1Perspectives www.asse.org

Crisis ManagementPlan Workbook

C risis management beganin the U.S. when theDepartment of Labor wasestablished on March 4,1913. The department’s

stated purpose was “to foster, promoteand develop the welfare of workingpeople, to improve their working con-ditions and to enhance their opportu-nity for profitable employment.” Sincethis beginning, many boards, organi-zations and acts have been formed tohelp fulfill this purpose.

A crisis manage-ment plan orga-

nizationalworkbook can be

adapted to awide variety of

industrial/business settings.

For a completeTable of Contents,see page 3

On Dec. 29, 1970, the OSHActwas signed into law to protect work-ers and workplace safety. OSHA wasformed as part of this act on thesame day. Since its inception, manypositive changes have taken placeunder the mandated regulations.On Feb. 24, 1992, OSHA promul-

gated the process safety management(PSM) regulation to prevent disasterssuch as the 1984 Bhopal disaster.This regulation is intended to prevent

continued on page 28

A crisis management plan begins with determiningthe detail needed. A management plan organization-al workbook can be used as a companion to the moredetailed corporate or local crisis management plans.

PAGE 4JORDANBARABToday’s OSHA

D

VOLUME 9 • NUMBER 1

A TECHNICAL PUBLICATION OF ASSE’SPUBLIC SECTOR PRACTICE SPECIALTY

PerspectivesPerspectives

D

PAGE 9BEESAfricanizedBeeAwareness

D

PAGE 13ICEEmergencyCell PhoneContact

D

PAGE 22TREE CAREWork-RelatedFatalities

BY LARRY G. HOLLOWAY, CSP, MEP

Perspectives

It is my pleasure to serve as Public Sector Practice Specialty (PSPS)administrator for the next 2 years. As a career safety professional withseveral years’ experience in the public sector, I look forward to working

with each of you to make this the best practice specialty among ASSE’sCouncil on Practice and Standards. Along the way, we will get to know eachother and will achieve success for our public sector safety colleagues tocarry on into the future.

The publication editor position is open for the 2009-11 term. PSPSAssistant Administrator Fred Fanning has volunteered to act as editoruntil a replacement is found. Do not be surprised if you hear from him,as he will contact many of you for articles. Whatever you can do tosupport Perspectives will benefit PSPS and will be greatly appreciated.I want to thank Fred for his outstanding leadership as PSPS admin-

istrator these last 2 years. Through his professional leadership andvision, a standard operating procedure and strategic plan were devel-oped that have helped PSPS grow and have brought in a variety ofexpertise and members. Additionally, he has left a thriving member-ship for the next administrator.We are drafting a new strategic plan for Fred to review before sub-

mitting it to the PSPSAdvisory Committee for approval. This willpave the way for our activities in the coming year. Please send anysuggestions you may have to Fred (fanning@netscape.com) or me

(stephen.dimond@us.army.mil).I anticipate an educational, exciting and demanding ride these next

2 years. I hope you will come with us. I need to hear from you throughoutthis whole process. What are your priorities and what can we do to supportthem?What can we do better and what should we stop doing? Two yearsfrom now, we will look back with pride at what we have accomplished andknow that by making public sector safety professionals stronger, smarter andmore adaptable, accidents can and will be prevented. As we say in the Army,hooah! �

STEPHEN M. DIMOND

PUBLIC SECTOR PRACTICE SPECIALTY

OFFICERSAdministratorSTEPHEN M. DIMOND(256) 450-9330stephen.dimond@us.army.mil

Assistant AdministratorFRED FANNING(202) 482-1200fanning@netscape.com

Publication EditorOPEN

COMMITTEESAwards & HonorsJAMES HIGGINSlobordr@msn.com

Conference & SeminarsDANIEL DELLA-GIUSTINAdaniel.dellagiustina@mail.wvu.edu

Membership DevelopmentMARY BETH O’CONNELLmoconnell@brsrisk.com

NominationsJAMES MASON

jemason@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Website DevelopmentERIKE YOUNGeyoung@brsrisk.com

ASSE STAFFStaff LiaisonRENNIE HEATH(847) 768-3436rheath@asse.org

Publication DesignSUSAN CARLSONscarlson@asse.org

Perspectives is a publication of ASSE’s Public

Sector Practice Specialty, 1800 East Oakton St.,

Des Plaines, IL 60018, and is distributed free

of charge to members of the Public Sector

Practice Specialty. The opinions expressed in

articles herein are those of the author(s) and

are not necessarily those of ASSE. Technical

accuracy is the responsibility of the author(s).

Send address changes to he address above;

fax (847) 768-3434; or send via e-mail to

customerservice@asse.org.

GREETINGS TO ALL!

ADMINISTRATOR’S MESSAGE

2Perspectives www.asse.org

Perspectives

C O N T E N T S

PAGE 4 PLENTY IN THE PLENARYOSHA’s Jordan Barab participated in the plenary session at Safety2009.

PAGE 7 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONSPLANNING FOR PUBLICORGANIZATIONSBy Fred Fanning

A COOP plan will allow a public organization to continue itswork with little or no disruption in service.

PAGE 9 BEE AWARE: COMING SOONTO A LOCATION NEAR YOUBy Chris Bradshaw

Africanized bees are migrating into the U.S.

PAGE 11 Should the Public SectorParticipate in VPP?By Robert “Bob” Sander

This article outlines basic information about VPP.

PAGE 13 ICE: In Case of EmergencyBy Amy StewartUsing ICE will help emergency responders reach your emer-gency contact person.

PAGE 14 LIQUOR LIABILITY& SPECIAL EVENTSBy Rob Roscoe

Understanding the liability emergency service organizations facewhen serving alcoholic beverages at events.

PAGE 16 TRANSPORTING STUDENTS SAFELYBy Gayle T. Carson

This article addresses the requirements for safety in publicschool loading and offloading zones.

PAGE 18 CHAPERONES CANAFFECT SAFETY ON TRIPSBy Joann Robertson

Chaperones serve a vital role in the supervision of students.

MEDICALEMERGENCIESIN SCHOOLSBy Daniel Mahoney

Developing an emergency response planto address life-threatening medical emer-gencies is of utmost importance.

ROUNDTABLE ONSCHOOL SAFETY:RECAPThe Public Sector Practice Specialty helda roundtable discussion during Safety2009 to address school safety.

PAGE 20

PAGE 21

VOLUME 9 • NUMBER 1

CONNECTION KEY

V W P L AD D

D

WORK-RELATEDFATALITIES IN TREECARE OPERATIONSIN THE U.S.:1992-2007NIOSH reports on tree care operations.

PAGE 22D

GAO REPORT ONINFLUENZA PANDEMICPLANNING: ANEXECUTIVE SUMMARYInfluenza pandemic poses a seriousthreat to global public health and leader-ship focus on pandemic preparednessis vital.

PAGE 25D

D

Video Website PDF Hot Link Ad Link Direct Link

Click on these icons for immediate access or bonus information

3Perspectives www.asse.org

Editor’s Note: Jordan Barab, deputy assistant secretary andacting assistant secretary for OSHA, presented this speech duringa plenary session at Safety 2009.

Iknow that you are eager to hear about the future ofOSHA, the new leadership in the Department of Laborand how this will affect you in your workplaces.We will get to that in a moment, but here and now, I

want to focus on an important but possi-bly underappreciated factor in work-place safety. Leadership inWashingtonand in state labor departments is neces-sary, standards and guidance documentsare essential and enforcement is critical,but I want to recognize the other factorin the safety equation.What makes workplace safety a real-

ity in the offices and factories, hospitalsand schools, warehouses and shippingdocks, at the top of electrical towers andin the trenches of construction sites isthe quiet hero on the ground, the onsitesafety and health professional who suitsup, shows up and speaks up every dayto help protect fellow workers.

Many of your employers and fellow workers mayappreciate what you do, but many others do not complete-ly understand how grateful they should be when you call asafety meeting, pass around OSHA QuickCards and otherinformation, respond to close calls and complaints and talkto upper-level management about steps that must be takento increase workplace safety.Your employers have shown admirable foresight and

responsible management by hiring you—granted. Givingyou a position of responsibility to protect the workersaround you as well as the integrity of their businessmakes sound business sense; so, good for them and goodfor you. I just wonder whether your job titles truly cap-ture the enormous benefit you provide.You are the guardians at the gate of tragedy and disas-

ter, yet you rarely get the recognition you deserve forperforming your job perfectly.You get no credit whenyour worksite has a normal day—when nothing blowsup or burns down, when no one on your watch gets hurtor killed. While your vigilance and expertise ensure thatyour co-workers go home at the end of the workday withall their fingers, toes and limbs intact, you probably getno mention in the prayers at their dinner tables. As thefamily breadwinner, safe and sound, doles out thedessert, you almost never see a slice of that cake or pie,but you should.Heroes that you are, you take silent pride at the end of

the workday and return home to your own families and

4Perspectives www.asse.org

friends with hardly a word said about how well you didyour job today.Well, I know what you do, and so does Labor

Secretary Hilda Solis, and on behalf of the Departmentof Labor and OSHA, from the bottom of our hearts, wethank you for your invaluable daily contribution to work-place safety and health.It is not every organization that gets both the

Secretary of Labor and the (acting) head of OSHA in thesame day. But we so much appreciate your work that weboth came here to join you in San Antonio to tell you inperson. Thank you. Great job. Well done!We also came here to ASSE’s Safety 2009

Conference to tell you that you are not alone. We havegot your back.Your fight is our fight.I hope you all heard Labor Secretary Hilda Solis at

this morning’s opening general session. I was so pleasedwhen President Obama appointed this great Secretary ofLabor. She is the proud daughter of union members, awoman who understands workplace health and a formerCongresswoman with constituents who suffered frompopcorn lung. She understands the hopes and dreams ofworkers, she understands the struggles they face everyday on the job and she understands that every worker hasa right to a safe workplace.OnWorkers Memorial Day, I traveled with her to the

National Labor College in Silver Spring, MD where sheannounced that OSHA is back in the enforcement busi-ness and back in the standard-setting business.Secretary Solis asked me to fill in as head of OSHA

until we have a confirmed Assistant Secretary who willcarry this fight forward. It was an honor to say to her,“Yes, I will,” and I am here to tell you that it is a newday at the Department of Labor.On this day, health and safety professionals like you

will have a voice, workers will have a voice and theirunions will have a seat at the table because this adminis-tration understands that workers know plenty about mak-ing workplaces safe.On this day, employers can no longer blame workers

who get hurt on the job. The law says that employers areresponsible for workplace safety and health, and there isa new sheriff in town to enforce the law.On this day, business owners can no longer excuse

themselves from training their workers or providing pro-tective equipment by complaining that it takes too longor costs too much to save a life.Understand this. OSHA offers a helping hand to those

companies and associations that will commit to workingwith us constructively. Together, we can transform work-places for the benefit of everyone on the job. However,to those whose only response to every OSHA regulatory

WORKPLACE SAFETY

Plenty in the Plenary

Jordan Barab at Safety 2009.

5Perspectives www.asse.org

or enforcement initiative is no, I also have a message.Take off the blinders, take on some responsibility andstop wasting our time and the people’s tax dollars.Secretary Solis has said that we will turn our energies

from voluntary programs to enforcement. However, weare not eliminating the Voluntary Protection Programs.We are not saying companies that truly excel in healthand safety do not deserve recognition. They do. Nor arewe saying that strong partnerships with employers can-not benefit workers, companies and OSHA. They can.But the days of signing companies into VPP programs

or alliances just to fill arbitrary goals and the days ofpromoting alliances as a replacement for standards areover. And the days of delaying rulemaking are over. Andthe days of starving OSHA’s budget are over.President Obama has just asked for the biggest

increase in OSHA’s budget in anyone’s memory—morethan 10%. That will allow us to hire 200+ new staff,including 130 new inspectors. It will not be easy to hireall of those people, but the Secretary has challenged usto succeed and to improve OSHA’s diversity so thatOSHA in the 21st century looks like, speaks like andunderstands the U.S. in the 21st century.There is no doubt about where the Department of Labor

and OSHA are going. Secretary Solis and I believe in vig-orous enforcement of laws that protect the safety andhealth of workers. We are committed to a strong federalrole in protecting workplace safety and health, as mandat-ed in the OSHAct that created the agency.To underscore this point, OSHA recently formed a

taskforce to design a new enforcement initiative. Underthe Severe Violators Enforcement Program, OSHA willconduct an intensive examination of an employer’sinspection history. Any systematic problems that weidentify with an employer’s safety and health program

would trigger additional mandatory inspections to ensurecompliance with workplace safety and health standards.And we are not waiting any longer to address a criti-

cal problem with construction injuries and fatalities righthere in Texas.Under the new OSHA, we will react swiftly and

decidedly when we see a problemat-ic trend. This is why this morningSecretary Solis announced that injust one week, OSHA will launch amajor new construction safety focusthroughout the state of Texas. Forthe next several weeks, a “SWATteam” of OSHA compliance officersfrom around the country will fan outacross the state to inspect construc-tion sites. We will use computeranalyses of industry data to targetthe most likely cities and worksitesthat need our immediate attention toprevent construction injuries andfatalities.In addition, in the next few

weeks, we will announce details of anew national emphasis program(NEP) to address hazards in chemi-cal plants.We are also preparing an NEP to

confront recordkeeping problems.Congressional hearings, studies andmedia reports have all described seri-ous accounts of underreportinginjuries and illnesses, as well as poli-cies that discourage workers fromreporting when they are sick or hurt. To address this prob-lem, OSHA received $1 million for FiscalYear 2009,which we are putting to work. Ensuring the accuracy ofinjury and illness numbers is critically important toOSHA’s ability to accurately target enforcement and toevaluate our effectiveness.We will also take a close look at programs that have the

effect of discouraging workers from reporting injuries andillnesses. These include programs that discipline workerswho are injured or safety competitions that penalize indi-vidual workers or groups of workers when someonereports an injury or illness.Getting the OSHA regulatory process moving again

after 8 years will not be easy. A long list of difficult butcritical issues must be addressed. The good news is weare moving ahead.In the last few months, we announced new rulemak-

ing for combustible dust and a new round of 2-yearSusan Harwood training grants, and we moved forwardon standards addressing diacetyl, silica, cranes andderricks, confined spaces in construction and theGlobally Harmonized System of Classification andLabeling of Chemicals.

We are in thisfight together,and togetherwe can makeour workplacessafer and morehealthful for ourfamily members,neighbors andfriends. That isa lasting legacythat we can workon every day—and every daytake pride in ouraccomplishments.

Jordan Barab joined OSHA as Deputy AssistantSecretary of Labor for Occupational Safety andHealth as well as Acting Assistant Secretary onApril 13, 2009. He previously served as specialassistant to the Assistant Secretary of Labor forOSHA from 1998 to 2001, when he helped theagency to promulgate the ergonomics workplacesafety and health standard that was repealed byCongress in March 2001.Barab worked on workplace safety issues for the

U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard InvestigationBoard from 2002 to 2007.He holds a master's degree from The Johns

Hopkins University and an undergraduate degreefrom Claremont McKenna College.

Jordan Barab Biography

In the last few weeks, we issued several new factsheets and other informational documents to supplementour guidance on how to prepare every workplace for aflu pandemic.In response to a Government Accountability Office

report, we will conduct a thorough review of OSHA’scooperative programs, assessing where the programbelongs in the context of OSHA’s resources and mission,to ensure that these programs are effective in pursuingOSHA’s mission.And we are telling our state partners who operate

their own occupational safety and health plans to be surethat federal and state OSHA offices speak with onevoice. We will strengthen our oversight of state plans toensure better program performance and consistency.With all of this, we also need to confront the 60,000-

pound elephant in the room: ergonomics. Let’s acknowl-edge some obvious things about “ergo.” First, it is a hugehealth and safety problem recognized by reliable science.Second, it is a huge political football that some very bigplayers do not want to see on the field. Well, we willpick up that football, and we will look to team up withpeople who genuinely want to move beyond destructivepolitics and focus on the goal of worker safety andhealth. People are getting hurt by unnecessary musclestrains, repetitive motion injuries and backbreakingbehavior that can be reduced or eliminated with provenremedies. We can fix this.This is why I want to encourage everyone here to

become more active in workplace safety and health in twoparticular ways. First, you are the safety and health author-ity in your workplaces, so I want you to talk to your man-agers and CEOs. As bills are introduced in Congress thatmay affect workplace safety and health, your CEOs andtheir professional associations will deliberate on whetherto take a position. Ensure that you weigh in on the debateswithin your organization with your unique authority andexperience. Whatever side you take in these debates, donot cede your leadership position to outside organizationsthat act only on ideological preconceptions rather than onwhat actually makes workplaces safer.Second, in the weeks and months ahead, as OSHA

moves forward with proposed rulemaking, you must par-ticipate. Take part in regulatory hearings, send us yourthoughts during comment periods, voice your concernsand share your experience and expertise.First and foremost, we need strong standards that pro-

tect workers, but we also need standards that make sensein the workplace. This is where you can make a differ-ence: When OSHA does something right, support us byspeaking up. When we miss the mark, I know you willbe there to say so, too.We are in this fight together, and together we can

make our workplaces safer and more healthful for ourfamily members, neighbors and friends. That is a lastinglegacy that we can work on every day—and every daytake pride in our accomplishments. �

6Perspectives www.asse.org

ASSE Supports Approachto Standard in Health CareErgonomics Legislation

ASSE in a letter to Representative John Conyerssupported the general approach of a standard

proposed in his legislation (HR 2381) requiring liftingequipment to protect direct care nurses and health-care workers from ergonomic risks. ASSE said it sup-ported this specific approach because it is the sameapproach to ergonomics its members used in protect-ing health care workers. But ASSE urged variouschanges to the bill to ensure the best patient care,including allowing manual lifting if needed, ensuringcontinuity of care when employees refuse assign-ment. ASSE also urged caution in including homehealth care without resolving issues of reimburse-ment and OSHA oversight of work in the home.

ASSE Urges Coverageof Public Sector Workersin OSHA ReformIn a letter to Representative LynnWoolsey, sponsor ofthe Protecting America’s Workers Act (HR 2067), thekey OSHA reform bill in Congress, ASSE urged inclusionof provisions to provide coverage to themore than 8million state andmunicipal workers nowwithout feder-al-level safety and health protections. Such coverage isrequired only in states with federally-approved stateOSH plans.

New Virtual Symposium–Solutions in Safety TrainingJanuary 26-28, 2010 • Everytown

As safety professionals, we know, it’s one of themost powerful tools we have to engage our

workforce. But how can we turn it into somethingour employees want toengage in? Once we grabtheir attention, how do wesustain it with training thatthat will stick with themback on the floor? And, per-haps most importantly, wherecan we learn to do all of this in anenvironment of limited resources?At ASSE’s all new Virtual Symposium–Solutions in

Safety Training! Hear from experts in the field ofsafety training and explore real-world solutions fordeveloping training that delivers results. All in a col-laborative networking environment and all withoutever having to leave your desk. View sessions live ortake up to 30 days to watch the recordings of ses-sions online. Click here for more information.

ASSE Update

7Perspectives www.asse.org

Every public organization should have a compre-hensive, effective program in place to ensurecontinuity of essential functions under all cir-cumstances. As a baseline of preparedness for

the full range of potential emergencies, all public sectororganizations shall have in place a viable continuity ofoperations (COOP) capability, which ensures the per-formance of their essential functions during any emer-gency or situation that may disrupt normal operations.Given such an overarching challenge, COOP planningis a must for public sector organizations to ensure thatthey can provide needed services for the citizens whodepend on them in an emergency. COOP plan objectivesinclude:1) Test the alert, notification and activation systems.2) Initiate operations to perform selected essential

functions from an alternate site.3) Access vital files and databases necessary to

respond to tasks.4) Communicate effectively from alternate sites to

accomplish mission.5) Receive, process, analyze and disseminate

information.6) Validate support systems to ensure 24-hour opera-

tions capability.

PLANNINGGovernment Computer News (GCN, 2008) states that

“COOP planning is the disciplined planning you do inadvance to respond to a natural or manmade emergency.If your agency/office needs to relocate, your COOP isyour coordinated, efficient action to keep operating.”Some tasks that public sector organizations will need toprovide to allow them to operate and assist the publicinclude:1) providing for the safety and well-being of employees;2) providing administrative, facilities management

and support services;3) providing travel and transportation services;4) identifying all affected real and personal property;5) providing mail and courier delivery services;6) coordinating facility repair and operations;7) acquiring space and facilities.This plan allows a public organization to continue its

work with little or no disruption in service; however, ittakes much work to do well. For example, at the nationallevel, “continuity planning also requires coordinationwith state, local, tribal and territorial governments aswell as with the private sector” (GCN, 2008).

Planning will also be required with private sectororganizations “because the private sector owns the vastmajority of the nation’s infrastructure. We have a nationthat is a ‘system of systems’ that is incredibly integrated”(GCN, 2008). With respect to information technology,“Networks must connect. Applications must be streamed.Computer screens must look familiar. Security must bemaintained at all costs. Government business must con-tinue” (GCN).Guidance from the federal government can be used in

the planning process. Federal Protection Circular Number65 (FPC65) “includes plans and procedures that delineateessential functions; specify successionof office and an emergency delegationof authority; provide for the safekeeping of vital records and databas-es; identify alternate operating facili-ties; provide for interoperablecommunications and validate thecapability through tests, training andexercise” (GCN, 2008). This requiresthe following:1) Identify succession for senior

members of organization.2) Ensure that full authority is

delegated in order of succession.3) Identify alternate facility or

facilities for critical personnel.4) Employees demonstrate a gen-

eral level of understanding of theCOOP process.5) Employees are trained in the

role(s) of the organization and theirindividual roles (if any) regardless of the organization’slevel of involvement during a COOP activity.6) Employees will, as directed, involve themselves

and support COOP activities to the fullest extent possi-ble, to even include training scenarios.7) Vital records and databases required to meet opera-

tional responsibilities following the activation of aCOOP are maintained in electronic form at a backuplocation.Federal Continuity Directive Number 1 (FCD1) “pro-

vides direction to the federal executive branch for devel-oping continuity plans and programs. What FCD1 saysis that it is just not good practice to plan to have continu-ity planning; it is mandatory practice” (GCN, 2008).Federal Continuity Directive Number 2 (FCD2)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS BY FRED FANNING,M.ED., CSP

Continuity of OperationsPlanning for Public Organizations

Security concerns arealways involved inresponding to anemergency by mov-ing an organizationto an alternate site.Public administratorsare concerned aboutthe security of infor-mation technologyequipment andtransmissions.

FEMACOOPPrograms

“implements the requirements of FDC 1 and providesguidance and direction for identification of their missionessential functions and potential primary mission essen-tial functions (PMEFs). It includes guidance and check-lists to assist department and agencies in assessing theiressential functions through a risk management processand in identifying potential primary mission essentialfunctions that support the national essential func-tions” (GCN, 2008).

TELEWORKINGTeleworking (employees work from an alter-

nate site or home using a telephone and computer)must be considered in planning. Teleworking canallow public sector employees to work from homewhen a public sector facility is damaged, cannot bereached or is in the path of an impending disaster.To do this, standards and guidance must be in place

before any emergency to ensure that employees have theequipment necessary to perform their work. This meansthat “to support the technology components critical fortelework translates into spending precious dollars in areassuch as web-based applications, BlackBerry devices, lap-tops and remote email access, which allow for increasedtelework at low incremental cost” (GCN, 2008).Walker (2008) notes that telework “for the most part

means creating the capability for employees to workfrom home or other remote locations and having aninformation technology infrastructure that is robustenough to support remote access to vital agency comput-er systems. Walker also notes that “the nexus betweenCOOP and telework has become increasingly importantin recent years, underscored and reinforced by high-mag-nitude events such as the 2001 terrorist attacks andHurricane Katrina.”The office of personnel management is the proponent

for policy for the federal government. In its publicationFederal Manager’s/Decision Makers Emergency Guide,key steps to facilitate telework include:1) Develop a cadre of regularly scheduled “core”

teleworkers.2) Permit teleworkers to experience working offsite

and learn to communicate electronically with colleaguesand clients by doing it regularly.3) Permit supervisors and managers to experience

managing employees without face to face contact.

SECURITYSecurity concerns are always involved in responding

to an emergency by moving an organization to an alter-nate site. Public administrators are concerned about thesecurity of information technology equipment and trans-missions. Joch (2008) says that “The right mix is notpurely technical. With the right selection of hardwareand software, agencies can ensure that established secu-rity policies remain in effect during an emergency. Herecommends using a class of technology known as net-

work access controllers to vet remote machines, two-fac-tor authentications for access, data encryption technolo-gies and virtual private networks.”In addition to information security, planners must con-

sider the physical security of any alter-nate site. Planners should conductrisk assessments of possiblealternate sites so that risks canbe considered along withother criteria to determinethe best fit. These riskassessments should identifya facility’s potential securityweaknesses. Effort can then be

put forth to offset some of therisks for selected facilities.For example, many public buildings

now use standoff to reduce a blast’s impact on the build-ing. A second example is the installation of blast win-dows that can withstand the shock wave of an explosiveblast. When selecting an alternate site, planning officialsmust ensure that any alternate facility includes standoffand blast protective windows.

CONCLUSIONTo ensure that public organizations can respond in

an emergency, all aspects of the response must beplanned for. Without this planning, it will be difficult, ifnot impossible, for a public organization to respond. Ifthe response is weak, voters can and should bring newpublic servants in to do a better job. This means thatcareer public servants can be affected as can politicalappointees. �

REFERENCESGovernment Computer News. (2008, Mar. 31).

National continuity. Falls Church, VA: Author.Government Computer News. (2008, Mar. 31).

Telework is taking off. Falls Church, VA: Author.Joch, A. (2008, June 23). How secure is your COOP?

Federal Computer Week.Walker, R.W. (2008, June 16). COOP: The telework

connection. Federal Computer Week.Walker, R.W. (2008, June 16). OPM’s best practices

for COOP. Federal Computer Week.

Fred Fanning, M.Ed., CSP, a veteran safety professional, is theauthor of Basic Safety Administration: A Handbook for the NewSafety Specialist published by ASSE. His chapter “Safety Trainingand Documentation Principles” was published in The SafetyProfessionals Handbook. His article “Public Sector SafetyProfessionals: Focused on Activity or Results?” received the ASSECouncil on Practices and Standards’Best Newsletter ArticleAward for 2006-07. Fanning is profiled in Marquis Who’s Who inScience and Engineering and in the International BiographicalCentre’s 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century. Aprofessional member of ASSE, Fanning is Assistant Administratorof the Public Sector Practice Specialty and a member of ASSE’sFinance Committee.

8Perspectives www.asse.org

W

9Perspectives www.asse.org

For outdoor workers, risks and hazards due tostinging insects are often overlooked and underes-timated. Many opportunities exist for outdoorworkers to experience the unexpected exposure of

the newest pest that is migrating into the U.S.

STATISTICSInjuries and fatalities caused by stinging insects have

been recorded and reported by various newspapersnationwide. Reported fatalities and attacks include thefollowing:•Mexico (1988 to 1995)—175 fatalities reported.Harlingen, TX (July 1993)—first fatality reported in

Texas and U.S.•Apache Junction, AZ (October 1995)—first fatality

reported in Arizona.•Beasley, TX (1997)—Two road workers attacked and

stung more than 200 times.•Mesa, AZ (1999)—Construction worker stung more

than 100 times.•Long Beach, CA (September 1999)—first fatality

reported in California.•Tucson, AZ (2000)—Seven workers attacked and

stung.•Galveston, TX (2003)—Farmer plowing field

attacked and stung about 150 times.•Sierra Vista, AZ (2007)—Border patrol and illegal

immigrants attacked and stung.•Graham County, AZ (2007)—Railroad workers

attacked with one fatality reported.•Niland, CA (2008)—Two firefighters hospitalized

and one dead after being stung.•Roscoe, TX (2008)—Backhoe operator stung 280

times.•Okeechobee County, FL (April 2008)—first fatality

reported in Florida.•Sealy, TX (2009)—City worker stung more than

100 times.•Irvine, CA (2009)—Landscaper stung more than

100 times.•Tivoli, TX (September 2009)—one fatality reported.

AFRICANIZED HONEYBEESWhat caused these attacks and fatalities? These inci-

dents are the result of Africanized honeybees (AHBs)(Apis mellifera scutellata). Since their introduction into theAmericas, approximately 1,000 deaths have occurred with26 fatalities in the U.S. alone. AHBs may also impact the$140 million honey industry (Smithsonian, 2007).

AHBs wereimported in aneffort to improvehoney productionand the viabilityof honeybees inthe tropicalforests of SouthAmerica. In1956, WarwickKerr, a Braziliangeneticist,imported AHBsto crossbreedwith existingEuropean honey-bees (Apis m. mellifera). Originally, 48 AHB queens wereimported, but after one year and natural attrition, only 29queens remained. In October 1957, 26 of the remainingqueens were accidentally released with small swarms. Itwas thought that the released AHBs would either perish ormate with other European honeybees thereby losing thecharacteristics associated with AHBs (Oklahoma StateUniversity, 2007).However, a few years later, AHBs were discovered

throughout Brazil and Argentina and into CentralAmerica. The expansion is a result of AHBs’ ability totravel 60 miles or more when swarming as compared toEuropean bees that only travel a few miles. By 2002,AHBs had spread into the West Indies, Mexico, Texas,New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California and Florida.By 2005, they were reported in Arkansas, Oklahoma andLouisiana.

AHBS VS. EUROPEAN BEESWhile AHBs and European bees are similar pheno-

typically, defend their nests by stinging and sting onlyonce, AHBs are 6 to 10 times more defensive of theirnests with more bees responding (e.g., 500 to 1,000 ormore bees responding to a threat, compared to theirEuropean counterparts of less than 100) (Mulder, 2005).Additionally, AHBs tend to respond about four times

faster to a threat compared to European honeybees(3 seconds as compared to 19 seconds).From their nest, AHBs can detect threats from

humans or animals up to 50 ft away. AHBs can alsodetect vibrations from operating equipment from morethan 100 ft away. Once agitated, AHBs can pursue forlonger than 1 hour while following a victim between

WORKER SAFETY BY CHRIS W. BRADSHAW,M.S., MT(ASCP), CEA, CPEA

Bee Aware: Coming Soonto a Location NearYou!

Be aware of theenvironment.When outdoors,listen for the humcreated by beeswhen flying, whichis louder closer tothe hive.

VIDEOKiller BeeAttack

one-quarter to one-half mile in distance. European hon-eybees usually cool off in 2 or 3 minutes and only pur-sue a victim for approximately 80 ft.AHBs build nests in unexpected areas, such as pots, bird

houses, tires and in the ground. European honeybees preferclean, dry, aboveground locations. AHBs will also leave iftheir nest is threatened, which is uncommon amongEuropean bees (Oklahoma State Entomology, 2007).

STINGSThe LD50 (lethal dose for 50%) for bee stings is

approximately 8 to 10 stings per pound of body weight(Mulder, 2005). For a 150-lb person that would be about1,200 to 1,500 stings. More than likely for European,although probably not obtainable, but very possible if theywere Africanized.For example, if 150 European honeybees responded

to a threat by a 150-lb person and each bee stung the vic-tim, that would be equal to one bee sting per pound ofbody weight. However, since AHBs can be 10 timesmore defensive, it could be as many as 1,500 bees or10 stings per pound of body weight and possibly death.

GROUPS AT RISKWho might be exposed to AHBs and what should

they know? Anyone involved in outdoor activities is apotential victim. AHBs do not discriminate towardintruders, humans or animals. Therefore, employees,coworkers, friends, family and children must be aware ofAHBs and must be prepared for an encounter. AHBs aremost prevalent where public sector employees are morelikely to encounter them throughout the year.

PROTECTING AGAINST BEE ATTACKSSince foraging bees gather food, they are docile and

not a threat. Getting too close to the nest can trigger adefensive reaction by bees. To reduce the chance of that,wear light-colored clothing. Dark-colored clothing andhair seem to incite more attacks than light colors. Do notto wear floral and/or citrus deodorants, perfumes oraftershave.Bee-proof property by sealing holes in buildings, trees

and the ground. Remove junk piles, old appliances, tiresand any other debris to reduce potential nesting sites.Sanitation workers should be especially careful. Inspectproperty monthly for signs of bees. Ensure that sanitationgarages, public recycling or compost locations are inspect-ed. AHBs like to nest, not only in debris, but also in cul-verts, water meter boxes, drainage pipes, bird houses,barns, sheds, playground equipment, barbecue cookers andwoodpiles. If a hive is located, do not attempt to remove it.Contact a beekeeper or pest control company for removal(Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, 2005).Be aware of the environment. When outdoors, listen

for the hum created by bees when flying, which is loudercloser to the hive. Watch for bees coming and going andfor other flying insects as well. Bees exhibit a defensive

behavior before attacking by flying in the face or aroundthe head of an intruder and even thumbing several timeswhen the intruder comes to close to the hive. Do notpanic but calmly head away from the nesting area quietlyand quickly. Workers should be especially careful nearpublic parks, golf courses, swimming facilities, forestpreserves/woods, etc., or while mowing, trimming ormaintaining these properties.

WHEN AN ATTACK OCCURSIf attacked:•Cover head and face and run for cover as fast as pos-

sible. AHBs have been known to follow intruders formore than a quarter of a mile so get away from the nest.•Take shelter as soon as possible. A sealed enclosure,

such as a vehicle, tent, house or any other area can affordsome protection.•Do not jump into water. AHBs will hover and wait

for a victim to surface for air.•After escaping, evaluate the situation and take stock

of the number of stings. Fifteen or more stings or a feel-ing of not being able to catch one’s breath (possible ana-phylactic shock) requires medical attention. Localizedpain and swelling are normal.•Remove stingers by scraping stingers off with a blunt

object, such as a dull knife blade or plastic credit card.Removing the stinger with fingers or tweezers can pushmore venom into the body.•If others are in danger and/or being stung, call 9-1-1

(Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry,2005). �

REFERENCESMulder, P. (2005). Living with the africanized honey-

bee. Defensive Bee Management.Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and

Forestry. (2005, Mar.). Africanized honeybees inOklahoma. Retrieved Aug. 15, 2006, from http://www.oda.state.ok.us.Oklahoma State University. (2007). Entomology and

plant pathology. Oklahoma State Department of Ento-mology and Plan Pathology. Retrieved May 1, 2007,from http://www.ento.okstate.edu/ahb.Smithsonian Institution. (2007). Killer bees. Encyclo-

pedia Smithsonian. Washington, DC: SmithsonianInstitution.U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research

Service (2007, Feb. 6). Honeybee research. RetrievedMay 1, 2007, from http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=5.

Chris W. Bradshaw, M.S., MT(ASCP), CEA, CPEA, is anassistant professor at Southeastern Oklahoma State University inDurant. In 1998, he joined the department of occupational safetyand health as an instructor in industrial hygiene, hazardous mate-rials management, noise control and outdoor safety. He also runsC&C Pest Control and Inspection Services LLC, which serves thesouthern region of Oklahoma and north Texas.

10Perspectives www.asse.org

V

11Perspectives www.asse.org

Remember the public sector implementation oftotal quality management, results-orientedmanagement, management by objective andthe one-minute manager? These managementfads came and went and, at least in the public

sector, were never fully embraced or found to be suc-cessful. A voluntary protection program (VPP) is like somany of those management programs except that itfocuses on accident prevention. Even though it has exist-ed for a while, many in the public sector still consider ita fad. Others have taken a wait-and-see approach beforecommitting. This article outlines basic information aboutVPP and the author’s experience using it within the U.S.Postal Service.

THE CHALLENGEPublic sector safety standards and programs constant-

ly change. However, this does not always mean that newprocedures or programs must be created. Often, justtweaking an established standard or program to fit achanging environment is all that is needed. Unfortu-nately, SH&E professionals typically face the challengeof not having the sole authority to make the neededchanges and must work with others within the organiza-tion to bring about changes. Each agency has a protocolor chain of command that must be followed to obtainapproval for changes.Proactive SH&E professionals should look at the

challenge of making a change as an opportunity. Oneopportunity in particular is to convince management tobuy into creating and sustaining a safe, healthful work-place. This can be difficult in today’s economy, but it canbe done.

THE OPPORTUNITYTaking an existing standard or program in a new and

improved direction requires a partnership. This partner-ship must consist of those who do the work, those whosupervise the work, those who support the work andthose who manage the work. Supervision, support andmanagement of work are normally under the manage-ment umbrella. This combined group creates the work tobe done, finances the means, controls the support andsupervises daily operations. Those who physically per-form the work are more commonly known as labor.Evidence shows that these partnerships work.

Through 29 CFR Part 1960 (29 Code) and the PostalEmployees Safety Enhancement Act, federal sectoremployers are required to have labor/management safety

and health committees. Such committees are also oftenrequired in collective bargaining agreements. These com-mittees are designed to promote safety and health in fed-eral workplaces through the cooperative efforts of itsmembers. Maintaining a cooperative relationshiprequires continuous open communi-cation and action. Once a committeesees and/or feels that safety hasbecome an integral part of the busi-ness at hand, then it is time to moveto another dimension of ensuring asafe and healthy workplace.This dimension or second step

brings about improvements to stan-dard operating procedures, whichinclude creating new procedures tosupport these new ideas. This is fol-lowed by a six-step process to aid increating a safer, healthier workplace.This process consists of:•increased time spent reviewing

accident and incident trends;•use of that data to support the

need for improvements;•increased inspections of the

workplace to ensure overall coverageof the work areas on a quarterlybasis, at a minimum;•review of written programs after

they have been implemented, at leastannually;•providing topic-specific employee training on each

hazard found;•use of near-hit reporting to train employees on what

it means, but also to encourage the use of this method tocombat the knowns and unknowns of existing hazardinventory.

VOLUNTARY PROTECTION PROGRAMSThe VPP process need not be purchased from a local

vendor. A hired expert does not come in and teach it. It isavailable at no cost to employers or employees. VPP pro-motes effective worksite-based safety and health. In VPP,management, labor and OSHA establish cooperativerelationships at workplaces that have implemented acomprehensive safety and health management system.Workplaces may participate in VPP in three ways: site-based, mobile workforce and corporate. VPP approval isOSHA’s official recognition of the outstanding efforts of

SAFETY MANAGEMENT BY ROBERT “BOB” SANDER

Should the Public SectorParticipate inVPP?

Investing in theprogram has valuefor any employer,public or private.Even if an employerhesitates to inviteOSHA to its work-site to perform aninspection, applyingthe program’s prin-ciples to dailyoperations will, inturn, create a saferworkplace.

OSHAVPPFact Sheet

employers and employees who have achieved exemplaryoccupational safety and health.Investing in the program has value for any employer,

public or private. Even if an employer hesitates to inviteOSHA to its worksite to perform an inspection, applyingthe program’s principles to daily operations will in turncreate a safer workplace. Being in VPP provides the ben-efit of reaching out and having a volunteer network ofother VPP sites and OSHA assistance.Sell VPP to management on the basis of improved

productivity, decreased costs and improved employeemoral because all of those benefits will be realized.According to 2007 National Safety Council data, an inci-dent costs approximately $39,000 on average, so eachaccident prevented has the potential of saving that much.Ask management to contact other public sector agenciesthat have taken on the challenge and ask them to explainthe benefits of implementing VPP.The Department of Energy has created a successful

VPP program. The U.S. Postal Service made VPP part ofits long-range business plan and became the first federalentity to become a corporate member. The Air Force,Army and other agencies have also applied VPP in somefashion within their organizations. If one life is saved,then value exists in a structured partnership such as this.SH&E professionals can encourage employers to do theright thing by implementing VPP in the workplace. �

REFERENCESGovernment Accountability Office. (2009, May 20).

OSHA’s voluntary protection programs: Improved over-sight and controls would better ensure program quality(GAO-09-395). Washington, DC: Author.OSHA. Basic program elements for federal employee

occupational safety and health programs (29 CFR, Part1960. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor,Author. Retrieved Sept. 2, 2009, from http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGISTER&p_id=13482.U.S. Postal Service. (1999, Feb.). Executive’s and

manager’s safety compliance guide. Retrieved Sept. 2,2009, from http://www.npmhul310.org/manuals/EL_802.pdf.

Robert “Bob” Sander is a special government employee in VPPworking for the U.S. Postal Service as a district safety specialist inSt. Louis, MO. He routinely conducts on-site evaluations withOSHA, and he also mentors others about the program. Sanderwas named Special Government Employee of the Year in 2009. Heholds advanced safety certificates from National Safety Counciland U.S. Postal Service, and he has been co-instructor of the spe-cial government employee program for the last 3 years. A formerunion leader, firefighter and emergency medical technician,Sander has more than 34 years’ safety experience.

For the first time, EPA’s Green Power Partnershipannounced the 20 primary and secondary schoolsnationwide using themost power from renewableenergy sources, including two in Northern California,Kentfield School District and Santa Clara University.The top Green Power Partner schools are buy-

ing nearly 113 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) ofgreen power annually, equivalent to carbon diox-ide emissions produced from the electricity use of11,000 American homes for one year.“Our green-powered schools are giving kids a

brighter future in more ways than one. They areleading the way in protecting our health andenvironment and moving the country into theclean energy economy of the 21st century,” saysEPA administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “This is a greatlesson on how we reduce harmful pollution in ourskies and get America running on clean energy.”Kentfield School District, ranked No. 16 on

EPA’s Top 20 K-12 Schools List, generates nearly600,000 kWh of solar power annually, which isenough green power to meet 95% of the school’spurchased electricity use.The district’s onsite green power generation of

nearly 600,000 kWh is equivalent to avoiding thecarbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of more than 80passenger vehicles per year, or the equivalentamount of electricity needed to power more than60 average American homes annually.Santa Clara University increased its ranking to

No. 16 on EPA’s Top 20 College and University listof green power purchasers by doubling its greenpower usage to nearly 23 million kWh annually,which is enough green power to meet 74% of theschool’s electricity use. Santa Clara University’sgreen power purchase is equivalent to avoidingthe carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 3,000passenger vehicles per year.This purchase also qualifies the university for

EPA’s Green Power Leadership Club, a distinctiongiven to organizations that have significantlyexceeded EPA’s minimum purchase require-ments. Green Power Leadership Club membersmust purchase 10 times the partnership’s mini-mum requirement organization-wide.Green power is generated from renewable

resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, bio-mass, biogas and low-impact hydropower. Green-power electricity generates less pollution thanconventional power and produces no net increasein greenhouse gas emissions. �

12Perspectives www.asse.org

EPA Names Two NorthernCalifornia Schools asTop 20 Green-Powered

P

13Perspectives www.asse.org

This article just might save your life. Now that Ihave your attention, let me ask you a few ques-tions. If you were suddenly unconscious, whowould know how to reach your emergency con-

tact person? Do you have this information programmedinto your cellular phone? Would first responders be ableto obtain this information quickly should an emergencyevent occur?

WHAT IS ICE?In case of emergency (ICE) is designed to provide

emergency personnel with contacts in emergency situa-tions. Police, fire and other emergency personnel checkcellular telephones if those injured are incapable of provid-ing necessary medical information. ICE helps emergencypersonnel quickly learn medical history by allowing themto speak to someone who knows you and can tell thembasic information or can give them your doctor’s phonenumber. By using ICE, emergency officials can take min-utes instead of hours to contact next of kin.

PROGRAMMING ICEOn your cell phone, enter the letters I-C-E then type

in your contact’s name, followed by his/her phone num-ber. For example, to list your brother, John Doe, enterICEjohndoe (555) 555-5555. Day and evening numbersshould both be listed, such as ICEjohndoeday (555) 555-5555 followed by the second entry ICEjohndoenight(555) 555-6666. If you add more than one ICE contact,list them in numerical order, such as ICE1 for the pri-mary contact, ICE2 for the second and so on.Your ICE contact may be a family member, friend or

neighbor. Provide your ICE contact with an updated listof your medical conditions, such as allergies, current

medication(s), previous medical procedures, phone num-bers for family members, primary care physician andmain work contact.Add ICE to your cellular phone now, then take the

quiz. Be sure to spread the word about ICE to family,friends and coworkers. �

Amy Stewart, CSP, has more than 20 years’ experience design-ing, implementing and conducting safety-training programs.Specializing in designing fleet safety training and emergencyresponse, she is a professional member of ASSE. Stewart is amember of the Society of Ohio Safety Engineers Patterns forProgress Committee and currently chairs the Ohio TruckingSafety Council. She received ASSE’s Public Sector PracticeSpecialty Safety Professional of the Year Award and an ASSENAOSH Champion Award in 2008.

EMERGENCY CONTACT BY AMY STEWART, CSP

ICE: In Case of Emergency

QuizICE stands for in case of emergency.� True �� False

Both day and evening phone numbers for ICEcontacts should be listed.

� True �� False

Cell phones are a good source for ICE information.� True �� False

By using ICE, we can bring safety home.

� True �� False

(All statements are true.)

On your cell phone, enter the letters I-C-E then type in your contact’s name,followed by his/her phone number.

Emergency service organizations often conductsocial activities, fundraising events, bingo, hallrentals and carnivals to raise funds to generatefire department income. These events have been

the driving source of revenue for emergency serviceorganizations for more than 100years. Many fundraising events gen-erate a liquor exposure in whicheither the emergency service organi-zation buys alcoholic beverages orthe leasing/rental party buys its ownalcoholic beverages and is responsi-ble for its distribution. In other cases,a caterer buys and distributes alco-holic beverages at the special event. Understanding the liability as an

emergency service organization and aserver of alcoholic beverages isimportant. Remember, when youserve alcohol, you can be heldliable/responsible for serving alcoholto underage and intoxicated individu-als. The state in which you reside hasstate liquor laws by which you arerequired to abide.

As a server of alcoholic beverages, you may be liablefor serving individuals already intoxicated and sellingbeverages to underage individuals. Specific laws apply to servers or establishments serving alcohol. Two lawsmay apply:•Common negligence. Specific state laws that set a

minimum standard for actions by a responsible person toprevent intoxication.•Dram Shop Liability. A specific state law that out-

lines penalties for third-party lawsuits when alcohol isinvolved.

PUBLIC LEGAL CLIMATE•All states have a drinking age of 21 years of age.•Blood alcohol content levels at levels of 0.08 or 0.10.

Check with your liquor control board.•Under Dram Shop Liability, if an establishment sells

alcohol under a state permit, the law may assess penal-ties for third-party lawsuits when alcohol is involved.•The law requires that the emergency service organi-

zation make a “reasonable effort” to prevent intoxication.

PROBLEMSThe main causes of problems when serving alcohol

are: serving someone under the legal drinking age; serv-ing a visibly intoxicated person; and failure to maintaincontrol of the event or premise.

14Perspectives www.asse.org

An effective department liquor loss control programwill help you:•Identify the problem.•Take steps to prevent a potential problem.•Reduce your liquor liability exposure.•Identify intoxicated individuals.•Identify unacceptable forms of ID.•Intervene if or when an individual shows signs of

intoxication.•Prevent drinking and driving.•Document incidents for future records/legal purpose.•Promote a safe and happy social event with responsi-

ble drinking behavior.With the organization’s backing of an effective liquor

loss control program, positive influence can be affectedon the drinking and the behavior of guests.

ALCOHOL RISK REDUCTION RECOMMENDATIONSFOR—SOCIAL HALL OR BAR OPERATIONS

The following procedures are recommended to reduceyour liquor liability exposure at your hall or bar.•All members or employees serving alcohol should

attend a server training program (i.e. TIPS, TAM, RAMP). •Post your policy concerning the serving of alcoholic

beverages (see Figure 1, sample policy, on p. 13).•All youthful customers should be required to show two

pieces of identification, with at least one piece having aphoto ID. When in doubt, do not serve alcohol.•Carefully observe patrons to detect signs of intoxica-

tion, especially customers who may be under the influ-

PUBLIC SAFETY BY ROB ROSCOE

Liquor Liability & Special Events

The emergencyservice organizationshould implement a

designated driverprogram that pro-

vides alternatetransportation toindividuals who

consume in excessof the legal limit ofalcoholic beverages.

Liquor Liability & TrainingIf you or your employee serve alcohol to a minor orvisibly intoxicated patron, the results could be seri-ous. Not only could you face administrative andcriminal fines and penalties, but you could also besued in civil court for damages that person mightcause after leaving your establishment.Within your alcohol-serving policy, guidelines

should be in place for how employees are to betrained to serve alcohol. In the U.S., 28 states havespecific requirements for alcohol-server training.Regardless of what state you operate in, havingserver training in place, along with a formal policy,shows an affirmative attempt on your part to pre-vent improper or over serving of alcohol. If you arehiring an outside entity to serve alcoholic bever-ages, you should ask about their training policies,and verify that all individuals working at your eventhave been trained.

15Perspectives www.asse.org

of identification shouldbe provided with at leastone piece having aphoto ID. When indoubt, do not serve.•Separate the area

where alcohol is servedfrom the rest of theevent.•Do not allow any

customers to take alco-holic beverages out ofthe designated area.•Assign one member

to observe the cus-tomers. This personshould look for signs of intoxicationand underage drinking.•Do not serve alcoholic beverages

to customers who appear to be intoxicated.•Do not allow purchasing cus-

tomers to serve alcoholic beveragesto other customers/individuals whoappear to be intoxicated or underage.•Station a member or extra police

patrols in the parking area. Yourmembers should observe the cus-tomers who intend to drive.

•The membersshould intervene anddissuade the indivi dualfrom driving. In theevent that the individ-ual gets in the car anddrives away, immedi-ately contact lawenforcement. �Rob Roscoe is an industryspecialist with Glat felterInsurance Group, a publicentity specialist providingrisk management services and insurance productsto schools, municipalities, sewer/water authoritiesand emergency service organizations. He has morethan 22 years’ experience in consulting withmunicipal entities and emergency service organiza-tions. Roscoe is a certified training for interventionprocedures instructor and an instructor for certi-fied workplace safety committees in Pennsyl vania.He holds an M.S. in Safety Man agement from WestVirginia University. He may be reached atrroscoe@glatfelters.com.

This is a sample guideline furnished to you byGlatfelter Public Practice. Your organization shouldreview this guideline and make the necessary modifi-cations to meet your organization’s needs. The intentof this guideline is to assist you in reducing exposureto the risk of injury, harm, or damage to personnel,property and the general public.

ence of drugs or alcohol when they arrive. Signs ofintoxication include off-color jokes, slurred speech, poorcoordination, bloodshot eyes and dazed expression.•Do not serve alcoholic beverages to any customers

who show signs of intoxication upon arrival or after theyhave consumed alcohol on the fire department premises.Intervene if patrons show signs of intoxication from driv-ing when they leave. Contact local law enforcement imme-diately. Alternate transportation should be provided.•Using an incident form designed to collect relevant

information, write down any actions taken concerning aproblem or intoxicated patron.•The emergency service organization should imple-

ment a designated driver program that provides alternatetransportation to individuals who consume in excess ofthe legal limit of alcoholic beverages.

ALCOHOL RISK REDUCTIONRECOMMENDATION FORSPECIAL EVENTS

If you sell alcoholic beverages at special events suchas fairs, block parties, carnivals, crab feasts and picnics,the following procedures are recommended to reduceyour liquor liability exposure:•Servers of alcohol should attend an alcohol server

training program (i.e., TIPS, TAM, RAMP).•The emergency service organization should obtain

the proper liquor permit/license from the state liquorcontrol board.•Verify the age of all youthful customers. Two forms

Figure 1 Alcohol Policy Sample

Carefully observepatrons to detectsigns of intoxica-tion, especially cus-tomers who may beunder the influenceof drugs or alcoholwhen they arrive.Signs of intoxica-tion include off-color jokes, slurredspeech, poor coor-dination, bloodshoteyes and dazedexpression.

MANAGEMENTResponsible AlcoholManagement

W

School is back in session. How many students willbe injured or even die from being run over by aschool bus or by a parent’s car dropping another

student off at school? The answer should be none, butaccidents will happen.Under the Highway Safety Act of 1966 and Highway

Safety Program, Guideline No. 17, each state, in cooper-ation with its school districts andother public subdivisions, shouldhave a comprehensive pupil trans-portation program that outlines safeloading and unloading of students.However, National Safety Council(NSC) published figures from theKansas Department of Transpor -tation and other sources indicate thatpupil fatalities and injuries in load-ing and unloading zones continue tooccur. This article addresses therequirements for safety in publicschool loading and offloading zones.

SCHOOL BUSESOver the years, design changes in school buses,

whether mandated or voluntary, as well as the additionof related safety equipment have led to improved loadingand unloading zone safety. Specifically how and to whatextent is not known, however. A key factor is visibility.School buses should have a system of mirrors that con-form to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle

16Perspectives www.asse.org

Safety Standard No. 111 and Title 49 CFR Chapter 5,Part 571.111 so that drivers can see and avoid students.In addition, each state plan should establish proce-

dures to meet recommendations for maintaining busesused to carry school children. School buses should bemaintained in safe operating condition through a system-atic preventive maintenance program. All school busesshould be inspected at least semiannually. School busesand school chartered buses subject to the FederalHighway Administration’s (FHA) Federal Motor CarrierSafety Regulations should be inspected and maintainedin accordance with those regulations (Title 49 CFR, Parts393 and 396).

SCHOOL BUS DRIVERSAre the physical aspects of the bus really the problem

or could it be the physical aspects of the bus driver? Busdrivers should meet all physical, mental and moralrequirements established by the state agency having pri-mary responsibility for pupil transportation, includingrequirements for drug and/or alcohol misuse or abuse.Drivers must also be qualified as a driver under FHA’sFederal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and Title 49CFR Part 391.Since the number of loading zone incidents has not

been reduced, driver training in proper loading and unload-ing procedures may be the answer. This training isaddressed in the Highway Safety Program, Guideline No.17, which states that each state should develop a plan forselecting, training and supervising persons whose primary

duties involve transporting school children. It is rec-ommended that each state adopt appropriate drivertraining instructions that include such procedures.Each state has situations unique to its locale and

conditions, and special rules might be needed toaddress these situations, according to NSC. Train -ing should result in licensing of the bus driver.Every person who drives a school bus or school-chartered bus occupied by school children shouldhave, as a minimum, a valid state driver’s license tooperate such a vehicle. All drivers who operate avehicle designed to carry 16 or more persons(including the driver) are required by FHA com-mercial driver’s license standards, in accordancewith Title 49 CFR Part 383, to have a valid com-mercial driver’s license.

ANNUAL REVIEW OF LOADING& UNLOADING ZONES

Each state plan should include an annual reviewof loading and unloading zones and establishrestricted loading and unloading areas for schoolbuses and school-chartered buses at or near

SCHOOL BUS SAFETY BY GAYLE T. CARSON, CSHS

Transporting Students Safely

Since the numberof loading zone

incidents has not been reduced,

driver training in proper loading

and unloading procedures may be the answer.

Public sector safetyprofessionals

should continue topush for annual

review of loadingand offloadingzones and the

abatement of haz-ards identified dur-ing those reviews.

17Perspectives www.asse.org

schools. Schools must abate hazards identified fromthese annual reviews.Routes for students must also be developed to mini-

mize their movement in and around buses. This alsomust be enforced. According to the Highway SafetyProgram Guideline No. 17, at least once during eachschool semester, each pupil transported from home toschool in a school bus should be instructed in safe ridingpractices, proper loading and unloading techniques,proper street crossing to and from the school bus stopand should participate in timed, supervised emergencyevacuation drills. This should be supplemented by noti-fying parents and guardians about the hazards of unload-ing zones and the proper procedures to take whendropping off or picking up students from school.

CONCLUSIONDespite improvements in school bus design and safety

equipment, accidents continue to happen in loading andunloading zones at or near schools. Although require-ments exist to train bus drivers and students, survey load-ing and unloading zones and inform parents andguardians of hazards, injuries continue to occur.Agencies should conduct a complete analysis of howthese requirements are implemented and the resultsachieved. Public sector organizations often do not con-duct this type of program analysis, so it is unlikely that aschool would undertake the endeavor. Public sector safety professionals should continue to

push for annual review of loading and offloading zonesand the abatement of hazards identified during thosereviews. They should also ensure that information is pro-vided to students, parents and guardians on the hazardsof those zones. This can be done with flyers or by speak-ing at parent-teacher association meetings. �

REFERENCESNational Highway Traffic Safety Association (2009,

Mar.). Highway safety program guideline no. 17.Retrieved May 7, 2009, from http://www.nhtsa.gov.National Safety Council (2008, Apr.). School bus

loading and unloading. Retrieved May 7, 2009, fromhttp://www.nsc.org/news_resources/Resources/Documents/School_Bus_Loading_and_Unloading.pdf.

Gayle T. Carson, CSHS, is a safety technician with the U.S.Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center in Fort Rucker, AL. Shecurrently conducts research, analyses and studies of aviation acci-dent reports and forwards recommendations and findings to high-er headquarters for implementation. Before her current position,Carson served as a safety technician with the U.S. Army at FortLeonard Wood, MO, where she focused on family and childcaresafety. She also served as a fire inspector at that location. Carsonis a certified child passenger safety technician with the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration, a member of ASSE’sWiregrass Chapter and a Public Sector Practice Specialty (PSPS)Advisory Committee Member. She received the PSPS 2009 SafetyProfessional of the Year Award.

NIOSH Seeks to ImproveProtective Clothing forFirefighters & EmergencyResponders

Protective clothing, including apparel such as fire-resistant coats and chemical-resistant suits, serves

as essential gear for firefighters and other emer-gency responders. These garments provide a criticalbarrier against heat and flames, toxic materials andother hazards frequently encountered by firefight-ers. Although the benefits of these ensembles havebeen documented, challenges and opportunities forfurther improvements remain.For example, what can be done to alleviate or

minimize physical stress and heat stress from fire-fighters’ turnout ensembles—which weigh, onaverage, 48.5 lb—without compromising the pro-tection they offer against heat and flame expo-sure? Can scientists devise better benchmarks forassessing the performance of chemical-resistantsuits against a variety of hazardous chemicalsand performance after repeated use?NIOSH is addressing these and other chal-

lenges and opportunities through research at theNIOSH National Personal Protective TechnologyLabora tory in Pittsburgh, PA. The studies reflectpriorities that have been identified by firefight-ers, fire departments, fire safety experts, equip-ment manufacturers and other partners andstakeholders.“In the inherently dangerous occupations of

firefighting and emergency response, protectiveensembles are a critical part of good safety strate-gy,” says NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D.“NIOSH is proud to have a role in the partnershipsthat are moving the design, performance and useof these ensembles into the 21st century.” NIOSH research areas include the following.

COOL IT! A cooling suit is a tight-fitting bodysuit worn

under a firefighter’s turnout gear. Water or air iscirculated throughout the suit to cool the bodyand to prevent heat stress—a serious occupation-al hazard in the hot, hectic physical activity offirefighting. Some types of cooling suits covermost of the body, and others cover certain partsof the body. NIOSH is conducting studies to help stimulate

the next generation of cooling suits by generat-ing data that will answer current uncertaintiesthat impede innovation. For example, in whatconditions might a partial cooling suit provide as

NHTSAStudentTransportationSafety

continued on page 27

P

Choosing the right chaperones is key to successfulplanning, from trips to the circus or a safe overseastrip with school children. Chaperones serve a vital

role in supervision, which varies greatly depending onthe trip’s length, distance and complexity.

CHAPERONE SELECTIONChaperones can be staff, volunteers or a mix. When

possible, choose staff members to escort students, sincethey are used to fulfilling the role ofsupervisor and are familiar with anentity’s policies and procedures. Ifan emergency arises, the childrenwill be more at ease with familiarstaff. If a mix of chaperones is cho-sen, match seasoned individuals withany newcomers.Before the trip begins, ensure that

chaperones have satisfied all of theneeded requirements for volunteers:•Did they complete the volunteer

application? •Were references checked?•Was a background check per-

formed, if needed?Chaperones should know that

they cannot be focused on their ownchild or a select group and must beresponsible to handle the entiregroup. Chaperones should be willingto help the trip leader and to followdirections as needed. They shouldlearn students’ names and constantly

take attendance to ensure that no one is left behind.

CHAPERONE BEHAVIORWhile on the trip, chaperones should be aware that

they are role models and should follow the same rulesthat apply to children (e.g., no smoking or drinking).Chaperones should remember to be polite, wear theirseatbelts, etc. If activities (e.g., bicycle riding, rafting,rock climbing, skiing) are planned during the trip thatrequire protective gear (such as helmets), it should beused by all children and chaperones. The chaperone’sbehavior directly reflects on the organization.Chaperones should be advised about excess downtime

or free time. When delays occur, waiting children maypartake in pranks and horseplay or begin engaging ininappropriate activities. The chaperone’s role is most

18Perspectives www.asse.org

crucial at this time. Chaperones should be prepared toprovide direction and alternative activities. Chaperonesshould also know about the ramifications for those whobreak the rules. Chaperoning is a full-time job and can-not be taken lightly.

COMMUNICATION & PLANNINGWhen traveling, chaperones will need to communi-

cate and make timely decisions. Unexpected issues canarise while traveling, including schedule changes, weath-er problems, power failures or fire alarms.Before overnight trips occur, plan to have a mandato-

ry pretrip meeting for children, parents, guardians andchaperones to discuss the rules and travel itineraries(containing a detailed summary for each day).Chaperones should be instructed about overnight proce-dures, sleeping arrangements, curfews and related topics.Children must be told to report to their assigned

rooms before curfew. Co-ed trips pose unique challengesthat must be addressed. Chaperones should know to bealert for unpredictable events that may occur when trav-eling with children. For example, breaking curfew,changing room assignments, using alcohol and/or drugs,and general horseplay in the hotel should be prohibited. When trips involve both males and females, chaper-

ones of each sex should be available to ensure effectiveand safe supervision. This is essential even on local tripsin case some one needs to enter a bathroom or lockerroom in an emergency or to search for a student.Before the trip, it is essential to discuss “what if” sce-

narios—what if a child is ill, what if a child loses his/herpassport, what if a child goes missing, what if luggage isdelayed, etc.Other issues to discuss include the following:•Communication. Instruct chaperones to preprogram

emergency numbers into their phones before the trip. Ifthe trip is to be overseas, consider obtaining internationalcell phones or temporarily upgrading the cell service.

•Hotel. Information on safe evacuations and a copy ofthe floor plan can be distributed in advance. Identify ameeting point for assembly when the group arrives at thehotel in case an evacuation is needed.

•Overseas. Consider providing a foreign dictionarywith emergency phrases to the chaperones before thetrip. Select chaperones who are profeiceint with the lan-guage spoken at the destination when possible.

•Charter buses. Charter buses should be evacuatedfrom the back to the front, since the chance of fire is

STUDENT SAFETY BY JOANN ROBERTSON, CSP, CPCU, ARM

Chaperones Can Affect Safety on Trips

Chaperones shouldbe prepared to

provide directionand alternative

activities. Chaper -ones should also

know about the ramifications

for those whobreak the rules.Chaperoning is a full-time job and cannot betaken lightly.

19Perspectives www.asse.org

more likely to occur in the rear of the bus, unlike in ayellow school bus where the risk of fire is greater in the front. Overheated brakes, leaks and smoking in the lavatory are some of the reasons fires can occur oncoach buses. To improve supervision and emergency response,

position chaperones throughout the bus during the trip,rather than seating them all toward the front. Supervisorspositioned in the back should be reminded to open andcheck the restrooms in an emergency. Understandinghow to conduct swift and thorough evacuations on char-ter bus trips is an important part of field trip safety andshould be explained to chaperones.

CHECKLISTChaperones should have:•emergency phone numbers;•telephone;•first-aid kit;•itinerary;•exact number and list of attendees;•directions;•phone numbers of other chaperones;•passport/identification as needed;•the plan for handling medically at risk children and

dispensing needed medications;•phrase book for foreign travel.Chaperones have accepted a serious responsibility and

should be commended for their efforts upon the conclu-sion of the trip or event. �Joann Robertson, CSP, CPCU, ARM, is the coordinator of riskmanagement services at Wright Risk Management in Uniondale,NY, where she has been employed since 1991. She is the newslet-ter editor for ASSE’s Long Island Chapter.

This article is courtesy of NYSIR NEWS.

Understanding how to conduct swift and thorough evacuationson charter bus trips is an important part of field trip safety andshould be explained to chaperones.

ASSE UPDATEComparison DocumentExplains Changes to ANSI/ASSEConfined Spaces StandardTo help explain the more than 160 changes to ANSI/ASSE Z117.1-

2009, Safety Requirementsfor Confined Spaces, ASSE hasdeveloped a comparison docu-ment that highlights the changesbetween the current standardand its 2003 and 1995 versions.The revised standard providessafety requirements for entering,exiting and working in confinedspaces at normal atmosphericpressure. A combination package is available for purchase, whichincludes the revised Z117.1-2009 standard and the Z117 ComparisonDocument. �

New ASSE Technical Report AvailablePrevention Through Design: Guidelines for Addressing

Occupational Risks in Design and RedesignProcesses provides guidance on including preven-tion through design concepts and processes as aspecifically identified element in a safety andhealth management system so that decisions per-taining to occupational risks are incorporatedinto the design and redesign processes, includingconsideration of the life cycle of facilities, materi-als and equipment. �

ASSE Comments on OSHA’s Long-Awaited Proposed Rule on GHSOSHA has published its long-awaited proposed rule to harmonize

OSHA’s HazCom Standard with the UN Globally Harmonized Systemof Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). The proposed rule waspublished Sept. 30. Read ASSE’s comment on the proposed rulemaking,the Society’s position statement on control banding and the future ofhazard communications and its March 2004 statement to the SenateHealth, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Subcommittee onEmployment, Safety and Training. �

Help Commemorate ASSE’s 100thAnniversary: Tell Your StoryIn 2011, ASSE will celebrate its 100th year. You can help commemo-rate this milestone anniversary with the Society by telling your story.If you have a story, anecdote or event relating to the safety profes-sion, the Society or workplace safety in general, we encourage you toshare it with ASSE. �

M edical emergencies can happen in any schoolat any time. They can be the result of preex-isting health problems, accidents, violence,unintentional actions, natural disasters and

toxins. Premature deaths in schools from sudden cardiacarrest, blunt trauma to the chest, firearm injuries, asthma,head injuries, drug overdose, allergic reactions and heat-stroke have been reported.School leaders and staff address these emergencies on

a routine but sometimes inconsistent basis. Consistencyin response can be enhanced by developing an emer-gency response plan to address life-threatening medicalemergencies. Staff members should be trained on themedical emergency response plan.American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) found that

18% of all teachers surveyed in elementary and highschools in the Midwest had personally provided someaspect of emergency care to more than 20 students eachacademic year. Seventeen percent reported that they hadresponded to one or more life-threatening student emer-gencies during their teaching career. A survey of schoolnurses in New Mexico revealed that each year 67% ofschools activated the emergency medical services (EMS)system for a student, and 37% of the schools activatedthe EMS system for an adult. In January 2004, AAP published a heavily endorsed

policy statement on this issue. Planning teams should usethis document to build or audit medical emergencyresponse plans and procedures. AAP’s policy statementsummarizes essential information about life-threateningemergencies, including details about sudden cardiacarrest, the components of an emergency response plan,the training of school personnel and students to respondto life-threatening emergencies and the equipmentrequired for the emergency response. Detailed informa-tion about sudden cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonaryresuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillation(AED) programs is also provided.

RECOMMENDED ELEMENTS: SCHOOLMEDICAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

•effective and efficient communication throughout theschool campus, including outdoor facilities and EMSpersonnel;•coordinated and practiced response plan;•risk reduction through safety precautions, identifying

students with medical conditions and training of person-nel to respond to those conditions;•training and equipment for first aid and CPR;•implementation of a lay rescuer AED program;•using AAP’s policy statement (available at ) to audit

a program.

20Perspectives www.asse.org

SCHOOL MEDICAL CARE PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONSWhen developing guidelines and procedures for pro-

viding medical care at a school, consider the followingelements.•Develop procedures for responding to urgent medical

situations involving children, such as burns, cuts, fractures,choking and sudden illness. These procedures should con-form to applicable state medical practice requirements.•Collect health history and emergency medical infor-

mation for each student upon enrollment. Parents shouldbe required to sign a consent form authorizing the schoolto administer first aid and to obtain emergency servicesfor their child. Both the medical history and consentform should be updated at least annually.•Nurses and others providing medical care should

possess current state credentials. In addition, staff thatoversees activities where injuries are more likely tooccur, such as physical education teachers, should betrained in first aid.•Have sufficient medical equipment and supplies to

address expected urgent care situations. Equipment andsupplies should be under the care of the school nurse orother primary healthcare practitioner.•Have procedures in place for handling life-threaten-

ing situations. This should include arrangements for con-sultation with emergency care personnel, transportationand transfer to higher-level care facilities. Parents oremergency contacts should be notified of the emergencyand where the child is taken for treatment. Provisionsshould be made for the caregiver to accompany the childto the emergency care source until the parent or legalguardian assumes responsibility for the child.•All medical incidents should be documented. The

documentation should include information about theincident (e.g., where and when the accident occurred),the names of any witnesses and when the parents or legalguardian were notified (i.e., for incidents requiring pro-fessional medical attention). �Daniel Mahoney, CSP, CIH, is vice president of risk control forGlatfelter Public Practice, a public entity specialist providing riskmanagement services and insurance products to schools, munici-palities, sewer/water authorities and emergency service organiza-tions. For 25 years, Mahoney has provided health, safety andindustrial hygiene services to a wide variety of public and privateclients. His background includes working for major insurance car-riers, a managing general agency and an environmental engineer-ing consulting firm. He has published articles in ProfessionalSafety and has been a guest speaker at local ASSE and AIHAchapter meetings. He is a member of ASSE’s PhiladelphiaChapter and of the Public Sector Practice Specialty. He may becontacted at dmahoney@glatfelters.com.

Reprinted with permission from Risk Observer, Volume CLXI,published by Professional Underwriters, 704 Haywood Dr., Exton,PA 19341.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE BY DANIEL P. MAHONEY, CSP, CIH

Medical Emergencies in Schools

21Perspectives www.asse.org

During Safety 2009 in San Antonio, TX, the PublicSector Practice Specialty (PSPS) sponsored aroundtable discussion on school safety. Amy

Stewart, CSP, facilitated the discussion, while GayleCarson, CSHS, recorded it. Twenty-one people attended.Stewart began the discussion with “thumb ball” to

acquaint participants. She also asked attendees to defineand give examples of school safety and to outline schoolsafety best practices.Some attendees sought more passion in school safety

while others suffered under the “it won’t happen to me”syndrome as well as budget cuts and poor interfaces withemergency responders. Some thought many in educationhad tunnel vision while others thought state legislatorsdid not appropriate enough money for schools. Slips,trips and falls, PPE and faculty/staff safety were alsomajor concerns. School safety includes prekindergarten, kindergarten

through 12th grade, college, school board members, stateassociation(s), insurance representatives, parents, grandpar-ents, families, neighbors, emergency responders, safetypractitioners, teachers, staff, bus drivers, aides, cafeteriastaff, custodial and maintenance workers, contractors,librarians, principals, superintendents, secretaries, safetycommittee members and grantees.

GIVE-GETOSHA’s role with public schools is still misunderstood.

Additional money will be needed if schools are to meetOSHA standards. How children fit into the equation is aconcern since they are not employees. Special educationstudents’ needs must also be identified and met. Participants believed that school bus transportation,

fire and crime are the three basic hazards children face atschool, while workers are safest on school campus.Participants also fear that another Columbine incidentwill occur. Some schools have been on lockdown to pre-vent harm, while others have focused on drills to preparefor such an event. Weapons and drugs in schools are alsoa concern.

BEST PRACTICESBest practices include contracting school bus services

and implementing a bloodborne pathogens program forcleaning staff, cafeteria staff and school nurses. Otherbest practices involve school maintenance, chemical con-trol plans and training.Maintenance is important when addressing facilities,

playgrounds or equipment. School facility inspections

can provide a roadmap for an abatement plan. The jani-tor’s closet should be properly labeled to guard againsthazardous materials, while a safety plan for science labo-ratories can reduce potential hazards. Knowing theequipment and property inventory and disposing ofunwanted or damaged equipment and property regularly,but no less than once a year, can also reduce hazards. Pictures of playgrounds can highlight problems and

can demonstrate how falls from equipment can occur.Sand, wood chips or rubber chips below playgroundequipment can reduce injury, but using FIBAR, a type ofwood carpet, is better. A good maintenance program forthe school and playground reduces hazards and resultinginjuries. Meeting the requirements of the Americans withDisabilities Act can help prevent accidents as well.Chemical safety and storage issues can be addressed

with a storage compatibility plan and by using less haz-ardous chemicals when practical. These steps also preventstaff and student injuries by reducing exposure to chemicals.Mercury spills in buses and classrooms can be a prob-

lem for some schools. However, development and imple-mentation of a spill prevention plan can reduce risk. Thisplan should include the use of digital thermometersinstead of those containing mercury. Sodium metal canbe found within school laboratories, but if the hazard isproperly identified, it can be controlled.A training plan can provide school employees with

the knowledge to prevent injuries. All teachers have pro-fessional development requirements; in some states, itcan be 15 hours per year. Teachers can also receive creditthrough online safety training. With proper training,security officers and janitors can also help look for haz-ards. In addition, training should be provided to mem-bers of the school safety committees and crisis teams.School officials should meet and develop a relation-

ship with their local first responders. First respondersshould receive a tour of the school as well as informationabout hazardous materials and chemicals on site.

LESSONS LEARNEDSince rules can vary from state to state, it can be difficult

to use best practices from another area. Participants felt thatnot enough money is available to fix problems at everyschool. State legislators can appropriate additional money toaddress safety hazards at schools. Other solutions includeusing a more creative approach to controlling and respond-ing to hazards or pursuing grants for eligible schools. PSPS plans to sponsor another roundtable at Safety

2010 in Baltimore, MD. �

SCHOOL SAFETY

Roundtable on School Safety: Recap

Workers in various industries and occupations areinvolved in the care and maintenance of trees,such as tree trimming, pruning and removal.

This work is recognized as having many safety hazards(DOL, 2008). Although previous analyses have involvedsubgroups of workers who perform this type of work

(Poulin Buckley, Sestito, Hunting,2008), no analysis has focused onidentifying injured workers from allindustries and occupations that per-form tree care operations. This reportsummarizes the characteristics offatal occupational injuries, using datafrom the Census of Fatal Occupa -tional Injuries (CFOI) and a caseseries of fatality investigations con-ducted by NIOSH’s Fatality Assess -ment and Control Evaluation (FACE)program.During 1992-2007, a total of

1,285 workers died while performingtree care and maintenance; 44%were trimming or pruning a treewhen fatally injured. The most com-mon causes of death were being

struck by or against an object (42% of deaths), mostcommonly a tree or branch, falls to a lower level (34%)and electrocutions (14%). Most decedents (57%) workedfor small establishments with 10 or fewer employees.Employers, trade and worker associations and policy-makers should take additional steps to improve the safetyof workers involved in tree care, such as providing for-mal training and ensuring that PPE (e.g., fall protectionequipment) is used properly.The analysis consisted of two parts. For the first part,

NIOSH reviewed data for 1992-2007 (the most recentdata available) from CFOI, a national surveillance sys-tem for work-related deaths attributed to traumatic injurymaintained by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. CFOIderives fatality data from multiple sources (e.g., deathcertificates, medical examiner/coroner reports, workers’compensation reports and police reports) (BLS, 2007).Potential cases of tree care-related deaths were identi-

fied using specific data elements: industry, occupation,injury source and narratives describing the injury event.

22Perspectives www.asse.org

Cases were selected for initial review if 1) the decedentwas coded as working in the tree services and ornamen-tal shrubs industry (for 1992 to 2002, Standard IndustrialClassification Manual, 1987 Edition, code 0783); 2) thedecedent was coded as working in the landscaping serv-ices industry (for 2003 to 2007, North American IndustryClassification System, 2002 Edition, code 56173); 3) theinjury source was wood chippers [Occupational Injuryand Illness Classification System (OIICS) source code3231 and secondary source code 3231] or a tree (OIICSsource code 587); or 4) the case narrative contained thekeyword “tree” with the trunks of the following key-words: “fell,” “trim,” “prune,” “landscape,” “removal,”“excavation” or “care.” The initial review excluded casesin which the decedent was coded as working in the log-ging industry or coded as a logger.A case was defined as a fatal event that was a direct

result of a tree care operation, as determined by theinjury narrative. After the initial selection of potentialcases, a manual case-by-case review of injury narrativeconfirmed relevance. Events among workers conductingthe following activities were included: tree topping, treetrimming/pruning, tree felling, tree removing and treeclearing. Because of changes in classification methods in2002, industry and occupation are reported only for 2003to 2007. For the second part of the analysis, NIOSH reviewed

all fatality investigation reports concerning tree careoperations from the NIOSH FACE program for 1985 to2007. Through on-site investigations, NIOSH and coop-erating states collect detailed information on the circum-stances for select incident types (including falls andelectrocutions) for purposes of making recommendationsfor preventing future similar deaths (CDC, 2003). FACEinvestigations collect information on employer safetyprograms, worker training and use of PPE, informationthat is not available from national surveillance systems,such as CFOI.

FATALITY SURVEILLANCEDuring 1992 to 2007, a total of 1,285 worker deaths

associated with tree care in the U.S. were reported toCFOI, an average of 80 deaths per year. The decedentswere nearly all males (99%), Table 1. Most decedents(70%) were non-Hispanic whites, but the proportion of

OCCUPATIONAL FATALITIES

Work-Related Fatalities in TreeCare Operations in the U.S.:1992-2007

A total of 45 fatali-ty investigationscompleted during1985 to 2007 werefound to be relatedto tree care opera-tions, including 14

fall deaths, 13 elec-trocutions and 9struck-by deaths.

23Perspectives www.asse.org

deaths involving Hispanic workers increased over time,from 12% in 1992 to 29% in 2007, Figure 1. Substantialproportions of the decedents worked for pay or compen-sation (59%) or were self-employed (38%), and 57%worked in establishments with 10 or fewer employees,Table 1. Nearly half of the fatalities occurred at a private resi-

dence (44%). The most common events leading to deathwere being struck by or against an object (such as a treeor branch) (42% of deaths), falls to a lower level (34%)and contact with electric current (14%), Table 2. (Toview Tables 1 and 2, and Figure 1, click here.)Regarding job tasks, 44% of decedents were either trim-ming or pruning a tree when they were injured, and 23%were involved in tree felling.During 2003 to 2007, most of the decedents (74%)

worked for the landscaping industry, which includesarborist and tree-trimming services. Less commonly,decedents worked in construction (8% of deaths), cropproduction (7%) and utilities (1%). Regarding occupa-tion, 50% of decedents were tree trimmers or pruners,15% were landscapers or groundskeepers, 10% werefirst-line supervisors or managers in landscaping andgrounds keeping, 7% were agricultural managers, 6%were in construction occupations and the remainder wasin various other occupations.

FATALITY INVESTIGATIONSA total of 45 fatality investigations completed during

1985 to 2007 were found to be related to tree care opera-tions, including 14 fall deaths, 13 electrocutions and 9struck-by deaths. Among the 14 fall deaths, 4 involvedfalls from a height of 35 to 50 ft when an aerial lift buck-et broke, 4 resulted from being tied to a branch, limb ortree trunk that broke off from a height of 30 to 60 ft, 5occurred when the climbing rope broke or was cut by achainsaw or the climbing safety mechanism failed and 1occurred because of tripping and falling from a height of12 ft while exiting an aerial lift bucket.Among the 13 electrocutions, 5 deaths resulted from

bodily contact with a power line, 5 resulted from equip-ment (e.g., chainsaw or aerial lift bucket) that providedan electrical pathway; 2 involved a branch falling ontothe power line and then making contact with the worker;and in one case, a power line downed in a hurricane waswrongly assumed to be deenergized. The 9 struck-bydeaths involved a tree branch or tree trunk, 2 involved anentire tree ranging from 30 to 70 ft high and 2 involvedbeing struck by a vehicle while performing a tree careoperation.In 8 of the 45 incidents, the decedent was working

alone. In most of the other incidents (60%), the decedentwas working as part of a crew but outside visual contactwith his or her coworkers. In 70% of the incidents, safetytraining consisted of only informal or on-the-job train-ing, and in 75% of the incidents, the employer did nothave written safety policies and procedures in place.

EDITORIAL NOTEIn 2006, the Tree Care Industry Association petitioned

OSHA to consider a safety standard specific to tree careoperations because of the hazardous and unique natureof these activities. In response, OSHA began collectingdata to inform next steps (DOL, 2008). NIOSH providedinformation based on the 45 fatality investigation reportsfrom FACE and then conducted the analysis of surveil-lance data presented in this report (CDC, 2008). This report is the first to compre-

hensively examine injury fatalitiesspecifically associated with tree careoperations and their circumstances.Results confirm that although mosttree care fatalities occur in the land-scaping industry, at least one quarteroccur in other industries, such asfarming, construction and utilities.A substantial proportion of fatali-

ties involved workers who were self-employ ed or who worked forestablishments with fewer than 10employees. Small businesses typicallydo not have the resources to employoccupational safety professionals andmight lack the knowledge, skills andresources to identify safety hazardsand to develop safe work practices.NIOSH has a guide to help small

businesses connect with governmen-tal and other resources (e.g., tradeassociations, worker associations,safety organizations) that can pro-vide expertise and guidance on safework practices (CDC, 2003). OSHAalso has a guide for small businessesto help them comply with OSHAregulations (OSHA, 2005). Tradeassociations also are a usefulresource for employers who conducttree care, given the specializednature of this work. The findings in this report are sub-

ject to at least three limitations. First,the number of deaths reported to be associated with treecare probably is undercounted because of a reliance oninconsistent narrative information. Additional deaths asso-ciated with tree care might have occurred but were notidentified through the CFOI analysis because of limitedand vague descriptions of the event (such as “struck onhead by falling tree limb,” which did not necessarily occuras a result of a tree care operation).Second, rates of occupational injury death, which

would support comparisons of risk with other types ofwork, could not be calculated because the numbers ofworkers who provide tree care is unknown and cannot be derived from national labor statistics, which are coded

TCIATree CareOperations

A substantial pro-portion of fatalitiesinvolved workerswho were self-employ ed or whoworked for estab-lishments withfewer than 10employees. Smallbusinesses typicallydo not have theresources to employoccupational safetyprofessionals andmight lack theknowledge, skillsand resources toidentify safety haz-ards and to developsafe work practices.

W

by industry and occupa-tion rather than by specifictypes of work.Finally, the information

from fatality investigationson circumstances contribut-ing to occupational injurydeaths is from a small con-venience sample, andalthough it provides illus-trative information that isnot available elsewhere, itis not meant to representthe universe of tree careoccupational injury deaths.NIOSH and others pre-

viously have made recom-mendations for preventingdeaths and injuries associ-ated with tree care andlandscaping (CDC, 1992;2008a, b; New York StateDepartment of Health,2006). Results from theanalysis described in thisreport generally affirmthose recommendations.

Employers, regardless of establishment size, should seekinformation on worker safety before initiating tree careoperations and should develop, implement and enforce acomprehensive safety program that includes formaltraining in tree safety, fall protection, electrical hazards,machine safety, safety along roadways, first aid and car-diopulmonary resuscitation. Worksite surveys should beconducted before each new job and daily, by a knowl-edgeable person, to identify workplace hazards and con-trol strategies.NIOSH recommendations for safety during tree work

include 1) wearing appropriate PPE; 2) always working in teams in visual contact with each other; 3) checking the condition of tree branches before cutting them, climb-ing on them or tying off safety equipment; 4) inspect ing equipment before each shift and removing damaged equipment from service until repaired; 5) maintaining minimum distances from power lines as specified byOSHA (29 CFR part 1926.416); and 6) prohibiting the use of conductive tools and equipment near power lines(CDC, 1992; 2008a, b). �Reported by D.N. Castillo, MPH, division of safety research,NIOSH, and C.K. Chaumont Menéndez, Ph.D., EIS officer, CDC.This report is based in part on contributions by the Bureau ofLabor Statistics, DOL and D.F. Utterback, Ph.D., NIOSH.

REFERENCESBureau of Labor Statistics. (2007). Bureau of Labor

Statistics handbook of methods. Washington, DC: U.S.Department of Labor. Retrieved from http://www.bls .gov/opub/hom/homch9_a1.htm.

CDC. (1992). NIOSH alert: Request for assistance inpreventing falls and electrocutions during tree trimming.Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices, CDC, NIOSH. Retrieved from http://www.cdc .gov/niosh/92-106.html.CDC. (2003). Fatality assessment and control evalua-

tion program: FACE program. Cincinnati, OH: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, CDC,NIOSH. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ docs/2003-146. CDC. (2003). Safety and health resource guide for

small businesses. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services, CDC, NIOSH. Retrievedfrom http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2003-100/2003-100b.html.CDC. (2008a). Comments of NIOSH in response to

the OSHA advance notice of proposed rulemaking fortree care operators. Docket no. OSHA 2008-012.Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices, CDC, NIOSH.CDC. (2008b). NIOSH fact sheet: Fatal injuries

among landscape services workers. Cincinnati, OH: U.S.Department of Health and Human Services, CDC,NIOSH. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/ 2008-144.DOL. (2008). Advanced notice of proposed rulemak-

ing (ANPR) for tree care operations. Federal Register,73:54118-23.New York State Department of Health. (2006).

Fatality assessment and control evaluation (FACE): Treework fatal injury facts. Troy, NY: New York StateDepartment of Health, Bureau of Occupational Health,New York FACE Program. Retrieved from http://www .health.state.ny.us/environmental/investigations/ face/ facts/logging.htm.OSHA. (2005). Small business handbook.

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Labor. Retrievedfrom http://www.osha.gov/Publications/small business/ small-business.pdfPoulin Buckley, J., Sestito, J.P. & Hunting, K.L.

(2008). Fatalities in the landscape and horticultural serv-ices industry, 1992-2001. American Journal of IndustrialMedicine, 51:701-13.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identificationonly and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department ofHealth and Human Services. References to non-CDC sites on theInternet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do notconstitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or theirprograms by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages foundat these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as ofthe date of publication.

Adapted from MMWR Weekly, April 24, 2009/58 (15), 389-393.http://www.cdc.gov/ mmwr/ preview/ mmwrhtml/mm5815a2.htm.

24Perspectives www.asse.org

In 8 of the 45 inci-dents, the dece-

dent was workingalone. In most of

the other incidents(60%), the dece-

dent was workingas part of a crewbut outside visualcontact with his or

her coworkers.

25Perspectives www.asse.org

An influenza pandemic like the 1918-19 pan-demic might cause a decrease of 4.25% in theU.S. gross domestic product. In September2008, the World Bank reported that a severepandemic could cause a 4.80% decrease in

world economic activity, which would cost the globaleconomy more than $3 trillion. World Health Organi -zation (WHO) has developed six phases of pandemicalert, each divided into three periods, as a system ofinforming the world of the seriousness of the pandemicthreat. WHO exercised this alert system in response tothe swine flu.The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

combined the results of 11 reports and two testimoniesissued over the past 3 years on influenza pandemic planning using six key thematic areas. GAO has made23 recommendations in its reports based on the findingsand testimonies. Thirteen of these recommendationshave been implemented by the responsible federal agen-cies while 10 remain outstanding.GAO believes that continued leadership focus on pan-

demic preparedness is vital, as the threat has not dimin-ished. Influenza pandemic poses a serious threat to globalpublic health at a time when WHO has said that infectiousdiseases are spreading faster than at any time in history.Due to the rapid means of travel, a future pandemic couldspread in a matter of days or weeks. This article summa-rizes the 58-page February 2009 GAO report.

FIRST THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: LEADERSHIP, AUTHORITY & COORDINATION

According to GAO’s report, “Leadership roles andresponsibilities need to be clarified and tested, and coordi-nation mechanisms could be better utilized.” Federal lead-ership roles have shared responsibilities between theDepartment of Health and Human Services (DHHS) andthe Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and it isunclear how these roles will work in practice. Nationalpandemic strategy and plan guidelines suggest that theDHHS secretary will lead the federal medical response toa pandemic, and the DHS secretary will lead the federalcoordination and overall domestic incident management.In December 2006, the DHS secretary established five

pandemic regions each with a regional principal federalofficial (PFO) and federal coordinating officers (FCO) for

influenza pandemic. PFOs facilitate federal domestic inci-dent planning and coordination. FCOs coordinate federalresources support in a presidentially declared major emer-gency. Despite this effort, GAO found that the relationshipof these roles to each other and to other leadership rolesremains unclear. In a July 2007 report, state and local firstresponders were uncertain about the need for PFOs andFCOs and how they would work in a major emergency.If an avian influenza outbreak

occurs in the poultry population, boththe U.S. Department of Agriculture(USDA) and DHS may be involved inhandling the situation depending onthe level of the outbreak. The DHSsecretary is responsible for coordinat-ing the federal response to outbreaksserious enough for a presidential-declared emergency. USDA is respon-sible for preventing, controlling anderadicating foreign animal diseases inpoultry and domestic livestock incoordination with other entities, suchas state governments.According to a June 2007 USDA

report on avian influenza planning, alack of coordination exists betweenDHS and USDA. GAO has recom-mended that the DHS and USDA sec-retaries clarify their respective roles and how theirdepartments will work together and also test the effective-ness of coordination during exercises. A lack of informa-tion exists regarding federal and state governments’responsibilities in situations, such as state border closingsand influenza vaccine distribution. Mechanisms are avail-able for collaboration between federal and state govern-ments and the private sector, but they must be better used.

SECOND THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: DETECTING THREATS & MANAGING RISKS

According to GAO’s report, “Efforts are underway toimprove the surveillance and detection of pandemic-relatedthreats, but targeting assistance to countries at the greatestrisk has been based on incomplete information.” Domesticand international disease surveillance systems needimprovement. Inter national capability for influenza surveil-

PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS BY BETTY LEE, PH.D.

GAO Report on InfluenzaPandemic Planning: An Executive Summary

In a severe influen-za pandemic, DHHSprojects thatalmost 10 millionpeople wouldrequire hospitaliza-tion, which wouldsurpass the currentcapacity of U.S.hospitals and leadto rationing.

lance has many weaknesses, especially in developingcountries. In the U.S., USDA is making efforts to help thenation prepare for disease outbreaks of highly pathogenicinfluenza. USDA’s Animal and Plant Health InspectionService (APHIS) is working with the Department of theInterior and state wildlife agencies to increase surveillancein the continental U.S. in addition to conducting surveil-lance of auctions, flea markets and public exhibitions.USDA has designed a secure website with guidance forresponse to highly pathogenic influenza.The U.S. identified some priority countries for assis-

tance. As of April 2008, the U.S. had committed $629 mil-lion, approximately 31% of the $2.05 billion committed byall donors, for avian and pandemic influenza efforts. In

the 2008 report, the UNSystem InfluenzaCoordinator (UNSIC) andthe World Bank stated that68% of countries had con-ducted a risk assessment.In 2007, GAO reportedthat adopting a risk man-agement approach canhelp manage uncertaintiesin an influenza pandemicand identify the mostappropriate course ofaction. More recent dataon U.S. funding patternshave concentrated on cer-

tain countries, with Indonesia the largest recipient, fol-lowed by Vietnam and Cambodia.

THIRD THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: PLANNING, TRAINING & EXERCISING

According to GAO’s report, “Pandemic planning andexercising have occurred, but planning gaps remain.”DHHS found many major gaps in states’ pandemicplans. According to a UNSIC global survey, 141 coun-tries have pandemic preparedness plans. However, thequality and comprehensiveness of these plans vary sig-nificantly between countries. Specifically, 25% ofrespondents (37 of 145 countries) reported that testingtook place at both the national and local levels.In August 2007, GAO reported that the national pan-

demic strategy and implementation plan does not fullyaddress the six characteristics of an effective nationalstrategy. It does not address one characteristic at all.There is no discussion of what it will cost, whereresources will be targeted to achieve maximum benefitsand how it will balance benefits, risks and costs.A June 2008 GAO report indicated that all 50 states

and three localities at the state and local levels receivingfederal pandemic funds have developed influenza pan-demic plans and have conducted pandemic exercises inaccordance with federal funding guidance. A DHHS-ledinteragency assessment of states’ plans found on average

26Perspectives www.asse.org

that states had substantial major gaps in their influenzapandemic plans in 16 of 22 priority areas (e.g., schoolclosure policies and community containment).

FOURTH THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: CAPACITY TO RESPOND & RECOVER

According to GAO’s report, “Further actions areneeded to address the capacity to respond to and recoverfrom an influenza pandemic.” GAO found that health-care systems need the ability to adequately care for alarge number of patients. Some potential problems thatstate officials have identified include the reluctance tosend personnel into an infected area, the understandingthat personnel would be reluctant to volunteer and con-cerns that resources would not be available.In a severe influenza pandemic, DHHS projects that

almost 10 million people would require hospitalization,which would surpass the current capacity of U.S. hospitalsand lead to rationing. In addition, nearly 1.5 million of thepatients would require intensive care, and about 740,000people would require mechanical ventilation. AlthoughDHHS plans to improve the surge capacity of healthcareproviders, these efforts will be challenged during a severepandemic because of the widespread nature of the disease,the current shortage of healthcare providers and the poten-tial high absentee rate of medical personnel.GAO recommends that DHHS serve as a resource

for sharing among the states altered standards of careguidelines developed by individual states or medicalexperts. GAO also finds that state and local officialswant federal influenza pandemic guidance on facilitatinga medical surge.In 2006, Congress appropriated $5.62 billion in sup-

plemental funding to DHHS. Approximately 77% wasallocated for developing vaccines and antivirals for apandemic and for purchasing medical supplies. A portionof the funding ($170 million) for state and local pre-paredness was allocated for state antiviral purchases fortheir state stockpiles.DHHS wants to ensure the availability of antiviral

treatment courses for at least 25% of the U.S. populationor at least 81 million treatment courses. DHHS andstates have stockpiled a total of 72 million treatmentcourses. GAO finds that the availability of vaccines andmedications in a pandemic could be inadequate to meetdemand due to limited production, distribution andadministration capacity. DHHS recently awarded $120 million to vaccine

manufacturers to retrofit their existing U.S. manufactur-ing facilities for egg-based vaccines while also planningto build domestic cell-based vaccine production facilitiesby awarding approximately $500 million in contracts. GAO recommends that the DHHS secretary finalize

guidance to help state and local jurisdictions determinehow to effectively use limited supplies of antivirals andprepandemic vaccine. In February 2009, DHHS officialsdrafted guidance on prepandemic influenza vaccination.

USDAH1N1 FluInformation

The threat of apandemic remains,

and therefore, it is important to

maintain momen-tum in preparingthe nation for a

possible influenzapandemic.

W

27Perspectives www.asse.org

FIFTH THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: INFORMATION SHARING & COMMUNICATION

According to GAO’s report, “Federal agencies haveprovided considerable guidance and pandemic-relatedinformation but could augment their efforts.” The U.S.population should receive an accurate portrayal of risk,without overstating the threat or providing false assur-ances of security. Timely, accurate and coordinated mes-sages are essential. DHHS, DHS and other federalagencies have provided a variety of influenza pandemicinformation and guidance for states and local communi-ties through websites and conferences.Although the federal government has issued some guid-

ance, it may not have addressed the particular concerns orcircumstances of state and local officials. In addition, pri-vate sector officials would like clarification about therespective roles and responsibilities of federal and stategovernments during a pandemic as well as state borderclosures and influenza pandemic vaccine distribution.

SIXTH THEMATIC PLANNING AREA: PERFORMANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY

According to GAO’s report, “Performance monitoringand accountability for pandemic preparedness needsstrengthening.” Most of the national pandemic strategyand implementation plan’s performance measures consistof actions to be completed (e.g., disseminating guidance.However, measures are not always linked with intendedresults). This lack of clear linkage makes it difficult todetermine whether progress has been made towardachieving national goals and objectives.Moreover, 18 action items have no measure of per-

formance associated with them. It does not establish pri-orities among its 324 action items. This is complicatedby the lack of a description of the financial resourcesneeded for implementing the action items. HHS hasinstituted many accountability requirements in providingfunding to states and certain localities to help them toprepare for a pandemic.

CONCLUSIONGAO concludes that continued leadership focus on

pandemic preparedness is especially important now, asthe attention to influenza pandemic may be waning asattention shifts to other more immediate national priori-ties. The threat of a pandemic remains, and therefore, itis important to maintain momentum in preparing thenation for a possible influenza pandemic. �

Betty Lee, Ph.D., is a microbiologist in the Chemical andBiological Controls Division, Bureau of Industry and Security,U.S. Department of Commerce in Washington, DC. She receivedher Ph.D. (Pharmacology) from Dartmouth Medical School, M.S.(Biochemistry) from LSU Medical Center, M.S. (Clinical Chem -istry) from the University of Windsor and B.S. (Pharmacy) fromthe University of Santo Tomas. She is an assistant editor of theAssociation of Women in Science magazine.

much relief from heat as a full-body suit, whilegiving a firefighter greater freedom of move-ment and more comfort? Is the added weight ofthe cooling system offset by its benefits?

NO BURNS! Firefighters’ protective ensembles are designed

to protect against burns, but in some cases, fire-fighters still suffer burns even though the gear isnot visibly damaged. This may be the result ofthermal energy, which can build up in multiple lay-ers of protective clothing. The thermal energy maybe transferred to the firefighter’s skin as heat,causing a burn, when the layers are compressed,which may result from simple actions, such as lean-ing against a wall or kneeling. NIOSH is focusing research to develop test

methods for determining which materials aremore likely to store thermal energy and where aburn is likely to occur on the body from compres-sions of clothing. Study results will help manufac-turers and users improve precautions for currentproducts while advancing materials and designsfor future products.

KEEP OUT! Emergency responders depend on hazmat suits

as a barrier against harmful chemicals in a varietyof situations, from cleaning up industrial chemicalspills to investigating potential terrorist attacks.Currently, these suits are designed to prevent ordelay a breakthrough of any and all chemicals. Asa result, hazmat suits are uniformly thick, heavyand cumbersome—perhaps needlessly so in somecases where a lighter material or fewer layers ofmaterial might provide equally effective protec-tion. Also, because any breakthrough, even water,requires that the responder be removed from thescene to change into another suit, an emergencyoperation may be delayed or disrupted even if theresponder is not at any risk from the break-through, either immediately or long-term. How -ever, manufacturers and users lack data needed todrive new technical standards that could allow formore versatility in materials, designs and deploy-ment, while still offering needed protection. NIOSH is working with partners to meet this

need, with studies in a key area of uncertainty thatmust be addressed before progress can be made.How long will different types and thicknesses ofmaterials resist different chemicals before thechemicals break through the materials? �

NIOSH Seeks to Improve Protective Clothingcontinued from page 17

Chemists Association) has provided beneficial initiativessuch as Responsible Care, CHEMTREC and TRAN-SCARE. Since the passage of PSM, RMP and ACC’sinitiatives, the chemical industry has gained much insightin the crisis management field. These regulations and ini-tiatives have led the industry to examine its processes ingreat detail. These data have influenced the creation ofelaborate plans for the industry. The principles in thoseplans can be applied to any industry, business or even to schools.Crisis management involves eight basic steps: 1) haz-

ard identification; 2) risk assessment; 3) corrective orpreventive measures; 4) response; 5) mitigation; 6) inves-tigation; 7) aftermath; and 8) rebuild.This article helps businesses determine the detail need-

ed for a crisis management plan. The assessment phase isenhanced through the use of a list of nonobvious crises,such as kidnapping, sabotage of product, civil protest,work stoppages, evacuation of expatriate employees anddependents, product recall, information crisis and others.The process can be used for single-site businesses, multi-ple-site domestic companies and international corpora-tions. The degree of complexity increases with thecompany’s size. A single-site company would need oneplan whereas a large company with many sites would needa plan for each site and a corporate plan that interfaceswith the individual plans. An organizational workbookprovides a roadmap to follow during an emergency.

ASSESSMENTA crisis management plan starts with a thorough

assessment of the company and of the surrounding sitesthat could affect it. This step can become very involveddepending on the nature of the business and the nature ofneighboring businesses. Hazards associated with a busi-ness are usually fairly easy to identify. Think about abusiness and what situations can cause a crisis. Thenconsider the businesses that have hazardous materialswhich are in a 10-mile radius of a plant. These business-es can be identified from the Tier II reports availablefrom a county EMA director. Situations to be consideredinclude:1) Fire—potential from internal and external sources.2) Flood—sources of water that could affect a busi-

ness (internal and external sources).3) Severe weather—snow, rain, hail, wind, lightning,

tornado, hurricane or tsunami.4) Explosion—internal and external sources.5) Hazardous vapor release—internal and external

sources.6) Power failure—partial outage and complete failure.7) Water outage—internal and external sources.8) Waste water treatment outage—company or

municipal facility.9) Raw material supply disruption.10) Transportation disruption.11) Product recall.

or minimize unexpected releases of toxic, reactive orflammable liquids and gases in processes involving high-ly hazardous chemicals.This landmark legislation targeted facilities that use

certain chemicals in excess of listed threshold quantities.It put into place 14 requirements that need to beaddressed for each of the covered processes on each site.

A graduated timetable was alsodeveloped, which required a 25%completion rate for each of the 4years from May 26, 1994 throughMay 26, 1997.On June 21, 1996, EPA promulgat-

ed the risk management program(RMP) rule, which requires compa-nies of all sizes that use certain flam-mable and toxic substances to developan RMP. An RMP includes hazardassessments that detail the potentialeffects of an accidental release, anaccident history of the last 5 years andan evaluation of worst-case and alter-native accidental releases. A preven-tion program must be developed that

includes safety precautions and maintenance, monitoringand employee training. An emergency response programmust also be developed that spells out emergency health-care, employee training and procedures for informing thepublic and response agencies should an incident occur.The American Chemistry Council (ACC) (formerly

Chemical Manufacturing Association and Manufacturing

The Crisis Management Plan Workbookcontinued from page 1

FROM THE COVER

Figure 1Possible Structure

for Team Organization

SiteManager’s Team

ResponseTeam

InvestigationTeam

AftermathTeam

RebuildSteeringTeam

RebuildWorkingTeam

When a crisisoccurs, it affects

not only the com-pany, but also theentire surroundingcommunity by dis-rupting the livesand livelihood ofthe entire area.

Possible structure for organizing a crisis response team.

28Perspectives www.asse.org

29Perspectives www.asse.org

12) Terrorism/sabotage—toward company people,property or products.13) Kidnapping—foreign countries.14) Civil protest/employee strikes/work stoppages.15) Hot-air balloon landings—most unusual occurrence.16) Pandemic.17) Computer system outage.

TYPES OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANSCrisis management plans generally fall into one of

three categories. A small, single-site company will bene-fit from the standard crisis management template. Thisplan must interface with local responders, but a corporatecrisis management plan is not needed. A company thathas multiple sites in the U.S. will need a local plan foreach site, and they must complement a corporate plan.They must use the same terminology and interface seam-lessly with each other. An international company willneed plans that take into account any unique cultural orregulatory requirements that exist in the foreign country.The third type is an organizational workbook plan

that addresses the details or nuts and bolts of an emer-gency. The first two types of plans will identify whatneeds to be addressed, and the organizational workbooklists the groups involved in an emergency/crisis, theresponsibilities of each group, its membership and whoactually performs the work. This is developed in a flow-chart format that is easily understood and used when anemergency occurs.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANORGANIZATIONAL WORKBOOK TEMPLATE

A workable team organizational structure that com-plements the company’s business structure is needed.This organization would have a management team led bythe site manager. During a crisis, various elements mustbe provided. They differ in complexity based on the sizeof the emergency, but they are always present and theymust be addressed in a predictable manner that everyoneunderstands and supports. Figure 1 depicts a possibleteam structure.

SITE MANAGER’S TEAMThis team has the following responsibilities: •Manage and coordinate crisis teams’ efforts.•Fill roles of incident manager and information officer.•Make plant-wide response decisions to con-

trol/terminate incident based on information supplied byresponse team.•Review all information prior to release to the public

or outside agencies.•Member lead rebuild and aftermath teams.•Commission support for crisis teams from other spe-

cialists as needed.•Communicate need/recommendation for potential

implementation of corporate crisis communication planand critique each event.

Site Manager’s ResponsibilitiesThe site manager or designate will decide whether to

activate the formal crisis management plan. In addition,s/he determines what immediate actions are required;assesses the event’s magnitude; assesses the event todetermine probability of initiation by terrorism, sabotageor other form of intentional harm; and notifies andupdates corporate management.

Site Manager’s Team Membership•site manager;•communications and public affairs representative;•legal representative;•management representative from on-call schedule;•safety representative;•engineering services representative;•human resources representative;•special projects representative;•utilities representative;•security representative if terror-

ism or sabotage is suspected.

RESPONSE TEAM’S RESPONSIBILITIESThe response team makes tactical

decisions to mitigate the event,including protection of life, propertyand the environment. In addition,this team communicates with sitemanager’s team; initiates the investi-gation team; notifies public affairson-call person; secures the scene andpreserves evidence; provides a safelocation for witnesses; and termi-nates the emergency.

Response Team Membership •incident commander—fire cap-

tain on duty;•safety officer;•scene commander (firefighter)—

as needed;•planning sector officer;•building representative—building supervisor or

department head from affected area;•agency representative—designated by incident com-

mander;•security sector (firefighter)—designated by incident

commander;•staging sector (firefighter)—designated by incident

commander;•medical sector (firefighter)—designated by incident

commander;•fire equipment specialist—as needed.

INVESTIGATION TEAM’S RESPONSIBILITIESThe investigation team determines root cause(s) of

incident. This team also ensures that proper investigationtechnique is used based on severity of incident; gathers

BUSINESS LINKCrisisManagement Planning

A single-site com-pany would needone plan whereas a large companywith many siteswould need a planfor each site and a corporate plan that interfaces with the individualplans. An organiza-tional workbookprovides a roadmapto follow during anemergency.

W

evidence from the event; assists legal in preparation ofofficial report; and presents report of findings to appro-priate members of the site manager’s team.

Investigation Team Membership •principal investigator—from call list;•process experts from affected area—assigned by

division management;•plant protection—technical staff, on-call person;•plant protection—safety, on-call person;•Technical specialists (as needed).

AFTERMATH TEAM’SRESPONSIBILITIES

The aftermath team resolves allliability issues resulting from emer-gency. Its responsibilities alsoencompass attorney/client determi-nation; lawsuits; stakeholder issues;shareholder issues; regulatory issues;insurance claims; accounting issues;coordinates site visits by outsideagencies. In addition, this teammaintains recording process to keeptrack of outside agency representa-

tives onsite and provide appropriate escorts (technicaland/or legal); controls records following investigativeteam’s work; provides timely updates to the communityafter initial incident is over (review through site manag-er’s team); and coordinates with the rebuild team toavoid creation of spill during cleanup.

Aftermath Team Membership•site manager;•affected division superintendent(s);•nonaffected division superintendent assigned as needed;•plant protection;•community relations;•human relations business accounts;•operations support services division;•legal.

REBUILD STEERING TEAM’S RESPONSIBILITIESThe rebuild steering team identifies and implements

corrective actions to return facility to normal production.In this role, the team performs damage assessment todetermine what has/can be isolated and what can berestarted (and the sequence involved). The team also over-sees facilities cleanup; coordinates engineering, procure-ment and construction of replacement plant; determineswhat is truly broken and needs immediate/long-term atten-tion; obtains new/revised permits; commissions rebuildworking team; implements a process to share learning; andaddresses product supply/interruption issues (productsidentified, shortages identified, supply chain notified).

Rebuild Steering Team Membership •site manager;

•operations support services representative;•affected division management representative;•plant protection technical staff representative;•maintenance and services division representative;•environmental affairs representative;•contract services representative;•reliability representative;•utilities representative. The workbook structure has served as a good organi-

zational tool. As with all tools, there is room forimprovement and customization for each company. Eachsection of the workbook may need to be expanded with asection that addresses an element in greater detail. Thiscould be a detailed description of a mutual aid agree-ment or a memo of understanding between a companyand area responders or suppliers or neighboring busi-nesses. When a crisis occurs, it affects not only the com-pany, but also the entire surrounding community bydisrupting the lives and livelihood of the entire area. Thisstructure was developed from a chemical company pointof view, so it may have some elements not needed foranother type of industry.

CONCLUSIONA crisis management plan organizational workbook

can be adapted to a wide variety of industrial/businesssettings. The plan can be used as a companion to themore detailed corporate or local crisis management plansthat may be part of the business environment.The example plan was used as a template in a chemi-

cal company setting, and it should be considered as anear worst-case environment. The nature of the chemicalindustry has fostered an environment where additionallevels of safety are a way of life.The workbook also follows the required principles for

national incident management system (NIMS) compli-ance protocols, which ensures a compatible structure forinterface with other groups during the crisis. NIMS pro-vides an environment for organizations to work effective-ly and efficiently to prepare for, prevent, respond to andrecover from domestic incidents, regardless of cause,size or complexity. This article shares a technique thathas been used effectively in a chemical company settingand can be applied to other business settings. �

Larry G. Holloway, CSP, MEP, is president and founder of LGHSafety Services LLC, a consulting company specializing in the useof exercise design development to assess thoroughness of cri-sis/emergency management plans in industries and school systems.Holloway has more than 30 years’ experience in the areas of crisismanagement plan development and implementation, emergencyexercise design, incident investigation, risk management plandevelopment, shelter-in-place strategy, dispersion and conse-quence modeling. He is chair of the hazardous materials subcom-mittee of the Sullivan County Integrated Emergency PreparednessCouncil and an officer in his local ASSE chapter. He holds a B.S.in Chemistry from Georgetown College.

30Perspectives www.asse.org

The nature of thechemical industry

has fostered an environment

where additionallevels of safety are

a way of life.

http://www.asse.org/education/safetyresults/index.php