IBA PROFIT REPORT - 2710 Prepared by:  Independent Business Association HOW TO MEET THE WRITTEN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH Below is a copy of the state rules requiring employers to prepare a written Emergency Action Plan for employees.  These rules are pretty self explanatory and must be followed to assure compliance with this requirement. WAC 296-24-567  Employee emergency plans and fire prevention plans. (1) Emergency action plan. (a) Scope and application.  This subdivision applies to all emergency action plans required by a particular WISHA standard.  The emergency action plan shall be in writing, and shall cover those designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies. (b) Elements.  The following elements, at a minimum, shall be included in the plan: (i) Emergency escape procedures and emergency escape route assignments; (ii) Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate; (iii) Procedures to account for all employees after emergency evacuation has been completed; (iv) Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them; (v) The preferred means of reporting fires and other emergencies; and (vi) Names or regular job titles of persons or departments who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan. (c) Alarm systems. (i) The employer shall establish an employee alarm system which complies with WAC 296-24-631 (see below). (ii) If the employee alarm system is used for alerting fire brigade members, or for other purposes, a distinctive signal for each purpose shall be used. (d) Evacuation.  The employer shall establish in the emergency action plan the types of evacuation to be used in emergency circumstances. (e) Training. (i) Before implementing the emergency action plan, the employer shall designate and train a sufficient number of persons to assist in the safe and orderly emergency evacuation of employees. (ii) The employer shall review the plan with each employee covered by the plan at the following times: (A) Initially when the plan is developed; (B) Whenever the employee's responsibilities or designated actions under the plan change; and (C) Whenever the plan is changed. (iii) The employer shall review with each employee upon initial assignment those parts of the plan which the employee must know to protect the employee in the event of an emergency.  The written plan shall be kept at the workplace and made available for employee review. (2) Fire prevention plan. (a) Scope and application.  This subsection applies to all fire prevention plans required by a particular WISHA standard.  The fire prevention plan shall be in writing. (b) Elements.  The following elements, at a minimum, shall be included in the fire prevention plan: (i) A list of the major workplace fire hazards and their proper handling and storage procedures, potential ignition sources (such as welding, smoking and others) and their control procedures, and the type of fire protection equipment or systems which can control a fire involving them; (ii) Names or regular job titles of those personnel responsible for maintenance of equipment and systems installed to prevent or control ignitions or fires; and (iii) Names or regular job titles of those personnel responsible for control of fuel source hazards. (c) Housekeeping.  The employer shall control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials and residues so that they do not contribute to a fire emergency.  The housekeeping procedures shall be included in the written fire prevention plan. (d) Training. (i) The employer shall apprise employees of the fire hazards of the materials and processes to which they are exposed. (ii) The employer shall review with each employee upon initial assignment those parts of the fire prevention plan which the employee must know to protect the employee in the event of an emergency.  The written plan shall be kept in the workplace and made available for employee review. (e) Maintenance.  The employer shall regularly and properly maintain, according to established procedures, equipment and systems installed on heat producing equipment to prevent accidental ignition of combustible materials.  The maintenance procedures shall be included in the written fire prevention plan.  WAC 296-24-631  Employee alarm systems. This section contains requirements for the design, installation, restoration and manual actuation of all types of emergency employee alarm systems.  WAC 296-24-63101  Scope and application. (1) This section applies to all emergency employee alarms installed to meet a particular WISHA standard.  This section does not apply to those discharge or supervisory alarms required on various fixed extinguishing systems or to supervisory alarms on fire suppression, alarm or detection systems unless they are intended to be employee alarm systems. (2) The requirements in this section that pertain to maintenance, testing and inspection shall apply to all local fire alarm signaling systems used for alerting employees regardless of the other functions of the system. (3) All pre-discharge employee alarms installed to meet a particular WISHA standard shall meet the requirements of WAC 296-24-63103 (1) through (4) and 296-24-63107(1).  WAC 296-24-63103  General requirements. (1) The employee alarm system shall provide warning for necessary emergency action as called for in the emergency action plan, or for reaction time for safe escape of employees from the workplace or the immediate work area, or both. (2) The employee alarm shall be capable of being perceived above ambient noise or light levels by all employees in the affected portions of the workplace.  Tactile devices may be used to alert those employees who would not otherwise be able to recognize the audible or visual alarm. (3) The employee alarm shall be distinctive and recognizable as a signal to evacuate the work area or to perform actions designated under the emergency action plan. (4) The employer shall explain to each employee the preferred means of reporting emergencies, such as manual pull box alarms, public address systems, radio or telephones.  The employer shall post emergency telephone numbers near telephones, or employee notice boards, and other conspicuous locations when telephones serve as a means of reporting emergencies.  Where a communication system also serves as the employee alarm system, all emergency messages shall have priority over all non-emergency messages. (5) The employer shall establish procedures for sounding emergency alarms in the workplace.  For those employers with ten or fewer employees in a particular workplace, direct voice communication is an acceptable procedure for sounding the alarm provided all employees can hear the alarm.  Such workplaces need not have a back-up system.  WAC 296-24-63105  Installation and restoration. (1) The employer shall assure that all devices, components, combinations of devices or systems constructed and installed to comply with this standard are approved.  Steam whistles, air horns, strobe lights or similar lighting devices, or tactile devices meeting the requirements of this section are considered to meet this requirement for approval. (2) The employer shall assure that all employee alarm systems are restored to normal operating condition as promptly as possible after each test or alarm.  Spare alarm devices and components subject to wear or destruction shall be available in sufficient quantities and locations for prompt restoration of the system.  WAC 296-24-63107  Maintenance and testing. (1) The employer shall assure that all employee alarm systems are maintained in operating condition except when undergoing repairs or maintenance. (2) The employer shall assure that a test of the reliability and adequacy of non-supervised employee alarm systems is made every two months.  A different actuation device shall be used in each test of a multi-actuation device system so that no individual device is used for two consecutive tests. (3) The employer shall maintain or replace power supplies as often as is necessary to assure a fully operational condition.  Back-up means of alarm, such as employee runners or telephones, shall be provided when systems are out of service. (4) The employer shall assure that employee alarm circuitry installed after July 1, 1982, which is capable of being supervised is supervised and that it will provide positive notification to assigned personnel whenever a deficiency exists in the system.  The employer shall assure that all supervised employee alarm systems are tested at least annually for reliability and adequacy. (5) The employer shall assure that the servicing, maintenance and testing of employee alarms are done by persons trained in the designed operation and functions necessary for reliable and safe operation of the system.  WAC 296-24-63109  Manual operation. The employer shall assure that manually operated actuation devices for use in conjunction with employee alarms are unobstructed, conspicuous and readily accessible.  WAC 296-24-63199  Appendix A--Employee alarm systems. (1) Scope and application.  This section is intended to apply to employee alarm systems used for all types of employee emergencies except those which occur so quickly and at such a rapid rate (e.g., explosions) that any action by the employee is extremely limited following detection. In small workplaces with ten or less employees the alarm system can be by direct voice communication (shouting) where any one individual can quickly alert all other employees.  Radio may be used to transmit alarms from remote workplaces where telephone service is not available, provided that radio messages will be monitored by emergency services, such as fire, police or others, to insure alarms are transmitted and received. (2) Alarm signal alternatives.  In recognition of physically impaired individuals, WISHA is accepting various methods of giving alarm signals.  For example, visual, tactile or audible alarm signals are acceptable methods for giving alarms to employees.  Flashing lights or vibrating devices can be used in areas where the employer has hired employees with hearing or vision impairments.  Vibrating devices, air fans, or other tactile devices can be used where visually and hearing impaired employees work.  Employers are cautioned that certain frequencies of flashing lights have been claimed to initiate epileptic seizures in some employees and that this fact should be considered when selecting an alarm device.  Two-way radio communications would be most appropriate for transmitting emergency alarms in such workplaces which may be remote or where telephones may not be available. (3) Reporting alarms.  Employee alarms may require different means of reporting, depending on the workplace involved.  For example, in small workplaces, a simple shout throughout the workplace may be sufficient to warn employees of a fire or other emergency.  In larger workplaces, more sophisticated equipment is necessary so that entire plants or high-rise buildings are not evacuated for one small emergency.  In remote areas, such as pumping plants, radio communication with a central base station may be necessary.  The goal of this standard is to assure that all employees who need to know that an emergency exists can be notified of the emergency.  The method of transmitting the alarm should reflect the situation found at the workplace. Personal radio transmitters, worn by an individual, can be used where the individual may be working, such as in a remote location.  Such personal radio transmitters shall send a distinct signal and should clearly indicate who is having an emergency, the location, and the nature of the emergency.  All radio transmitters need a feedback system to assure that the emergency alarm is sent to the people who can provide assistance. For multistory buildings or single-story buildings with interior walls for subdivisions, the more traditional alarm systems are recommended for these types of workplaces.  Supervised telephone or manual fire alarm or pull box stations with paging systems to transmit messages throughout the building is the recommended alarm system.  The alarm box stations should be available within a travel distance of 200 feet.  Water flow detection on a sprinkler system, fire detection systems (guard's supervisory station) or tour signal (watchman's service), or other related systems may be part of the overall system.  The paging system may be used for non-emergency operations provided the emergency messages and uses will have precedence over all other uses of the system. (4) Supervision.  The requirements for supervising the employee alarm system circuitry and power supply may be accomplished in a variety of ways.  Typically, electrically operated sensors for air pressure, fluid pressure, steam pressure, or electrical continuity of circuitry may be used to continuously monitor the system to assure it is operational and to identify trouble in the system and give a warning signal.