Project Emergency Response Plans (ERP)
The Emergency Response Plan (ERP) will be written by the prime contractor on site or by the Contractor if working on a site alone.
The plan must contain all of the required elements stated in the legislation that is governing the site, such as:
- potential emergencies
- procedures for dealing with identified emergencies
- location of emergency equipment
- emergency personnel training requirements
- location and driving directions to emergency facilities
- contact list of company personnel
- radio channels to initiate plan and summon assistance
These plans will often change due to crew movement, personnel changes and project interruptions/scheduling and must be reviewed and updated constantly. It’s not uncommon to have revisions occur every month on some projects, with various revisions being left on site or in project vehicles.
On projects of more than 4 months in duration, it’s usually stated that a mock drill will be required to assess the effectiveness of the ERP. This is frequently replaced by “tabletop” exercises at site with crews. The plan is often discussed, in terms of acknowledging what will happen and the responsibilities of crewmembers to support it, but rarely are the actual response procedures tested. It is critical to test the plan, review the results and modify if required. This should be repeated regularly.
HSE managers and coordinators must review the ERP very carefully, as there are numerous places for errors and this plan must work when required.
Pay attention to revisions of the original document. How you communicate the latest version on your sites?
Always check and verify the accuracy of the following:
- Contact cell numbers. Correct and current? Will you have cell coverage?
- STARS registration #’s. Are they active for the correct locations?
- Directions to site from nearest public roadway. Accurate?
- Radio channels to contact emergency personnel. Area/Channel?
- Access for emergency response. Is there a busy train crossing or other crews working on the access route?
- Can we accept the anticipated response time to get assistance to site? Terrain, mud, snow? Emergency vehicles are not generally able to access unimproved roads.
Review the ERP regularly, test its accuracy and effectiveness through tabletops and mock drills, as well as review and revise as necessary, to ensure the safety of your workers and your company’s due diligence.
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