Laboratory Emergency Preparedness Prepared by: Mahjoub Labyad, MIS, Public Health Specialist Environmental Health & Safety Office Fall 2011 University of Minnesota | Duluth

Program Objectives  Fulfill regulatory requirements for emergency response planning.  Save life and property, lessen the impact of emergencies, and ensure academic and business operational continuity.  Improve employee preparedness & response, ensure familiarity with the procedures in place.  Familiarize employee with possible emergency scenarios and proper response. 2

3 Program Objectives  Establish the roles and responsibilities for personnel responding to incidents.  Establish the importance of the Incident Command System (ICS).

Regulatory Requirements 29 CFR Standard “Emergency Action Plan” requires employers to provide Emergency Preparedness Training to all staff including student employees. Based on the nature of the workplace and its surroundings, the training should discuss all possible emergency scenarios 4

Regulatory Requirements The training should also familiarize employees with the written plans and at least the following:  Emergency reporting procedure.  Procedures for emergency evacuation, including the type of evacuations and exit routes.  Procedure to account for employees after an evacuation.  Staff to contact for information about the plan. 5

What Constitutes An Emergency or a Disaster? 6

7 An Emergency or a Disaster is  Any (sudden) event that disrupts the normal lives of people or normal operations of a business. Because of its nature, there is an urgent need for immediate and coordinated response by trained personnel who must function together in a team effort.

8 Typical Response Agency Timelines Call Rec’d5 Minutes1 Hour1 Day1 Week LAW ENFORCEMENT FIRE / EMS HAZMAT EOC FBI NEWS MEDIA FEMA

9 Campus/Employee Emergency Notification A text messaging system (TEXT-U) is used to notify the UMD community members via Cell-phone following emergencies. You may sign up for this free system at A Tone Alert Radios (TAR) to broadcast voice alert messages to the campus community. Depending on the situation, information about the emergency and instructions about how to proceed will be given. TARs are strategically placed throughout campus to ensure maximum coverage. Public-Alert/Notification System

Employee Notification? Question: How do you notify your employees of Emergencies? 10

11  Home Page   University Radio (KUMD)  Local Radio and TV Channels  Departmental Phone Trees Additional Emergency Notification

12 Types of Emergencies  Biological (bacterial, viral, toxin spills, exposure, leaks, theft, flu-pandemic, influenza etc..)  Chemical (spill, exposure, leaks, thefts..) Bleach  Fire/explosion (housekeeping, electrical or chemical-related)  Medical/Personal Injuries (work, or Health-related i.e. Heart, Diabetes, Allergy problems)  Threats (bombs, weapons use…)  Weather (tornadoes, power outages, flooding)

Discussion What types of emergencies you’ve experienced in the past as a department or a lab? Have you participated in a complete building evacuation in the past? Do you have a building evacuation Plan? 13

14 Campus Preparedness The University has a number of guidelines and procedure in place to deal with/ minimize the impact of emergencies. It is everyone’s responsibility to become familiar with the guidelines and procedures in place.

15 Plans & Policies  Emergency Operation Plan (DEM)  Annex R: Pandemic Influenza Response  Contingency Plan for Hazardous Waste Generators  Regents of The University of Minnesota Policy on “Establishing the National Incident Management System” at the University policy.umn.edu/Policies/Operations/Safety/NIMS.html policy.umn.edu/Policies/Operations/Safety/NIMS.html

16  Emergency Information Desk Reference (  Building Emergency Evacuation Plan (BEEP) (  Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) Program (  UMD Chemical Spill Clean up Guide UMD Chemical Spill Clean up Guide Guidelines & Procedures

17 Preparedness means Familiarization with University plans and Procedures, and Knowing what to do before, during and after an emergency occurs.

Before Emergencies Occur Conduct a Risk Assessment/Job Hazard Analysis to eliminate hazards and reduce risk. Risk and Hazard Assessment prevents accidents and emergency situations, and most importantly it is the best way to ensure the safety of all employees and preservation of resources 18

Before Emergencies Occur Planning & Risk Assessment  What are the potential hazards that may cause accidents or emergencies? (Chemical exposure, Physical hazards, Fire & explosion hazards,)  What could go wrong? (Fire or explosion, chemical spills, runaway reactions, personal injury, chemical, rad. or biological exposure) ?  What will you do if it does?  How can hazards be eliminated risk minimized? 19

20 Before Emergencies Occur  Develop a response plan, and Know how to report incidents and to whom.  Maintain a department emergency phone trees. (post by the phone  Gather response supplies (First Aid Kit, Antidote, Spill Kit).  Share preparedness information with students, patients, guests etc at the start of each semester.

21  Know your building’s Floor Plan and Exits Routes, and become familiar with your BEEP Plan and/or Evacuation procedure  Know the location of the emergency response equipment and how to use it (i.e. Safety Shower/Eyewash, Spill Kit Fire Extinguishers, Fire Alarm Pull Station, AED).  Attend required Emergency Preparedness, Fire Extinguisher and other Safety training Before Emergencies Occur

 Know how and when to clean up spills if they occur, and what are your limitations (see UMD- Spill Clean up Guide) Spill Clean up Guide  Know how to Evacuate Safely (see BEEP Plan).BEEP Plan  Know how to respond to medical emergencies 22

23 Before Emergencies (Medical)  Let someone like a friend, a coworker, or a supervisor know if you have a pre-existing condition that may result in an emergency.  Have your medication (inhaler, EpiPen etc) available close by.  Take a CPR class and/or learn how to use the provided AED.learn how to use the provided AED  If you witness a medical emergency call 911 immediately and follow proper response procedure.  Immunize yourself (i.e. take a flu shot).

 Depending on the Emergency, you may be required to either: 1.Evacuate 2.Shelter in place, 3.Go into a Lockdown, or 4.Take some type of action to assist others (CPR, First Aid, AED, Call for help, or Clean Up a Spill) 24 During Emergencies

25 During Emergencies  Remain calm but do not ignore the alarm  If you witness the emergency, initiate a response! Call 911 to alert emergency responders to situations requiring their attention.  If you are Evacuating, report to your assembly point/area by the safest route available (see BEEP)  Assist others with health/physical limitations if you are able to, without endangering your safety.  Walk do not run. Use stairs, do not use elevators.

Emergency Response Procedures 26

27  Attend to injured persons and remove them from further harm  Alert people in the immediate area to evacuate  Activate the fire alarm or call the emergency response number (911)  Close doors to confine the hazard  Evacuate to a safe area. In Case of Fire

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In Case of Spills  Alert others in the area of the incident, and direct them to nearest exit.  Block all entrances to deny access and prevent others from entering the contaminated area.  Close fire doors, isolate, the spill and post the lab/area with a "Caution Spill" sign  Do not re-enter a spill area without proper protective equipment. You may endanger your life and health.  Assemble spill clean up Kit and protective gear if necessary  Report spill to EHS or

Chemical Spills  Review MSDS of the spilled substance.MSDS  Obtain additional information form EHS on how to proceed safely.  Put on necessary protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, lab coat, face shield or goggles.  Clean up the spill, collect contaminated material, label collected material and dispose as hazardous waste. 30

Chemical Spill Cleanup 31

Biological Spill  Alert others, and report the spill to EHS  Leave the area immediately and restrict access to the spill area.  Allow aerosols to settle for at least 10 min.  Remove contaminated clothing and place in a biohazard bag. Use safety Shower or Eyewash to rinse contaminant.  Put on clean gloves, booties and face mask prior to reentering the lab.  Place absorbent pads on the spilled material and spray with a disinfectant or a bleach solution.  Wait for few minutes (20 min) then finish the cleanup. 32

Biological Spill Cleanup 33

In Case of Exposure  Remove all contaminated clothing (glove, lab coat, etc.) and place in a biohazard (autoclave) bag.  If contaminated skin or open wounds, wash affected area vigorously with mild soap and water.  If contact with mucous membrane wash with copious amounts of water, flush eyes for at least 15 min.  In case of (inhalation or inoculation) seek medical help immediately.  If agent necessitate taking antidote, take/administer appropriate dose immediately.  Inform your supervisor, and EHS of the incident. 34

In Case of Exposure 35

36 During Emergencies  Follow official instructions given by your building coordinators or emergency response personnel.  If you are SHELTERING IN PLACE, (i.e. turnados, large chemical spills outside) stay inside the building, within your work area, or any safe place.  If applicable, make sure doors and windows are closed/locked (for both chemical or physical threat situation) to reduce your exposure to threats (i.e. chemical vapors, odors and fume intrusion)

During Emergencies  If you are in a LOCKDOWN situation, lock the doors to deny entry, and barricade yourself if necessary  Turn lights off, silence electronic devices, and remain quiet.  Spread within the room and hide behind furniture.  Remain quiet and wait for further directions from emergency response (Police Dept.) personnel.  At the moment, the University Doesn’t have a Lockdown Policy 37

Lockdown Preventing Mass Casualty Shooting 38

39 After an emergency  Wait for instructions from Public Safety, Emergency Personnel, or Building Emergency Coordinators.  Up-to-date information concerning the status of the emergency will be communicated through available media resources.

40 After an emergency  Depending on the situation, safe facilities and critical personnel will be designated to carry on operations on a limited basis  Alternate facilities will be established, if necessary.  Normal campus operations will resume as soon as possible following stabilization of the emergency.

Emergency Response Personnel 41

42 Building Emergency Coordinators (Volunteers) During emergencies requiring evacuation, Building Emergency Coordinators (see BEEP) will:  Assist with building evacuation  Guide building occupants to emergency assembly areas/points  Account for evacuated employees  Help people needing assistance to evacuate Building Emergency Coordinators may carry flags for easy identification by students and staff at assembly points. Further info at:

Response Personnel Have you appointed or asked anyone to volunteer as a responder? Roles : Shutting down equipment Ensuring everyone evacuates Accounting for evacuated employees. Ensuring business continuity (critical Personnel). 43

44 Campus Emergency Response Personnel  UMD Police Department sworn police officers highly trained in rapid response to unfolding emergencies. The department is here to protect and serve the campus community and adjacent neighborhood 24 hours a day. To contact the UMD PD. Call 911 or (24 hrs/day) and Request University Police  Facilities Management (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) After hours ( , or ) For custodial services and utility problems  Environmental Health & Safety ext: 7273 (Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) General Safety or For chemical, biological, Radioactive spills, or radiation exposure and exposure to toxic fumes

Critical Personnel 45 Are designated staff with critical roles in responding to and dealing with a particular aspect of the disaster in order to stabilize the emergency, and to ensure business and academic continuity, and a prompt return to normal operations.

Additional Personal Preparedness 46

47 Disaster Supply Kits Personal preparedness is essential. In a major disaster, it might be several days before vital services are restored. Personal supply kits should be adjusted based on personal needs. Suggested supplies include:  Flashlight with extra batteries  Battery-powered radio  Non-perishable food  Water  Medications  First Aid Supplies  Warm/Weather resistant cloths, and/or blankets Disaster Supply Kits for individual, departmental, or family preparedness are available from a variety of sources and/or Safety supply vendors. You can also make your own Kit.

For additional information please visit Thank you UMD Emergency Preparedness 48