I. Planning

Yes   No 

1. In conjunction with local law enforcement and local emergency planning officials, evaluate the risk of an arson or explosive device threat/incident.

   Note: Resources that may assist you in determining the status of your workplace and/or identify workplace targets include the on-line resources from the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation and from the National Institute of Justice, and agencies such as the local fire department, police department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; your insurance carrier (often have fire prevention specialists); or on-site security specialists.

2. Add arson and explosive device incidents to your current list of workplace fire hazards and ignition sources covered by the plan OR state that the plan does not address these workplace fire hazards/ignition sources and indicate where the information about controlling/responding to these fire hazards is located.
3. Review your current procedures (handling/storage, accumulation control, maintenance) to ensure that they are up-to-date and to see if they adequately address prevention and control of fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device. For example, consider addressing physical security, like isolating and locking flammable material storage areas, in your procedures.
4. Review the rest of the plan to ensure that it is up-to-date and ensure that the existing ignition source controls and fire protection equipment are appropriate for fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device . Address the considerations identified throughout this checklist OR develop a plan that addresses arson or explosive device incidents and is consistent with the considerations identified in the rest of this checklist.

On-line Resources

• To conduct an evaluation of your workplace as a potential terrorist target and identify potential workplace hazards,(for chemical facilities) the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ) Chemical Facility Vulnerability Assessment Methodology
• OSHA's Fire Prevention Plan Standard, 29 CFR 1910.39
  
• OSHA's Compliance Policy for Emergency Action Plans and Fire Prevention Plans, CPL 2-1.037
  
• OSHA's Fire Safety Fact Sheet (55Kb PDF*)
• State plan States. Contact Information to obtain additional information about equivalent State plan standards, requirements, and guidance.

Yes   No 

1. Identify locations that may be prime areas for arson or for explosive device placement, such as abandoned structures, unsecured mechanical spaces or other unoccupied spaces, flammable chemical storage areas, shrubs or trash dumpsters. You may want to mark these locations on separate facility blueprints or floor plans and provide the information to employees who will need it to perform their assigned roles.
2. Include instructions for employees to follow if they receive an arson/explosive device threat or encounter a suspicious situation/device. Explicitly warn against handling/attempting to defuse a device.
3. Add to your plan any additional contact information for local emergency responders who deal with explosive devices.
4. Identify any additional employee roles that may be needed to carry out procedures/controls related to explosive device/arson incidents.

• ATF's Arson and Explosives webpage
  
• ATF's Arson and Explosives National Repository, containing statistical information about arson and explosives incidents
  
• US Fire Administration's (FEMA) Arson webpage

3. Do you need additional fire protection equipment for arson or explosive device hazards?

Yes   No 

1. Identify and install any additional heat or fire detection equipment that may be necessary to detect a fire/explosion initiated by arson or an explosive device. Surveillance equipment and/or intruder alarm systems also could be considered.

On-line Resources

• National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) website for their Building and Fire Research Laboratory

Yes   No 

1. Identify any additional procedures necessary to address the accumulation of combustible materials in workplace locations that may be targets for arson or explosive device placement such as abandoned/unoccupied buildings, mechanical spaces, fuel storage areas, and trash dumpsters. For example, you may consider removing all combustible materials from a vacant/unoccupied building and securing the building (doors and windows) to prevent off-hour dumping. You might also consider securing your dumpsters and scheduling more frequent trash removal. Note: In general, good housekeeping can benefit basic fire prevention.
2. Identify heavy shrubs, vines, or tall grasses growing inside, around, or along the perimeter of your workplace. Consider removing them or keeping them trimmed close to the ground to help prevent the concealment of an arsonist or explosive device and eliminate the potential for propagating fires ignited outside the workplace.

On-line Resources

• US Fire Administration's (FEMA) Arson webpage, which includes an explosive device stand-off card.
  
• US Fire Administration's (FEMA) National Arson Prevention Initiative webpage (2.2MB PDF*) and US Fire Administration's (FEMA)Fire Prevention & Public Education

II. Training

Yes   No 

1. Identify fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device as potential workplace fire hazards and ignition sources in your training. Depending on your own assessment of the risk of publicly discussing this information, you could also identify the locations that are likely workplace targets during training.
2. Address in your training how to recognize potentially suspicious actions, behaviors, devices, or packages to raise employee awareness of these hazards.
3. Address in your training any additional instructions for employees to follow if they receive an arson/explosive device threat or encounter a suspicious situation/device.
4. Identify any additional emergency responders that employees will need to contact.

On-line Resources

• ATF's Training webpage includes training courses related to arson, explosives, and incident investigation.
  
• Fire/Arson Investigation Training Resource Catalog (1MB PDF*)

Yes   No 

1. Identify any additional roles necessary for employees to carry out your planned procedures related to fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device, an explosive device threat, or discovery of a suspicious device.
2. Train employees on the instructions they should follow if they receive an arson/explosive device threat.
3. Train employees to perform any additional handling/storage procedures to prevent fires/explosions initiated by arson or a explosive device. Address any additional hazards or tasks associated with these procedures.
4. Train employees to perform any additional accumulation control procedures related to fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device. Address any additional hazards or tasks associated with these procedures.
5. Train employees to recognize the unusual circumstances (e.g., suspicious activity near hazardous substance storage area) and suspicious devices that may be associated with potential arson or explosive device threats.
6. Identify any additional training employees will need to understand, use, or maintain additional ignition source controls or fire protection equipment installed for fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device. Address any additional hazards or tasks associated with the ignition source controls, fire protection, or other emergency equipment installed for fires/explosions initiated by arson or an explosive device.

III. Equipment

Yes   No 

1. Identify additional emergency equipment employees may need during an arson/explosive device threat or fire/explosion initiated by arson or an explosive device. Consider items such as additional first aid supplies and communication devices.
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 the Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) (29 CFR 1910.120).
3. Identify employees who can use the additional emergency equipment, based on assigned roles, physical capability, and training.

IV. Emergency Action Planning

Note: You may want to review your existing Emergency Action Plan (EAP) with respect to arson and explosive device incidents. You can use the following considerations to review your plan. If you are not certain whether you need to have this type of plan, please refer to Attachment B, Does Your Facility Need an Emergency Action Plan? For information about reviewing an existing EAP for terrorist releases of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear material, please see OSHA's Evacuation Planning Matrix.

Yes   No 

1. Identify any additional/different evacuation routes and exits necessary during a threat of (or an actual) fire/explosion caused by arson or an explosive device. Consider alternating between several evacuation locations during sequential events to avoid the possibility of a secondary device or weapon. Ensure that additional routes and exits accommodate the needs of all employees, in accordance with any applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
2. Consider the need to address visitors, customers, and contractors in your emergency procedures. Identify any additional/different procedures necessary to assist these individuals reach safety during a threat of (or an actual) fire/explosion caused by arson or an explosive device.
3. Specify any additional key personnel or roles necessary to evacuate to an appropriate location outside the workplace during an arson or explosive device incident.
4. Identify how you will account for employees who are evacuated during an arson or explosive device incident, if this will differ from your existing procedures.
5. Identify how employees will be alerted when it is safe to re-enter the workplace if they have been evacuated as the result of an arson or explosive device incident, if this will differ from your existing procedures.
6. Review any critical equipment not currently addressed in your plan that must be shut down in the event of an arson or explosive device incident.

Yes   No 

1. Identify procedures you have added to (or altered in) your Fire Prevention Plan that may require additions/revisions in your EAP. One example may be existing procedures for shutting down/isolating critical process equipment. If your EAP does not include shutdown procedures for arson or explosive device incidents, then you may need to consider them. Some equipment may only become "critical process equipment" during such an event. In this case, you would need to add this equipment to your current EAP and provide information similar to that included for previously-identified critical equipment (e.g., shutdown procedures, employee roles and responsibilities, training, protective equipment, and contingencies for immediate evacuation).

• OSHA's Emergency Action Plan Standard (29 CFR 1910.38)
• OSHA's Evacuation Plan and Procedures e-Tool assists employers develop and implement an Emergency Action Plan.
• OSHA's Small Business Training Handbook, Emergency Preparedness Chapter identifies and explains the elements of an emergency action plan and other important emergency planning topics for small businesses. It includes training resources.
• Oregon OSHA's publication Expecting the Unexpected: What to consider in planning for workplace emergencies (183MB PDF*) is an effective workplace emergency planning guide.
• NFPA 1 - Fire Prevention Code
  Covers fire and explosion prevention through the regulation of conditions that could cause a fire or explosion.
  
• US Fire Administration's (FEMA) report on Arson in the United States (147Kb PDF*)
  
• FEMA's Emergency Management Guide for Businesses
• The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's website provides employer resources for addressing ADA requirements in private workplaces, including Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodations.
• 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.