Preventive Preparedness: The Highest-Value Emergency Planning

摘要

Not only law, but also common sense, requires facilities with hazardous materials to conduct emergency planning. All too often, however, the task is treated as a mere compliance activity, performed for the purpose of meeting a mandate or preparing for an imminent inspection. The resulting emergency plan (usually voluminous) is placed in a binder and sits on a shelf. If consulted periodically and used for training, it is probably at least a useful document. But emergency planning can have substantially greater value. The planning process can motivate changes that save money and enhance products. It can provide the impetus for long-needed improvements. It can prompt a reexamination of assumptions about how things need to be done. Ultimately, it can help transform working relationships, both inside the facility itself and with the neighboring community.