the response system, and how other employees will be alerted about a terrorist release.
  3. Identify how employees in adjacent work locations, including those employed by other employers, will be alerted about a terrorist release. Consider modifying your employee alarm system and/or notification procedures to include this function. This may involve coordinating your plan, alarm, and notification procedures with other employers.
  4. Ensure that any modifications to the alarm system and to the response system activation procedures accommodate the needs of all employees, in accordance with any applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
On-line Resources

OSHA's standard for Employee Alarm Systems (29 CFR 1910.165) provides regulatory requirements for employee alarm systems.

An OSHA Interpretive Letter about Employee Alarm Systems discusses alarm system requirements and employee training related to alarm systems.

An OSHA Interpretive Letter clarifies regulatory requirements for employee alarm systems.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's website provides employer resources for addressing ADA requirements in private workplaces, including Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accomodations.
  1. Does the emergency plan identify how:
    1. emergency response organizations will be notified concerning an attempted terrorist release or during a terrorist release?
    2. other outside organizations, including adjacent workplaces, will be notified if a terrorist release is detected?


Yes No


Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Identify how employees will contact emergency response organizations concerning an attempted terrorist release or during a terrorist release if these notification procedures will differ from those for other workplace emergencies.
  2. Identify how designated employees will warn individuals outside the workplace (e.g. other tenants, surrounding businesses/community facilities) that a terrorist release is detected if these notification procedures will differ from those for other workplace emergencies.
On-line Resources

The Environmental Protection Agency's database of Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) can provide: community emergency response resources, contacts, and procedures; information about other facilities in the community that store hazardous substances; and assistance in integrating your procedures with those of adjacent facilities and local emergency responders.

FEMA's listing of State Office and Agencies of Emergency Management provides state-by-state contacts, websites, and emergency planning information and resources.

The Department of Justice, Office for Domestic Preparedness Clearinghouse offers written resources for planning and preparedness. This document contains resources describing how to integrate public and private sector emergency planning.
II. Response Procedures: Equipment Shut Down and Workplace Isolation
  1. Is there any critical equipment not currently addressed in your emergency plan that must be shut down during a terrorist release?
Note: Critical equipment is any equipment considered important to process safety. This may include such items as process piping, chemical storage tanks, ventilation equipment, or power generation equipment. 		Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Identify equipment for which shut down/isolation might be critical during a terrorist release that is not already listed in the current emergency plan.
  2. Add shut down/isolation information for this equipment to your current emergency plan, similar to the information included for previously-identified critical equipment (e.g., shut down procedures, employee roles and responsibilities, training, protective equipment, and contingencies for immediate evacuation).
III. Response Procedures: Evacuating and Accounting for Employees
  1. Does your emergency plan identify any additional key personnel or roles necessary to evacuate to an appropriate staging location during a terrorist release:
    1. outside the building, or
    2. inside the workplace?



Yes No
Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Identify additional key personnel or roles. Include the assigned tasks necessary for implementing the emergency plan during terrorist releases.
  2. Personnel who shut down critical equipment or isolate release areas or a workplace may be considered emergency responders. See the "Training" section of this checklist below.
  1. Does your emergency plan identify any additional/different
    1. evacuation routes,
    2. exits, or
    3. staging locations?

Yes No
Yes No
Indoor Releases

  1. Illustrate additional routes, exits, and staging locations necessary on the map/floor plan of your facility. Provide a means for visually distinguishing (e.g., color-coding) these routes if they will be used solely during evacuation for a terrorist release.
  2. If appropriate, coordinate with employers in adjacent work locations to identify alternative staging locations so that all workers are not staged in the same location and selected locations provide enough space for your employees to be staged.
  3. Ensure that additional routes, exits, and staging locations accommodate the needs of all employees, in accordance with any applicable provisions of the ADA.
  1. Does the emergency plan identify how you will account for employees who are evacuated as the result of a known or suspected terrorist release?
Yes No
Indoor Releases
  1. Identify who is responsible to account for employees evacuated during a terrorist release and how the responsible individual(s) will perform this function.
  1. If they have been evacuated as the result of a known or suspected terrorist release, does the emergency plan identify how employees will be alerted when it is safe to re-enter the workplace?
Yes No
Indoor Releases

  1. Identify who is responsible for making the determination that the workplace is safe to re-enter.
  2. Identify how the responsible individual will make the determination that the workplace is safe to re-enter.
  3. Identify how employees will be alerted.
IV. Training
  1. Does your emergency plan describe the training each employee must receive for evacuation?
Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Identify any training employees will need to carry out your planned procedures for evacuation during a terrorist release.
  2. Identify any training employees will need to carry out your planned procedures for addressing critical operations response during a terrorist release.
  3. Address in your training any hazards and tasks associated with evacuation during a terrorist release, consistent with the Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38).
  4. Address in your training any hazards and tasks associated with critical equipment shut down and workplace isolation during a terrorist release, consistent with the Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38) and the HAZWOPER standard (29 CFR 1910.120).
  5. If employees may be expected to wear personal protective equipment during a terrorist release that they would not normally wear during other emergencies, train employees to use this protective equipment properly.
On-line Resources

OSHA's standards for Personal Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910 Subpart I) identify the general and equipment-specific regulatory requirements for personal protective equipment. Includes: General PPE Requirements (29 CFR 1910.132), Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1910.133), Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134), Head Protection (29 CFR 1910.135), Foot Protection (29 CFR 1910.136), and Hand Protection (29 CFR 1910.138).

OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment Technical Links webpage provides links to resources that discuss PPE selection, use, regulatory compliance, and employee training.

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) identifies regulatory requirements for evaluating and communicating the hazards associated with chemicals and their use in the workplace. It includes information and training requirements for employees that may be exposed to chemicals in the workplace.

The Hazard Communication Directive and Hazard Communication Technical Links webpage provide additional guidance and links to other on-line resources.
  1. Do you need to assign any additional emergency roles to your employees during evacuation?
Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases
  1. Identify any additional training employees need to carry out your planned evacuation procedures during a terrorist release.
  2. Additional roles or tasks you assign employees during a terrorist release may make them emergency responders. For example, employees who remain behind to shut down critical equipment or to isolate release areas before evacuation are considered emergency responders under OSHA's Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard (HAZWOPER, 29 CFR 1910.120). These employees must be trained in accordance with paragraph (q)(6) of that standard. Refer to the "On-line Resources" below for sources of additional information about HAZWOPER training levels.
  3. Employees who are expected to identify potential terrorist releases and unusual circumstances preceding them must be trained to perform this role. Provide any additional training necessary to enable these employees to recognize both unusual circumstances (e.g., suspicious activity near hazardous substance storage areas) and potential terrorist releases (e.g., characteristics of a suspicious package).
  4. Employees who are expected to assist other employees, like those with disabilities, evacuate must be trained to perform this role. Provide any additional training necessary to enable these employees to perform their assigned roles.
On-line Resources

OSHA's Small Business Handbook, Emergency Preparedness, Training Section

See Appendix D, Section II. E of CPL 2-2.59A, OSHA's compliance directive for HAZWOPER paragraph (q) (29 CFR 1910.120(q)), for more information about training requirements.

OSHA's Recommendations for Handling Mail is geared toward reducing the potential for anthrax spore contamination through the mail, but it provides useful general mail handling guidelines and additional resources.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's poster [PDF] highlights suspicious package characteristics.

Pennsylvania's Homeland Security webpage contains a list of suspicious activities, individuals, and devices.
V. Equipment
  1. Will your employees need to wear any additional personal protective equipment to perform their assigned roles during:
    1. evacuation,
    2. critical equipment shut down, or
    3. workplace isolation?


Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Indoor and Outdoor Releases

  1. Identify the additional personal protective equipment employees may need during a terrorist release. Consider personal protective equipment for the eyes, face, body, and extremities, and respiratory protection.
  2. Identify the location of the additional personal protective equipment. One option is to include the information on the maps/floor plans illustrating the evacuation routes. You may refer to an existing emergency plan developed under either the Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38) or HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120).
  3. Identify who can use the additional personal protective equipment, based on assigned roles and training. For example, employees who must shut down a process or visually inspect an area may require specific respirators and protective clothing to perform these tasks.
On-line Resources

OSHA's Personal Protective Equipment (29 CFR 1910 Subpart I) standards include: General PPE Requirements (29 CFR 1910.132), Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1910.133), Respiratory Protection (29 CFR 1910.134), Head Protection (29 CFR 1910.135), Foot Protection (29 CFR 1910.136), and Hand Protection (29 CFR 1910.138).

OSHA's HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120) standard has information about personal protective equipment within the standard and in Appendix B.

The Respiratory Protection Technical Links webpage and Respiratory Protection e-Tool provide additional information on selecting and using respiratory protection.
  1. Will you need additional emergency equipment during:
    1. evacuation,
    2. critical equipment shut down, or
    3. workplace isolation?

Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Indoor Releases
  1. Identify additional emergency equipment employees may need during a terrorist release. Consider items such as first aid supplies, communication devices, and barrier/isolation equipment such as impermeable plastic sheeting. Also consider any equipment necessary to assist employees with disabilities during evacuation.
  2. Identify the location of the additional emergency equipment. One option is to include the location of the equipment on the maps/floor plans illustrating the evacuation routes. You may refer to an existing emergency plan developed under either the Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38) or HAZWOPER (29 CFR 1910.120).
  3. Identify who can use the additional emergency equipment, based on assigned roles and training.
Other Considerations

OSHA recognizes that terrorist releases affecting the workplace, particularly outdoor releases, may involve community efforts and considerations beyond those typically associated with emergency planning under the Emergency Action Plan standard (29 CFR 1910.38). Terrorist releases that affect an entire community more closely resemble a natural disaster or an emergency release of a hazardous substance than a facility-specific incident.

Workplaces in areas where natural disasters are more likely, as well as facilities that store and use hazardous substances, generally incorporate community aspects into their emergency plans (e.g., awareness of public information systems and community evacuation routes or shelters, contingency plans for livestock or domestic pets). But these broader considerations may not occur to the majority of employers. OSHA offers the following on-line resource for employers who have not previously addressed large-scale emergencies such as natural disasters or hazardous substance emergencies.
On-line Resources

In addition to the NIJ Vulnerability Assessment document mentioned previously, chemical facility safety information can be found in several resources including: American Chemical Council's (ACC) New Prioritization Tool for Chemical Facility Security [DOC] and Guide to Site Security in the US Chemical Industry; EPA's Chemical Accident Prevention: Site Security [PDF]; and American Institute of Chemical Engineer's (AICHE) Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS) webpage Security Vulnerability Analysis, which provides directions for obtaining "Guidelines for Analyzing and Managing the Security Vulnerabilities at Fixed Chemical Sites."
 
 
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