Emergency Response Procedure

This Twean Construction Company Ltd Emergency Response Plan contains predetermined guidelines and procedures to ensure the safety, health, and welfare of staff, and an immediate response to an emergency or disaster situation.  An emergency is any disruptive or harmful event that endangers people, the environment, or an organization’s property and assets. Emergencies can be small, as in a fire contained by employees using fire fighting equipment, or large, as in a disaster resulting from an earthquake. 

An emergency response plan deals with the immediate physical effects of a disaster and is used as an initial response.  The emergency response plan is closely associated with the business continuity plan.  The purpose of the business continuity plan is to ensure a prompt and efficient recovery of essential business operations.

Purpose

Twean Construction Company Ltd is committed to safeguarding the interests of shareholders, clients, customers, and even the general public in the event of an emergency or business disruption. Twean Construction Company Ltd has therefore established a comprehensive organization-wide business continuity program to protect staff, safeguard corporate assets and environment, and ensure continuous availability of its services.  The purpose of the emergency response plan is to:

1. Provide a managed, coordinated, and effective response to the immediate physical effects of an emergency or crisis situation. 
2. Reduce the likelihood that the business continuity plans are invoked

Objectives

The primary objective of the emergency response plan is to protect life by:

• Preventing injury;
• Providing shelter; and
• Evacuating the premises.

Additional Objectives

1. Mitigate the threat of an emergency or disaster situation;
2. Control and terminate the emergency or incident  as quickly as possible;
3. Prevent a minor incident from becoming a major disaster;
4. Familiarize all members and staff with procedures;
5. Protect environment;
6. Protect company assets;
7. Determine unsafe hazardous conditions and contaminations; and
8. Minimize impact on business.

Review and Compliance

The Integrated Occupational Health Safety and Environment (IOHS&E) has established an annual review and assessment for this emergency response plan. 

Rules and Regulations

This ERP is based on the following Laws Guidelines and standards:-

1. Constitution of Kenya
2. OSHA 2007
3. BS OHASAS 18001:2007
4. ISO 14001:2004

Roles and Responsibilities

Emergency controller or incident commander

The Twean Construction Company Ltd EHS Manager and EHS officers will be nominated as Emergency controllers. The Emergency controllers are responsible for assessing the situation during a site incident and will decide the appropriate action to initiate. The Emergency Controllers are the persons responsible for action initiation, control during the incident, and termination and stand-down.

Emergency wardens

All Twean Construction Company Ltd Site Supervisors and foremen will be trained as emergency wardens.

 Nominated Wardens will check that all personnel evacuate if necessary and are accounted for. They will report to the Emergency controller. No one, apart from the Wardens and emergency services, is allowed to re-enter the site until the Emergency is declared over. Wardens may enter the site if safe to do so to ensure all accommodation and service buildings are clear of every person, and to direct and assist emergency services as required

First aiders

Twean Construction Company Ltd, will provide trained first aiders amongst employees, these, apart from their regular work, will offer first aid services during incidents. Their role will be to provide first aid to casualties and to assist with their evacuation to the Hospital.

Fire-fighters

Twean Construction Company Ltd personnel will make up the Fire Teams. They will be trained in basic fire-fighting and rescue procedures and techniques. Their role will be to assist in fighting small fires within the site, using the available fire extinguishers and any other equipment that may be available. They will also assist in casualty rescue.

Salvage team

This will be a nominated team of personnel who in the event of an incident will be assigned duties of securing and salvaging equipment as ordered by the Emergency controller.

All Employees

In the event of an alarm, all employees are required to do the following.

• Stop all tasks they were performing.
• Listen to information about the alarm
• Ensure all members of the crew are aware of the emergency.
• All mobile equipment, cranes, trucks, and forklifts are switched off and brakes applied, to ensure they do not impede emergency vehicle access
• Ensure all machines they were using are switched off and power and gas bottles are isolated.
• Walk to the emergency assembly point.
• Ensure they are accounted for by the Warden at the Assembly Point.

Note: Personnel are to ensure that they always sign out of the site to avoid a situation where one is being searched for yet he is in town or at another site.

Reporting any Emergency

Any individual who witnesses an emergency situation shall sound the alarm, if nearby, or notify his supervisor immediately, and give the following information.

1. Type of incident?  Fire, collapse of building or scaffolding, accident etc
2. Where? The exact location and site
3. His/her name.
4. Any other important information

Do not hang up until told to do so or if it is unsafe to remain in the area.

Evacuate the location of non-essential personnel and only if safe to do so, remain in the area at a safe distance to warn others of the hazard.  Ensure your safety and that of any injured person involved in the emergency.

Danger

• Do not put yourself at risk. If one is at the site of the incident, Sound the alarm or call the Emergency controller with information on the nature and location of the emergency
• Tell everybody to stay clear of the area. They should not assemble until site evacuation is declared however shall move away from danger if you are a team leader and responsible for the emergency plan, assess the situation and if you are able to remedy the incident proceed with caution.

If one is not at the site of the incident on hearing the siren or alarm and shouting.

1. Stop all works switch off and if possible isolate all powered equipment.
2. Move to the emergency assembly point and wait for instructions.
3. Do not rush to the incident site whatever your role just assemble at your designated team assembly point and wait for instructions.

Responding to an emergency call by the emergency controller

In response to a distress call or alarm, The Emergency Controller will;

• Visit or send a warden to the site for evaluation of the emergency.  He will decide if an evacuation is required and order for it. He may order any local area evacuation on the site
• In case of an injury, fatality, or serious accident, the Emergency Controller must ensure that the scene is not disturbed until preliminary investigations are carried out.
• The Emergency Controller decides all operations stopped, according to the incident, and ensures that it is done safely.  As a general rule, in case of a fire explosion, or bomb threat, all equipment on the site must be shut down.
• If the fuelling of vehicles is taking place, it must be stopped immediately after the siren starts.
• Site power should be isolated at the main site isolator/fire switch.
• All personnel responding to the emergency shall follow the Emergency Controller`s instructions.