Module six: Prepare - PDF

Module six Prepare ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Introduction Emergencies and disasters can strike anywhere and at any time bringing workplace injuries and illnesses with them. Employers and workers may be require...

Module six Prepare ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Introduction Emergencies and disasters can strike anywhere and at any time bringing workplace injuries and illnesses with them. Employers and workers may be required to deal with an emergency when it is least expected and proper planning before an emergency is necessary to respond effectively. The best way to protect workers is to expect the unexpected and to carefully develop an emergency action plan to guide everyone in the workplace when immediate action is necessary. Planning in advance helps ensure that everyone knows what to do when an emergency occurs. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Strategic Purpose and Concepts: Three aspects of performing the organization’s functions in an emergency are identified: maintaining plans for preventing the emergency. maintaining plans for reducing, controlling or mitigating its effects; and maintaining plans for taking other action in connection with the emergency. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Strategic Purpose and Concepts: Maintain plans for preventing an emergency Plans should be maintained for the purpose of ensuring that if an emergency is likely to occur, the organization can perform its functions to prevent the emergency. Prevention, in this context, means carrying out the functions of the organization in such a way as to prevent an emergency which is imminent, or which might be predicted, from occurring at all. Other examples of prevention include actions such as those taken by the ambulance service and other emergency services when they mobilize proactively on New Year’s Eve, so as to be ready to deal with potential incidents ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Strategic Purpose and Concepts: Maintain plans for reducing, controlling or mitigating the effects of an emergency The central part of the main planning duty under the Act is to ensure that the organization can perform its functions so as to reduce, control or mitigate the effects of an emergency. Plans for reducing, controlling or mitigating the effects of an emergency begin by addressing the disruption caused by the event. The event may have a sudden impact or a slow build-ups.. These will include actions to stem the effects of the emergency at source, such as fighting fires, or combating the release of toxic chemicals, the spread of disease or the extent of floods. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The plan aims to bring order to the response and recovery operation. It is concerned with providing a framework for management, co-ordination and control within which teams of local specialists can go about their work. It identifies: the roles and responsibilities of teams at strategic the communications plan and contact details the alerting and mobilizing procedures the facilities and equipment available, and their locations; additional resources may be obtained a crisis management strategy from response through to recovery ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plans that ensure the effects of an emergency are mitigated lead to interventions which, for example, protect or remove people from the full impact of the emergency. For instance, by rescuing people from the scene, or evacuating them and treating their injuries, or providing them with shelter and comfort, or arranging for an orderly return to the scene when it is safe. Recovery plans also mitigate the effects of an emergency. They are invoked and begin to operate at the same time as response plans. Emergency planning should understand and factor in the needs of the recovery stage, thinking through the longer-term impact of the planned response from the outset ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Strategic Purpose and Concepts: Maintain plans for taking other action in connection with an emergency Emergency planning has to concern itself not only with the immediate response to, and extended recovery from, an emergency, but also with its secondary impacts. The wave of reaction can be quite overwhelming in terms of, for example, media attention and public response. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The procedures required under this provision of the Act in support of plans may also include subordinate or incidental arrangements necessary to the development of effective response plans: develop emergency control center's develop reliable internal communications. assess health and safety concerns. ensure the welfare of staff engaged in response. ensure that sufficient resources (e.g. human, material, and financial) ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plan maintenance procedures. The maintenance of plans involves more than their preparation. Once a plan has been prepared, it must be maintained for the purpose of ensuring that if an emergency occurs, or is likely to occur. Plan maintenance procedures must be developed and published to ensure that responsibilities are clear and plans are kept up to date. Any emergency plan maintained by a Category 1 responder must include a procedure for determining whether an emergency has occurred that makes it necessary or desirable for it to perform its functions for the purpose of dealing with an emergency. The procedure for the activation of any multi-agency response procedures must also be set out in emergency plans. The procedure required is spelt out in the Regulations. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The procedure for the activation of any multi-agency response procedures must also be set out in emergency plans. The procedure required is spelt out in the Regulations. It must: enable the identification of the person who should determine whether an emergency has occurred. specify the procedure which that person should adopt in taking that decision specify any persons who should be consulted about the decision specify the persons who should be informed about the decision; it is advisable to ensure that, where relevant, appropriate local authorities are informed about the decision. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Have regard to risk assessment Plans must be maintained to ensure that responders are able to perform those functions when necessary or desirable for the purpose of dealing with an emergency, if one occurs or is likely to occur Have regard to arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public In developing and maintaining their emergency plans, Category 1 responders must have regard to their relevant warning arrangements and provisions for informing and advising the public. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Multi-agency plans A multi-agency plan is a plan maintained by more than one Category 1 responder acting jointly. Multi-agency plans are developed in a situation where the partners agree that, for a successful combined response, they need a formal set of procedures governing them all. These plans may be generic, as when they describe the control and co-ordination procedures for combined response to an emergency, including, for example, the procedures for setting up joint strategic or tactical co-ordination centers. Thus, evacuation by the police of a central area may be unworkable without the carefully pre-planned co-operation of various other Category 1 responders, such as fire and ambulance services and the highways department of the local authority, and the involvement too of some Category 2 responders, including transport organizations, such as train and bus companies, under their own regulations. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plan writing The cycle of emergency planning Emergency planning is a systematic and ongoing process, preparing organizations for the response to, and recovery from, emergencies. It evolves as lessons are identified and addressed and circumstances change. Embedding the plans within the management culture of the organization is vital to ensuring effective response on the day of an emergency. Equally vital is to maintain the plans as circumstances change, and to ensure that awareness of the plans is renewed as they are revised. Figure 5.1: The cycle of emergency planning. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Defining the purpose of a plan The purpose of an emergency plan is to serve organizations engaged in response and recovery, within the locality at the time of an emergency. Its aim is to increase multi-agency and community resilience by ensuring that all those charged with tackling the emergency on behalf of the community: o know their role; o are competent to carry out the tasks assigned to them; o have access to available resources and facilities; and o have confidence that their partners in response are similarly prepared. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  In deciding whether to prepare a new emergency plan - or to revise or maintain an Cont. existing one - the Category 1 responder should examine its existing generic and specific emergency planning arrangements and see to what extent these meet the circumstances or the scenario under discussion. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. Once the decision to prepare or modify an emergency plan has been made, the following considerations may be helpful. A written plan and associated support material can assist internal management of emergency arrangements by serving as: a concise description of how a special mobilization of Category 1 responders, divisions, departments, teams and officers will be carried out a record of key decisions agreed with and between the main parties to the plan, which will evolve and change over a number of years a guide for briefing, training or exercising personnel so that they are prepared for an emergency and know what has been agreed a series of checklists, references or aides memoires for senior officers to use at the time of an emergency, if they need it a measure or standard against which the performance of a Category 1 responder and its partners can be assessed ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Risk assessment and planning Risk assessment under the Act is about the likelihood of an emergency (which threatens serious damage) occurring. The only risks with which the Act is concerned, and for which plans must be maintained are those which threaten serious damage to human welfare, the environment or security. The aim is to provide each Category 1 responder with the best possible basis from which to fulfill its duty to prepare emergency plans. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. As a result of the risk assessment process, Category 1 responders should review their existing emergency plans. The review is likely to: highlight weaknesses in some of their existing plans or procedures; suggest areas where further work is needed in order to match the type and level of risks identified; and reveal the need for new plans, procedures or supporting capabilities in areas where preparations do not currently exist or are clearly inadequate. The process recurs continually and should be repeated as risk assessments change. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Type of Plans The following section describes: generic plans specific plans single-agency, multi-agency and multi-level plans. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Generic plans Generic plans are core plans which enable a Category 1 responder to perform its functions in relation to a wide range of possible scenarios General in nature, generic plans are, in the first instance, single-agency plans and are seen as the most important plans for that organization. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Generic plans deliver four key practical benefits a recognized corporate basis of response for the organization to any type, or most types, of emergency; key supporting elements (that is, capabilities and management procedures) a recognized corporate management framework for awareness-raising throughout the organization developing training and exercising throughout the organization. building ownership of civil protection throughout the organization; and mainstreaming civil protection within the organization; and a recognized corporate management framework for participating with other local partner organizations in the combined response. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Specific plans Many specific plans, such as for flooding, oil pollution or a stadium incident, are likely to be multi-agency plans. This gives Specific plans enable a Category 1 them a particular importance, supported responder to move from the general to as they are by the core generic plans. It the particular. is important that specific plans dovetail and are compatible with those of partner agencies. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Specific emergency plans deliver four key practical benefits a more detailed set of procedures designed to go beyond the standard generic procedures, when these are likely to prove inadequate in a particular case; a basis for integrated emergency response to a particular situation or scenario across a number of partner organizations; a framework for specific emergency-planning training and exercising addressed to particular situations or scenarios; and o a reference of information setting out detailed specific information, e.g. health hazards and effects of chemical types (COMAH plans) on the public. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plans for specific hazards or contingencies Certain types of emergencies require additional knowledge or procedures, which it would be inappropriate to include in a generic plan. For example, an influenza pandemic requires major specialist interventions within the health service. Wide-area emergencies, such as major storms, generalized flooding or widespread contamination, build on the standard, generic approach, but can benefit from specific contingency planning. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plans for specific sites or locations Plans for specific sites or locations A second type of specific plan can be appropriate for specific sites or locations, where the consequences and impact at the known location are more easily predictable. It is possible to develop detailed plans which, as a result of exercises, can be constantly tested and improved, and changed as physical and organizational arrangements change. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. There are other types of specific site, permanent or temporary, where emergency plans may be needed. For example, airports, sports grounds, hospitals, public events or areas where flooding is likely. Particular locations may also need specific plans, such as town or city centers, or coastal areas most vulnerable to pollution from major oil spills. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The process of preparing plans The five steps for preparing an emergency plan It is important that planning should be seen as a collective process, involving at all stages, those who will be responsible for delivering the plan’s objectives on the day of an emergency. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Step 1: Risk profile The first step carries the treatment of risks, that is, the final stage of the risk assessment process, over into the emergency planning process. It is important to imagine and select from the risk profile all the possible circumstances. For example: what is most likely to happen? who might be affected by the impact of the emergency? or o what are the different things that might go wrong with the response? ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The basic scenarios delivered by the risk assessment then need to be translated into a Step 2: series of objectives - including a first assessment of the capabilities needed to meet them. Objectives including This is the most important stage of the entire plan- making process. capabilities They should be encouraged to take their time to think about all the issues. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  They should be encouraged to take their time to think about all the issues: how would they go about it? what capabilities and resources have they got? how would they fill any gaps in capabilities or resources? what numbers of casualties should the plan be able to deal with? what are the priorities? what are the likely problems to be overcome? And what standard of response is required? ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Step 3: Tasks and resources: The logistics of the plan follow directly from determining its objectives. The function-based capabilities of the organization should be determined. The basic questions are: What are we going to have to do? How are we going to do it? Do we have the right teams, the right numbers, the right skills, the right training? Are the management and communication structures in place to do it? ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Step 4: Organization The large number of emergency No useful purpose is served by tasks identified at Step 3 needs reinventing satisfactory control to be pulled into a proper and co-ordination management framework for arrangements which already dealing with the response and exist. recovery phase. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. The following questions may be asked to ensure that the organizational framework is fit for purpose: What is the hierarchy of control needed to avoid duplication and ensure that everyone knows what to do? Can existing management structures within the organization be utilized in an emergency setting effectively or do new management structures need to be created specifically to deliver the capability required for an emergency? ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Step 5: Responsibilities Finally, as the organizational framework of the plan is addressed, so the allocation of responsibilities across teams and responders can be firmed up. Responsibilities can be clearly assigned, with emergency objectives and tasks spelled out and an organizational framework agreed for pulling all the capabilities together. The key to an effective planning process is to be clear about its objectives. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plan publication (internal) The publication and dissemination of an emergency plan for internal purposes, that is, for the organizations, teams and officers covered by the plan, is an important part of plan verification Plan training The Regulations require provisions for the training of staff or other persons to be included in plans. It means that the plans themselves should include a schedule for training. This training should extend beyond those employed by the responder and include contractors, and the staff and senior personnel of voluntary organizations, and the community (where necessary) who might be used in support of the plan. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercises and drills ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The purpose of exercises Exercises have three main purposes: to develop staff competences to validate plans and give them practice in to test well-established (verification); carrying out their roles in the procedures (validation) plans (training); and ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Plan exercising plan testing Not all aspects of an emergency plan can be tested, but some crucial elements can, such as: the contact list; the activation process; communications equipment the premises selected for the activity; the setting-up procedures; and information management ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercise types A discussion-based exercise is cheapest to run and easiest to prepare A tabletop exercise is based on simulation, not necessarily literally around a tabletop. Usually, it involves a realistic scenario and a timeline, A live exercise is a live rehearsal for validating and implementing the plan. Such exercises are particularly useful for testing logistics, communications and physical capabilities. The three types of exercise can be used for single- or multi-agency plans and multi-level plans ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Preparations for an exercise During the planning stage for an exercise, it is important to bring in any necessary expertise to the working group. The membership of the planning group will become the exercise-directing team and numbers should be kept relatively small. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Initial planning meetings should include discussion of the following: objective-setting and agreement scope of exercise - will it cover the first few hours or weeks. the scenario - get an expert (in-house, if possible) to help on this; identify the teams and organizations that will be playing; determine who or how many will play from each organization ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. what type and structure of exercise is suitable again depending on the objectives what accommodation or locations are needed what funding is available; and whether players will bring their communications equipment; or be provided with phones; or whether paper and runners are sufficient. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercise Documentation Most of this will be confidential and may include: aims and objectives of the exercise; storyline: an overview of everything that will happen in the exercise (similar to the stage director’s notes alongside the text of a theatrical play); structure and methodology text of the initial briefings (for players, observers, umpires); basic scenario checklist of key points (for the exercise directing team to ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Debrief and evaluation In a plan validation exercise, the main purpose is, therefore, to provide players with the opportunity to carry out the procedures and to offer their comments on whether they are sound or might be improved The conduct by the exercise director of the ‘hot’ debrief immediately after the event - and obtaining written assessments later from the key players taking part - deserves pre-planning as much as the exercise itself, Written assessments are useful for the formal debrief some time after the exercise ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. Frequently, in the debrief, exercise players find it difficult to distinguish between problems they have encountered with the realism and design of the exercise itself (exercise mechanics) what the exercise has told them about the effectiveness of the plan in delivering its objectives (plan verification) Lessons identified and lesson learning A post exercise report should include recommendations for improvement in the plan in question. Preparation of the exercise report draws on the debrief and on written comments from the key players ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Definitions after-action report document which records, describes and analyses the exercise, drawing on debriefs and reports from observers, and derives lessons from it Note 1 to entry: The after-action report documents the results from the after-action review. Note 2 to entry: An after-action report is also called a final exercise report competence demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results drill activity which practices a particular skill and often involves repeating the same thing several times EXAMPLE A fire drill to practice safely evacuating a building on fire ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. Evaluation systematic process that compares the result of measurement to recognized criteria to determine the discrepancies between intended and actual performance. Exercise process to train for, assess, practice, and improve performance in an organization scenario pre-planned storyline that drives an exercise, as well as the stimuli used to achieve exercise project test exercise with an aim to obtain an expected measurable pass/fail outcome training activities designed to facilitate the learning and development of knowledge, skills, and abilities, and to improve the performance of specific tasks or roles ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Cont. Scope This International Standard is applicable to all organizations regardless of type, size and nature of business whether in the private, public post-exercise report document which records, describes and analyses the exercise, drawing on debriefs and reports from observers, and derives lessons from it risk effect of uncertainty on objectives NOTE : Objectives can have different aspects (such as financial, health and safety, and environmental goals) and can apply at different levels (such as strategic, organization-wide, project, product, and process). Safety status or condition of people, property, information and operation being protected against or from intentional, unintentional human act or natural disaster ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Planning, conducting and improving an exercise program The exercise program should include the information and resources necessary to organize and conduct its exercises effectively and efficiently within the specified time frames. It should also include the following: needs analysis base of support ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  The organization should follow three steps to deliver an exercise that meets the exercise program objectives: plan the exercise conduct the exercise evaluate the exercise and its results. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercises and testing are important tools of management intended to: Build confidence Serve to identify problems and solutions; achieve the organization's objectives Create awareness ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercises and testing can have performance objectives in addition to measuring the competence of the organization to perform the mission. The additional objectives may include: Orientation/demonstration: a simulated experience of an expected situation with the intent of increasing awareness of vulnerabilities and the importance of effective action in response to the simulated conditions Learning: the enhancement of acquiring knowledge, skills, or abilities by individuals or groups with the goal of mastery of specific competencies; Cooperation: providing an opportunity for people to work together to achieve a common end result Experimenting: try out new methods and/or procedures with the intent of refinement; and Testing: evaluating a method and/or procedure in order to assess which components are sufficiently developed. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  During the exercise planning process, the organization should decide: the type of the exercise type and number of participants general scenario; time and location for the exercise financing; and a preliminary time table. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Base of support The organization should secure a base of support and commitment from the management, participants and stakeholders. The organization should base the benefits of the exercise on the needs and gap analysis and clarify the benefits to those who are carry responsibility for the exercise. Framework An exercise project may require involvement at different levels; ranging from cooperative level, top management level, middle management level to executing level. The organization should establish an exercise framework that sets priorities and balance organizational requirements vs. costs, and other constraints ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Scope of exercises and testing The organization should develop a scope based on the needs and gap analysis. The scope should provide a unifying statement to achieve the aim and performance objectives. Exercises within the management system When implementing a management system, the organization's stakeholders, both internal and external, are not only affected by the management system but their role performance will have a major impact on the success of its implementation. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Team management The roles in the exercise management team should include: an exercise coordinator a documentation coordinator controllers evaluators an exercise safety officer Note :Even small organizations should assign a team to plan and conduct exercises. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Risk management and information security The organization should eliminate or reduce risks through the effective use of risk analysis and treatment. The organization should determine and manage the security of all exercise documentation in accordance with the policy of the organization. Environmental aspects The organization should, where appropriate, consider to asses environmental impacts and minimize any potential impacts. It is also important that the information on measures taken in order to minimise the environmental impacts are being communicated to those involved in the exercise. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Team development and responsibilities The exercise coordinator should identify the need for additional training for the exercise management team before the conducting an exercise or test. Competence The organization should make sure that the personnel possess the necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) and the competence to correctly perform using those KSAs. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Exercises and testing communication Testing communication flow should be included in the list of exercise performance objectives for all exercises and testing. Top management should develop a strategy to implement its exercises and testing communication policy. The strategy should include communication performance objectives, identification of interested parties, an indication of when and what it plans to communicate, and a management commitment to allocate adequate resources. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -  Reference Chapter 5 Emergency Planning - Revision to Emergency Preparedness, Cabinet Office – United Kingdom. ISO 22398: 2013 Guideline for exercises, International Organization for Standardization. ‫مقيد‬Restricted -