apell - acidentes tecnológicos

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A P E L LAW ARENESS ANDPREPA REDN ESS FO REM ERG ENC IES A TLOCALLEVEL

A P R O C E S S F O R R E S P O N D IN G T O T E C H N O L O G IC A L A C C ID E N T S

UN ITED NA T ION S ENV IRONM ENT PROGRAMM E


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A P E L LAW AREN ESS A ND PR EPA R EDN ESS FO R

EM ERG EN C IES A TLOCA L LEV ELA P R O C E S S F O R R E S P O N D IN G T O T E C H N O L O G IC A L A C C ID E N T S

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Copyright 1988 UNEPAll Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or trans-mitted in any form or by any means: electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying,recording or otherwise, without permission in writing from copyright holders.First edition 1988The designation employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expres-sion of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the United Nations Environment Programme concerning thelegal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of itsfrontiers Or boundaries. Moreover, the views expressed do not necessarily represent the decision or thestated policy of the United Nations Environment Programme, nor does citing of trade names or commercialprocesses constitute endorsement.UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION SALES N. E.SS.III.D.3 - ISBN 92 S07 1183 0 - 00900P


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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

THIS Handbook was developed in response to aUnited Nations Environment Programme(UNEP) Industry and Environment Office(lEO) initiative with the support of Industry.The outline of the Handbook was prepared on thebasis of existing documents by a group including:- Ms. Jacqueline Aloisi de Larderel

Director, UNEP Industry and Environment Office- Dr. 0 A EI KholySenior Adviser,Kuwait Institutefor Scientific Research- Dr. Nay HtunDirector and Regional Representative,

UNEP Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific- Mr. E Hamilton Hurst

Senior Vice President,NALCO Chemical Company, USA,representing the Chemical ManufacturersAssociat ion oj the United States .

- Mr. Louis JourdanDirector, Technical Affairs Department,Conseil Europeen des FUerations deI'Industrie Chimique (CEFIC){The European Chemical Industry Federation}- Dr. C R Krishna MurtiCancer Insti tute (WIA), India.

THE first draft. was then prepared byDr. Harvey Yakowitz who suggested theAPELL title and acronym. This draft wassubsequently revised by the above group.

THIS group further acknowledges the mostvaluable comments and suggestions on the textwhich have been provided by the following ex-perts at the working group meeting held in April1988in Paris:- Dr. H Abdel Rahman

Egypt- Dr. Martin Abraham

International Organization oj Consumers Unions- Mr. R BatstoneWorld Bank

- Mr. Francois BerdatOffice FUeral de la Protection de L '.Enoironnement,Gooemment oj Switzerland

- Mr. Ulf BjurmanMinistry oj Defence, Government oj Sweden

- Mr. Khaled S BuhamrahKuwait National Petroleum Company

- Mr Peter EllwoodUnited Nations Industrial DeuelopmentOrganization (UNIDO)

- Dr. J JonesWorld Health Organization,Regional Office Jor Europe- Mr. C J Van KuijenMinistry oj Housing,Planning and th e Environment,Government of the Netherlands

- Mr. Patrick LagadecMetropolis

- Mr. Li ChangshengOffice o f Environmental ProtectionGovernmtnl oj the People's Republic oj China

- Mr. Jim MakrisEnvironmental Protection Agency,Government oj the USA

- Mr. Brian H MansfieldEnvironment Canada, Government oj Canada

- Dr. K NarayananChemical &Plastics India Ltd, India- Dr. G Ozolins

World Health Organization- Dr. C Pinnagoda

International Labour Office- Mr. Jochen Reuter

GTZ, Thailand- Mr. R Sidhall

Du Pont de Nemours, Belgium- Mr. Henri Smets

Organisation Jor Economic Co-operationand Deoelopmen: (OECD)

- Mr. J VallartMinistere de L'Enmronnement , GOllernmtnt of France- Mr. Pierre Woltner

Ministere de l'Enuironnement, Government o f France


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tf-""~' '~~ T A B L E O F C O N T E N T SUNEP

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PageAcknowledgements 3Table of Contents 4Executive Summary 6Preamble 9IntroductionThe BackgroundA Co-operative ProgrammeScopeFlexibilityIn Summary

101011111212

The APELL Process and PartnersWhat is APELL?What are the Objectives of APELL?Who are the APELL Partners?

At the National Level- At the Local Level- The Other APELL PartnersWhat are the Responsibilities and Roles of the APELL Partners?

National GovernmentsIndustrial Facilities Owners and ManagersLocal AuthoritiesCommunity LeadersUNEP

13141415151515151516171718

Starting the APELL ProcessHow will APELL work?How to Form the Co-ordinating Group?

192022

Building Community AwarenessThe Need for and the Right of Local Community to KnowAbout Hazardous InstallationsWhat and How to Communicate to Build Community AwarenessThe Do's and Don'ts of Information Communication

24252628

Achieving Preparedness for EmergenciesIssues to be Addressed in Emergency Preparedness PlanningA Ten-Step Approach to the APELL Process for Planningfor Emergency PreparednessEstablishing a Timetable to Implement the APELL ProcessImplementing the Emerging Response Plan

3031334142


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TABLE O F CO NTE NTS

Annexes1. Elements of a Safety Review for an Industrial Facility2. Typical Components of an Industrial Facility Emergency Response Plan3. Criteria for Assessing Local Preparedness4. Emergency Response Planning Elements5. Checklist for Evaluation of Emergency Response Plan6. Emergency Response Plan Evaluation Matrix7. Big City Crisis Management8. Example Outline for Emergency Plan Test Drill Scenario9. Examples of APELL Process Status Reports

10. Officers and Agencies with Emergency Responsibilities11. Some Useful References

Pa g e4344444549515 25457586060


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E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y

Ilate 1986, following various industrial accidents that occurred in both highlyindustrialized and industrializing countries, resulting in adverse impacts on theenvironment, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) suggested aseries of measures to help governments, particularly in developing countries, minimizethe occurrence and harmful effects of chemical accidents and emergencies. In particular,even if it is believed that all industrial accidents are preventable, one must be realisticenough to prepare response plans in the event that such accidents occur. Such prepa-ration should lead to a better understanding of local hazards, and thus to preventiveactions.In this context, the UNEP Industry and Environment Office has developed, in co-operation with industry, a Handbook on Awareness and Preparedness for Emergenciesat Local Level CAPELL), designed to assist decision-makers and technical personnel inimproving community awareness of hazardous installations, and in preparing responseplans should unexpected events at these installations endanger life, property or theenvironment. UNEP is aware that in all countries as well as internationally, provisionsare made for emergency planning for natural as well as for technological disasters andaccidents. This Handbook is not intended to replace or interfere with such provisions ofnational law or of national and international activity, but rather to increase generallythe knowledge of such provisions, responsibilities and activities.

Ia first introductory chapter, the background, the approach and the scope ofthe APELL Process are presented. The thrust in this Handbook is directed at thelocal level, since recent evidence shows that the extent of an accident's impactdepends heavily on the immediate response to an emergency at the plant site and atthe local level. APELL also recognizes the role of state or federal levels of governmentsin setting national goals, priorities or regulations and in providing the support andresources that local communities need.This Handbook is designed to address and respond to the emergency events associatedwith any industrial or commercial operation as the result of fire, explosion, spills orrelease of hazardous materials. However, it has not been the intention to address emer-gencies related to nuclear energy or military activities.This Handbook provides the basic concepts for the development of action plans basedon local community awareness of potential dangers, and the preparation of emergencyresponse plans at the local level, as well as an overall framework of the organizationalstructure. Although the objectives remain unchanged, the tools suggested are flexible,and the mechanics of the operation can be adapted to specific local conditions andrequirements.


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Ihe second chapter, the main objectives and the baste concepts of the APELLProcess are described: the overall goal is to prevent loss of life and property, andto ensure environmental safety in the community. Two basic approaches are used:(i) to increase knowledge in the community about the possible risks and hazards in thearea, and (2) to develop, on the basis of this information, co-ordinated emergencyresponse plans.At the local level there are three very important partners who must be involved ifAPELL is to succeed: Local authorities: these may include province, district, city or town officials, eitherelected or appointed, who are responsible for safety, public health and environmentalprotection in their area.

Industry: industrial plant managers from either state-owned or private companies areresponsible for safety and accident prevention in their operations. They preparespecific emergency preparedness measures within the plant and establish review of theindustrial plant's operation. But their responsibilities do not stop at the fence. Asleaders of industrial growth and development, they are in the best position to interactwith local authorities and leaders, to provide awareness on how the industrial facilityoperates, and on how it could affect its environment and to help prepare appropriatecommunity response plans in the event of an emergency. The involvement and activeparticipation of the work force is also important.

Local community and interest groups, such as environmental, health, lay care,media, and religious organizations, and leaders in the educational and businesssectors that represent the concerns and views of their constituents in the community.

At the national level, governments have an important role to provide the co-operativeclimate and support under which local participants can achieve better preparedness.Through leadership and endorsement, national authorities should foster participation ofeveryone at the local level. Industry associations should also get involved.There are other partners: the APELL Process is designed so as to harmonize with otherinitiatives and efforts in reducing risk and hazards as well as their consequences.

THE third chapter explains how to start the APELL Process. Local authorities,community leaders and industrial representatives need to build a bridge for co-operation among all partners at the local level. This can be done by formation ofa Co-ordinating Group to provide close and direct interaction between industry, thelocal community and the community leaders. All groups with an interest in theplanning process should be included. The Co-ordinating Group will be the focus for aunified and co-ordinated approach to emergency response planning and communicationwith the community. This Group has the responsibility to gather facts and opinions,assess risks, establish priorities, evaluate approaches and generally organize the person-nel in the community and the resources available to produce emergency response aspart of overall emergency preparedness. - - - -Any group can be the catalyst to initiate the APELL Process and to establish the Co-ordinating Group. Once this has been done a "leader" should be selected whoseprimary responsibility will be to conduct the Group's efforts through the various phasesof the work which will be described in the following chapters.

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T HE fourth chapter deals specifically with community awareness. It refers firstto the need for and the right of the local community to be informed about and toparticipate at all times in response planning for hazardous installations.There is really nothing mysterious about a community awareness programme. Afenced-in industrial plant can look threatening to the public. But much of the mysterydisappears when people know what the plant uses and manufactures, that it has a goodsafety plan and safety record, and that an effective emergency plan exists.No one can prescribe the activities necessary for a local awareness programme that willfit every industrial facility or complex at every location. However, this Handbookdescribes actions that plant managers, local authorities and community leaders mighttake, individually or within the Co-ordinating Group, to improve local awareness. Thefourth chapter also provides some basic techniques for information exchange and com-munication.

T HE last chapter outlines the APELL planning process that can be used toachieve a high level of preparedness for emergencies at the local community level.It describes key issues to be addressed in the process and suggests a lOvstepapproach to plan for emergencies. A checklist useful for completing each step is given,as well as some industry experience.

1 1 Annexes with additional guidance and information are appended.


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P R E A M B L E

Ilate 1986, following various chemical accidents, Dr. Mostafa K. Tolba, UNEPExecutive Director, suggested a series of measures to help governments, particularlyin developing countries, to reduce the occurrence and harmful effects of tech-nological accidents and emergencies. The first two of these measures were designed toaid governments entering into international conventions.The third measure was to institute a programme enabling governments, in co-operationwith industry, to work with local leaders to identify the potential hazards in their com-munities and to prepare measures to respond and control emergenCies which mightthreaten public health, safety and the environment.At UNEP's 14th Governing Council in June 1987, Dr. Tolba was requested tocontinue these efforts with governments, the United Nations system and world industryand trade, taking into account work already undertaken in this area by other inter-national organizations, and in close co-operation with them.To develop this programme, and as the outcome of an expert meeting held in Nairobiin June 1987, the UNEP Industry and Environment Office has prepared this Hand-book on Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL). ThisHandbook provides national governments, local authorities and plant managers guid-ance on building greater awareness of hazardous installations in a local community, andon preparing well-co-ordinated emergency plans. Since the containment of health andenvironmental impacts depends upon the speed and scope of the initial local response,the emphasis is thus directed at local level participation. The Handbook recognizes,however, the fundamental roles of national governments, ministries, and the chiefexecutive officers of industries to support and assist these efforts at the local level.

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10

1 .I N T R O D U C T I O N

T H E B A C K G R O U N D (W H Y A P E L L ? )Recent events raise the issue of safety and emergency preparedness for all peoples in allnations of the world. These events include those which are naturally occurring, such asthe earthquake that struck Mexico City in 1985, the mud slides in Ecuador in 1987, orthe release of toxic fumes from a lake in the Cameroon. They also include industry-related events that cause serious damage to the environment and unacceptable loss oflife and property such as, just to give a few examples: The dioxin-containing release in Seveso in 1976 The propane explosion in Mexico City in 1984 The release of methylisocyanate at Bhopal in 1984 The fire and discharge of contaminated waters in the Rhine 10 1986 from a ware-

house in Basel.It is now universally acknowledged that every disaster, whatever the cause, has anenvironmental impact.Science has not progressed to the stage where all the causes of naturally-occurringevents are understood, predicted or effectively prevented. In the meantime, there is aneed to prepare ourselves to respond to these emergencies, when and where they occur.Safety experts in industry, on the other hand, have the philosophy that all industrialaccidents are preventable. Yet, they are realistic enough also to prepare response plansshould such accidents occur.While most industrial accidents can be contained within the boundaries of the industrialplant, there are those cases where impacts extend beyond its boundaries to affect theplant neighbourhood and have adverse short- or long-term consequences affecting life,life-support systems, property, or the social fabric. The extent of loss caused by suchaccidents depends to a large extent on the actions of the first responders to anemergency, within the industrial facility and the local community around it.Clearly, adequate response to such situations calls for well-co-ordinated actions of indi-viduals and institutions from the local community. This can only be achieved if there isawareness in the community of the possible hazards and the need for mutual prepared-ness to cope with their consequences.The purpose of this UN Handbook is to increase awareness of all people in the com-munity to hazards that may exist and to help the local community be better preparedfor emergencies resulting from industrial accidents that threaten to extend beyond thefence-line of the industrial facility. While this Handbook does not deal with responseplans for natural disasters, where such plans already exist they can be a useful base foremergency response to industrial accidents affecting the local community. The intent isto provide linkages between these existing plans and the plans developed for industrialneighbourhoods.


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I N TRODUCT ION

A C O -O P E R A T I V E P R O G R A M M EThe APELL Handbook describes a process for local co-operative action to improvecommunity awareness and emergency preparedness. The heart of this process is aCo-ordinating Group of local authorities, community leaders, industry managers, andother interested persons. Although this Handbook is directed at the local level, state orfederal governments are fundamental in setting national goals, priorities or regulatorymeasures, and providing the support and resources that local communities need.High-level management support from industry itself is also essential. The involvementof these higher levels will provide the co-operative climate under which the local par-ticipants can achieve better local preparedness, namely the industrial plant, police,fire and health services, military and civil defence units, voluntary services etc.Several United Nations agencies, other international, regional and national organiza-tions are continuing their efforts to reduce the hazards and risks of industrial develop-ment and the consequences of natural or industry-related accidents and disasters. ThisHandbook takes into account the work already done in this area, but is aimed at alocal-level effort based on the personal involvement of individuals who can make theemergency plan dynamic and can implement it with a sense of ownership that keeps itaction-oriented and not just a document on a bookshelf.Some of the main obstacles to the success of APELL may be over-confidence ("a planhas already been prepared"), apathy ("it can't happen here"), or cost concerns ("wecannot afford it"). Frank dialogue between industry and local authorities and commun-ity leaders can overcome such attitudes, create the necessary climate for commitment topublic safety, and ensure that the community is well-protected by a proven emergencyresponse plan.

SCOPEAlthough it is tempting to focus on chemical industries operations, the risks associatedwith any industrial or commercial operation with potential for fire, explosion, spills orrelease of hazardous materials require that awareness and response be sufficiently broadand adaptable for whatever danger they may pose. How to determine which industrialand commercial operations should be concerned by the APELL Process is in principlethe result of a risk assessment. In most cases however simple judgement and commonsense may identify the facilities which may present a potential for a major accident.Also the criteria (lists of substances and threshold levels) set up in international ornational regulations or recommendations may provide guidance (see references Annex 11).This Handbook is not intended to address emergencies related to the nuclear industryor military activities. Nor can the APELL Process be a substitute for regulatory,technical or managerial actions necessary to prevent accidents, or protect the public andworkers' health, and the environment in general

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I N TRODUCT ION

FLEX IB I L I TYIn designing this initiative, UNEP realizes that the various countries differ in culture,value systems, community infrastructure, response capabilities and resources, and inlegal and regulatory requirements. Their industries present different potential dangersand risks. UNEP believes all these differing situations have one common need: theability to cope with an industrial accident affecting the local community.Due to the many local variations in these countries, the Handbook cannot possiblycover all the needs of the different situations encountered. It can, however, provide thebasic concepts for the development of action plans based on local community awarenessof potential dangers and the preparation of emergency response plans at the local level.Finally, this Handbook is neither a unique model for the co-ordination of the efforts ofall the participants in the APELL Process, nor is it a detailed manual of the actions andrequirements for initiating and implementing the APELL Process successfully. It ismore a policy document that sets out the objectives and overall organizational frame-work for APELL. The objectives remain unchanged yet the mechanics of the operationwill change from place to place, and must be adapted to specific local conditions andrequirements.

I N S U M M A R YThis APELL Handbook consists of this introductory chapter, four substantive chapters,and eleven annexes that provide more detailed information, practical examples, anduseful references. Chapter 2 explains the APELL Process and the respective roles of theparticipants needed for a successful programme. Chapter 3 explains how to form aCo-ordinating Group to get the APELL Process started. Chapter 4 describes commun-ity needs for information on hazardous installations and how to reach out to localcitizens to improve community awareness. Chapter 5 outlines the steps that a Co-ordinating Group should follow to develop an integrated emergency response plan forits community.


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2 .T H EA P E L L

P R O C E S SA N D

P A R T N E R S

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@)UNEP

14

TH E APELL PROCESS AND PARTNERS

S U M M A R YTHIS chapter describes the APELL Process, its basic concepts, main objectives,and its goal of preventing loss of life and property and ensuring environmentalsafety. The various APELL partners and their roles and responsibilities areidentified. As the local community is the first to be called upon to respond toany technological emergency, there are three important partners at the local level: localauthorities, industry, and local community interest groups. But at the national level,governments have to be involved to provide the co-operative climate under which thelocal participants can achieve better local preparedness. Other partners (internationalorganizations, industry associations etc.) have also an important role to play to promotethe use of the APELL Process to reduce risks and hazards as well as their conse-quences.

W H A T I S A P E L L ?

T HE "Awareness and Preparedness forEmergencies at Local Level" (APELL)is an initiative sponsored by the Industryand Environment Office (lEO) of the UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP), inco-operation with the United States ChemicalManufacturers Association (CMA) and theConseil Europeen des Federations del'lndustrie Chimique (CEFIC). The Com-munity Awareness and Emergency Response(CAER) Program developed by CMA, andexperience in its implementation, served asthe main background for APELL. APELLalso acknowledges specifically the existingresponsibilities and roles of the national andinternational planning communities.APELL involves two basic aspects: To create, and/or increase community

awareness of the possible hazards involvedin the manufacture, handling and use ofhazardous materials, and the steps taken byauthorities and industry to protect the com-munity from them.

To develop, on the basis of this infor-mation, and in co-operation with the localcomrnurunes, emergency response plansinvolving the entire community, should anemergency endangering its safety arise.

Thus APELL consists of two parts: Provision of information to the community,

which will be called "Community Aware-ness".

Formulation of a plan to protect the public,which will be called "EmergencyResponse' ,.

APELL is basically addressed to in-planthazards and the related movements ofhazardous materials in the local community.The implementation of the APELL Processmay involve people and communities across

local, regional or international boundaries.Territorial boundaries or jurisdictions shouldnot restrict the participation of all interestedparties in the APELL Process, but insteadhighlight the need for the APELL Process todevelop a co-ordinated emergency responseplan.

W H A T A R E T H EO B J E C T I V E SO F A P E L L ?

A PELL's overall goals are: prevent lossof life or damage to health and socialwell-being, avoid property damage, andensure environmental safety in the localcommunity. Its specific objectives are: Provide information to the concerned

members of the community on the hazardsinvolved in industrial operations in itsneighbourhood, and the measures taken toreduce these risks.

Review, update, or establish emergencyresponse plans in the local area.

Increase local industry involvement in com-munity awareness and emergency responseplanning.

Integrate industry emergency plans withlocal emergency response plans into oneoverall plan for the community to handleall types of emergencies.

Involve members of the local community inthe development, testing and implementa-tion of the overall emergency response plan.


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T H E A P E L L P R O C E S S A N D P A R T N E R S

W H O A R E T H EA P E L LP A R T N E R S ?

There are Both National and LocalPartners:

At the National Level:National authorities include ministries,departments, agencies, boards, and othersresponsible for national planning, industry,the environment, public services and safetyetc. (see Annex 10). In many countries theyhave already taken, or are considering takingaction in the field of emergency preparedness.Since the initial response to an incident isnormally provided locally, and as the natureof such response greatly affects the finaloutcome and magnitude of an incident, theAPELL Process addresses the local level.However the contribution of national governments to the APELL Process in the mannerlisted in the following section is essential forits success.At the Local Level:At the local level, there are three very impor-tant partners who must be involved if APELLis to succeed. While others may also beinvolved, these three partners are the peopleon the local community level who must par-ticipate closely. Obviously, their exact posi-tions or titles will vary from one locality to theother, yet they are basically representatives ofthe following:Local AuthoritiesThese may include state, prOVlllce, district,city or town officials, who are either elected,appointed or nominated to provide the publicwith the various forms of government orservices, e.g. governors, mayors, city council-lors, chiefs of police or the fire departments orbrigade, the managers of first aid, and socialhealth services, etc. (see Annex 10).IndustryThe principal participants critical to the suc-cess of APELL are the owners and/or plantmanagers of either state- or privately-ownedindustrial facilities where hazardous materialsare used or manufactured. In addition, the in-volvement and active participation of thework force is important in all circumstances.The transportation industry may also need tobe included.

Local Community and Interest GroupsThese may include any of the ex-officioleaders of the community, such as religiousleaders, leaders of community service groups(chambers of commerce and industry, etc.),environmental groups or associations, healthand lay care groups, leaders in the educa-tional and business communities, newspapereditors, members of NGOs', etc. The Other APELL Partners:The APELL Process is designed to co-ordinate with other initiatives and efforts inreducing risks and hazards and the harmfuleffects of accidents or disasters to the mini-mum possible. Consequently, severalnational, international, governmental andnon-governmental organizations have animportant role, both in disseminatinginformation about APELL, in promoting andsupporting its implementation, as well as inintegrating it with their activities and programmes. Most important among these are: International Governmental Organizations International and National Industry TradeAssociations International and National NGO's (consumers

associations, workers associations, etc.).

W H A T A R E T H ER E S P O N S I B I L I T I E SA N D R O L E S O FT H E A P E L L P A R T N E R S ? Responsibilities and Roles of National

GovernmentsNational governments have the overallresponsibility of organizing and maintainingan adequate level of preparedness for facingemergencies throughout the country and assuch, have a role and responsibilities in theimplementation of the APELL Process. Theseare to: Provide guidelines to encourage and sup-

port local authorities and industry (in par- Non-governmental organization (NGO) - A citi-zens' organization, independent of government. TheUnited Nations has a list of NGOs that it recognizesas established citizens' groups that work on humanrights, community development, and other issues, butthe term is used more broadly to refer to any non-profit citizens' group working on social and environ-mental issues independent of governments. 15


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r~""Al~UNEP

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TH E APELL PROCESS AND PARTNERS

ticular through industrial associations), toinitiate co-ordinated emergency responseplans at the local level in all industrial anddevelopment areas.

Disseminate information about the APELLProcess and make the Handbook and otherrelevant publications available on a widescale.

Promote and workshopsponsortraining seminars andAPELL Process. courses on

Provide adequate resources for the localcommunity to respond effectively as soon asan emergency occurs at the local level.

Follow up and assist in the implementationof the APELL Process (monitoring).

In general, th e role o f national governments is toestablish a climate conducive to the implementation ojthe APELL Process, confirm the political will andprovide the resourcesjor success.

Responsibilities and Roles ofIndustrial FacilitiesOwners and Managers

Industrial facilities in a specific locality maybe : owned by the public sector, e.g. nation-

alized production plants direct public service facilities run by

government agencies privately owned and operated facilities joint-venture facilities which combine

varying degrees of public and privatesector, national and foreign investment orcontrol in their management and opera-tions.

Industrial facilities are usually separated fromlocal common areas by a physical barrier,most often a fence of some sort. Within thefence, one person is usually designated as theleader of activities for the facility. This personis the plant manager. All other personnel ofthe facility are responsible to the plant man-ager. In turn, the plant manager is usuallyresponsible to higher authority, e. g. , theappropriate ministry if the plant is part of anationalized production scheme or, if theplant is privately held, the Chief ExecutiveOfficer.The plant manager is normally responsiblefor sajetyand accident prevention precautions and specificemergency preparedness measures within the fence.The more insistent the appropriate ministry-/department official or the Company ChiefExecutive Officer are with respect to theseefforts, and the more resources they arewilling to assign to the task, the stronger theplant safety and accident prevention are likely

andthe

to be. In practical terms, the APELL Processrelies on their full commitment to ensurethat plant managers devise, implement andperiodically test accident prevention andemergency preparedness plans inside thefence.From the point-of-view of a fully-functioningAPELL Process, all industrial facilities in agiven local area must be fully committed toappropriate up-to-date accident preventionand emergency preparedness procedures in-side the fence.Industrial leaders in many areas of the worldanticipate the opportunity to interact withlocal authorities, community leaders and citi-zens to provide awareness on how the in-dustrial facility operates and how it does andcan affect its local area. They also welcomethe opportunity to inform the local com-munity on industrial emergency plans.Consequently, the responsibilities oj the owners ojindustrial facilities in the APELL Process maybe summarized as: to provide the strongest possible support

and resources to the plant managers so thatthe best accident prevention and emergencypreparedness procedures are in place in theindustrial facility

to encourage their facility managers to com-mit themselves fully to the APELL Process

to monitor the involvement of their facilitiesin the process.

Apart from his responsibility for safety withinthe fence of the industrial facility, the facilitymanager is usually the most appropriate per-son for interaction with local authorities andcommunity leaders.Members oj the public (emergency responders, healthservicepersonnel, the general public) may also tum tothe local plant managerjor the information they need.The plant manager must be prepared 1 0 respond tothese inquiries. The information providedshould be tailored to the needs of specificgroups. For example, emergency respondersmay want to know not only what chemicalsare present, but also in what amounts, so thepotential danger in an emergency can beassessed. Health service personnel may needto know specific chemical identity if a tradesecret claim has been made for a chemical towhich a patient has been exposed.Therefore, the specific responsibilities oj the jacilitymanagers within the APELL Process are 10: Develop outreach programmes in response

to public demand for information that willcreate a well-informed community capableof effective participation in emergency


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response programmes without harbouringunfounded fears of hazards. Establish dose and good working relationswith the emergency response agencies in thelocal community.

Establish close links with the local com-munity officials and leaders and keep themproperly informed about plant safety mea-sures. Be the catalyst in the formation of the co-ordinating group. RelponlibiH~iel and Roles of

Local AuthoritiesD eve lo ping a wa re ne ss o f a nd pre pa ra tion for e me r-g en cie s a t loc al le ve l is a ba sic duly of loca l a uth ori-tie s. Fo r se ve ra l re aso ns, lo ca l g ove rn me nts h ave acritica l role to pla y in th e de ve lopm en t of e me rg enc ypreparedness. First, local governments bearmajor responsibilities for protecting publicand environmental health and safety; localpolice and fire departments, for example,often have the lead responsibility for the in-itial response to incidents involving hazardousmaterials. Second, one of the functions oflocal government is to mediate and resolve thesometimes competing ideas of different inte-rest groups. Third, local governments havethe resources to gather necessary planningdata. Finally, local governments generallyhave the legislative authority to raise funds forequipment and personnel required foremergency response. Local governmentsshould seek the support from the executiveand legislative branches which is essential tosuccessful planning: national governmentleaders must give adequate authority to thoseresponsible for emergency planning.Local authorities are responsible for safety,public health and environmental protection intheir area. In this context, their role in theAPELL Process is essentially to; Raise public awareness and mobilize publicsupport in the APELL Process. Establish a climate for a co-operative pro-gramme to develop. Co-ordinate emergency and other publicgroup participation. Train personnel in emergency response. Acquire and mobilize resources needed. Ultimately approve the emergency plandeveloped through the APELL Process,implement and communicate it to thepublic.Local authorities can encourage local parti-cipation in the APELL Process through meet-ings and contacts with industry officials andcommunity leaders. They can initiate theAPELL Process or they can help generate

interest among others for the development ofan overall emergency response plan.This may require participation in town meet-ings, working with community groups for theChamber of Commerce, etc. When the initia-tive for the APELL Process starts, this maybe an extra burden on the local authoritieswho may not have official offices or publicfunds available for this activity. In thesecases, the authorities should seek ways to par-ticipate and encourage the continuing of theinitiative to serve the public's need .In some cases, public service functions such aspolice, fire departments, ambulances, etc. mayoperate under separate or different authority.Local authorities can be particularly helpful innot only seeking their co-operative participa-tion, but solving any jurisdictional problemthat may develop.Local authorities would also have the role ofensuring that emergency service groups aretrained in the handling and management ofemergencies, and in implementing the plan asdesigned by the APELL Process. Specialtraining programmes may be needed.In plan development, requirements for variousequipment, facilities or emergency responsepersonnel may be indicated. In most cases, thelocal authorities will have these resourcesavailable and will need only to co-ordinatetheir mobilization. In other cases, where theresources are not now available" the localauthorities may need to seek ways' to obtainthe necessary resources.And finally, the local authorities will have theresponsibility for approving the emergencyresponse plan designed by the APELL Process.The authorities will have a major role in imple-menting the plan and in communicating to thepublic how the plan will work and what thepublic should do in case of an emergency.

Responsibilities and Roles ofCommunity Leaders

Community leaders represent the concerns orviews of their constituents in the community,and have the responsibility to: Communicate with local authorities and in-dustry leaders on issues of importance totheir constituency in the community. Communicate with their constituency onplans and programmes developed to protectpublic health and the environment. Provide leadership through religious estab-lishments, community-based organizations,schools and other programmes to train thepublic on the details of the plan.

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18


Help mobilize local support and partici-pation in the APELL Process.

The development of an effective emergencyresponse plan cannot take place without theparticipation of local community leaders.They serve in many ways to facilitate thedevelopment of the plan that fulfills the variedneeds of the community. The communityleaders' role in the APELL Process assuresthat the people have a voice in the processalong with industry and their local govern-ment authorities.The communication process for APELL to besuccessful must be two-way. The local com-munity leaders serve to bring to the attentionof industry and government the concerns ofthe community and as "feedback to the com-munity", information on what is being doneabout their concerns. And, being a "part ofthe process" helps provide credibility to theeffort and the results.In some countries, community leaders willaccept the added responsibility to train thepublic on the hazards that may exist and theemergency response steps necessary. Instruc-tional programmes through places of worshipor via school children back to their familiesmay be the only or most effective way tomake the public aware.Thus the community leader has a special rolein building support and enthusiasm for theprogramme. He or she can be the initiator ofthe APELL Process, one of the catalysts, orthe facilitator or the worker who makes ithappen, building confidence and enlistingparticipation.The responsibilities of the community leaderculminate in his or her own participation inthe APELL Process, bringing the knowledgeof the community to the process, contributingleadership capabilities, and representing hisconstituency to the Co-ordinating Group as itworks to develop a plan directed at servingcommunity needs.

The Role of UNEPUNEP has prepared a comprehensive pro-gramme for the dissemination and imple-mentation of the APELL Process and willsupport the programme throughout the imple-mentation period. Specific actions will in-clude: dissemination of information on APELL seeking commitment from industry to par-

ticipate establishing goals for countries' participa-

tion and follow up implementation

promoting regional workshops designed toaid local authorities and leaders in under-standing and implementing the APELLProcess

enlisting the participation of other UNagencies and international organizations

providing assistance to initiate the APELLProcess

providing continuous flow of informationand progress reports on APELL imple-mentation.


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3 .S T A R T I N G

TUli.111~A P E L L

P R O C E S S

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20

START ING TH E APELL PROCESS

S U M M A R YTHIS chapter explains how to start the APELL Process. Local authorities, com-munity leaders and industrial representatives should begin by building a co-operative bridge for a unified and co-ordinated approach to emergency responseplanning and communication within the community. Establishment of a Co-ordinating Group will provide this bridge. The tasks of this Group will be to gatherfacts and opinions, assess risks, evaluate approaches and generally organize the person-nel and the resources available in the community to produce an emergency responseplan. Any person can be the catalyst to initiate the APELL Process and to establish theCo-ordinating Group. Once this Co-ordinating Group has been organized, a "leader"should be selected, whose primary responsibility will be to conduct the Group's effortsthrough the various phases of the work described in chapters 4 and 5.

H O W W IL L A P E L LW O R K ? *

A LL industrial facilities have a responsibil-ity to establish and implement a "facilityemergency response plan" . A keyfoundation for such a plan is a safety reviewof facility operations. This safety review,which is central to a company safety plan, ex-amines in detail those items that affect safeoperation of the facility. A list of such items isgiven in Annex 1. One part of this in-depthreview by the facility management is the pre-paration of an emergency response plan.Typical components of such a plan are listedin Annex 2. It is worth noting that severalcomponents of the emergency response planinvolve notification and communication, withboth authorities and citizens of the local areasurrounding the industrial facility.In addition to the existence of facilityemergency plans, there may also be nationalgovernment emergency plans or programmesin place. The APELL Process is designed tobuild, using all emergency plans that may al-ready exist as a basis, a co-ordinated singleplan that will operate effectively at the locallevel where first response efforts are socritical. While national organizations andplans exist for emergency response, there isalways the need for an effective support struc-ture at the local level.In order for local authorities and local leadersto play their most effective roles with respectto awareness and preparedness for emer-gencies, there must be close and direct inter-action with representatives of those industrialfacilities to which the local area plays host.Indeed, local authorities and leaders and in-

C ha pte r 1 - gives mo re d e ta il s a bo u t i mp lem e nt au o n.

dustrial representatioes need to find themeans to build a bridge between local govern-ment responsibilities and industry responsibili-ties.The APELL Process recognizes this need fora bridge. Figure 1 contains a diagram show-ing schematically how industry representativesand local authoritieslleaders can interact toform a partnership which will provide theneeded bridge, or "Co-ordinating Group" toensure close and direct interaction between in-dustry and the local community. Figure 2 in-dicates how the bridge can operate in imple-mentation of the APELL Process.The Co-ordinating Group is clearly the mainspringoj the APELL Process. Members of the Co-ordinating Group must be able to commandthe respect of their various constituencies, e.g.industry, local group, etc., and be willing toact co-operatively in the interest of local well-being, safety and property. The Leader(s) ofthe Co-ordinating Group ideally should beable to ensure motivation and co-operation ofall segments of local society regardless ofcultural, educational, economic and other dis-similarities among these segments. This at-tribute of the Leader(s) of the Co-ordinatingGroup needs to be kept firmly in mind whenselecting individuals to act in the role ofLeader(s).In sum, the Co-ordinating Group's role arisessince industry is primarily responsible forprotective actions .. inside the fence" whilelocal government is responsible for the safetyof the general public. The role oj the Co-ordinat-ing Group is to provide the bridge between industryand local government with the co-operation oj com-munity leaders (see Figure 2) and develop a unifiedand co-ordinated approach to emergency responseplanning and communication with the community. Itshould be clear that the Co-ordinating Grouphas not itself a direct operational role duringan emergency, but is preparing the variousparties involved to be ready and know theirtasks should an accident occur.


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STA RT ING TH E APELL PRO CESS

A P E L L I N F O R M A T I O N A N D O R G A N I Z A T I O N F L O W C H A R TF I G U R E 1 .

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2 1


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STA RT IN G TH E APELL PR OC ESS

R E S P O N S I B IL IT Y B R ID G EF I G U R E 2 .

I N D U S T R Y C O -O R D I N A T I N G G R O U P L O C A L G O V E R N M E N TR E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S B R I D G I N G A C T I O N S R E S P O N S I B I L l T Y

LiI

Open lines of r . Provide a safe community.ssure safe work practices.2. Assure personal safety of communications 2. Assure the safety andemployees and visitors. Information sharing well-being of all residents

3. Establish safety programmes. Co-ordinate emergency plans and transients within4. Protect lives and property and procedures community.

on-site. Interacr with other 3. Establish public safety5. Co-ordinate all plant emergency programmes.

personnel during an response agencies 4. Protect lives, as well asemergency. .Joint education and training private and public property.

6. Develop plans and K = Common problem solving ~ S. Co-ordinate communityprocedures to respond to group emergency response forcesemergencies. Mutual aid assistance during an emergency.7. Provide security, safety 6. Develop plans andequipment. training, and procedures to respond toinformation on chemical emergencies.hazards. 7. Conduct training, drills,

and exercises withother response agencieswithin the community,area, or state.

8. Maintaincommunication channelswith national governments.

H O W T O F O R MT H E C O -O R D IN A T IN GG R O U P ?

T HE key organizational step to make theAPELL Process work is the formation ofa Co-ordinating Group representing thevarious constituencies that have or shouldhave a voice in the establishment of anemergency response plan. The Group shouldinclude members from local authorities, localcommunity leaders and industry. The Co-ordinating Group becomes the critical man-agement team to develop the APELL Processat the local level.It is important to bear in mind that allaffected parties have a legitimate interest inthe choices among planning alternatives. Strongefforts should therefore be made to ensure that allgroups with an interest in the planning process are

included. Annex 3 contains a list of people ororganizations who should participate if theCo-ordinating Group is to function effectively.The APELL Process may be initiated by anymember of the three involved groups: localauthorities, local community leaders, or in-dustry managers. As presented in chapter 2,pages 15-18, each has different responsibilitiesand roles in the Co-ordinating Group.In particular, plant managers of industrialfacilities in the local area need to be activeparticipants in the Co-ordinating Group. Inturn, local authorities and community leadersneed to know that these plant managers areacting with the blessing and authority of thehighest officers of their respective organ-izations, in order to ensure the success of theAPELL Process.Certain factors are of key importance in form-ing the Co-ordinating Group: The members must have the ability, com-

mitment, authority and resources to per-form their tasks.


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STA R T IN G TH E A PELL PRO CESS

The members must have, or be able to ob-tain quickly a wide range of expertise relat-ing to the local area, its industrial facilitiesand transportation systems, and themechanics of responding to emergencies.

The members must set and agree upon ob-jectives of a specific programme for aware-ness and preparation for emergencies in thelocal area which they represent.

The members must work co-operativelywith one another to achieve these goals andobjectives.

The members must agree to continue towork together after the plan has been for-mulated in order to ensure that there is noloss of local preparedness in response tochanges in the local area, e.g. installationof new hazardous facilities.

Once the members of the Co-ordinating Group havebeen identified and have agreed to serve, a Leaderneeds to be selected and procedures for develop-ing and managing the process of planning forawareness and preparation for emergencies atlocal level must be established. Five factorsare crucial in selecting a person to whomleadership of the Co-ordinating Group can beentrusted: The degree of respect held for the person

by other members of the Co-ordinatingGroup.

Availability of the person's time andresources.

The person's experience in managing groupwork relationships.

The person's management andcommunication skills.

The person's existing responsibilities, ifany, related to emergency planning, pre-vention, and response.

The leadership of the Co-ordinating Group has theprimary responsibility to oversee the Group'sefforts throughout the entire APELL Process.Given the role of industry as embodied byplant managers of industrial facilities in thearea and the local citizenry as embodied bylocal authorities/leaders, the Co-ordinatingGroup may find that a co-leadership of oneplant manager and one local authority mem-ber is a useful way to proceed. Both personaland institutional considerations should beweighed in selecting a team leader. For ex-ample, a particular organization may appearto have all the right resources for addressinghazardous materials incidents. But if the per-son in charge of that organization does notinteract well with other local officials, it mightbe best to look for a different leader.

The leadership of the Co-ordinating Group needs towork with Group members to establish clear objectivesand deadlines for various phases oj the work.Progress toward these objectives and deadlinesshould be monitored frequently (see page 41and Annex 9).The establishment of monitoring and ap-proval of planning assignments are the centralresponsibilities of the Co-ordinating Group.In order to have on-going co-operation inimplementing the plan, it is recommendedthat the Co-ordinating Group operate on aconsensus basis, reaching general agreementby all members of the team. Achieving con-sensus takes more time than majority voting,but ensures that all represented parties havean opportunity to express their views and thatthe decisions represent and balance competinginterests. If it is determined that a consensusmethod is inappropriate or impossible (e.g .,because of the multi-jurisdictional nature of aGroup), the Co-ordinating Group shouldformally decide how issues will be resolved.The Group approach requires also the merg-ing of inputs from different individuals, eachwith a different style and priorities. The Co-ordinating Group leadership must ensure thatthe final plan is consistent in substance andtone.Because planning efforts work best whenpeople understand the ground rules, andknow when and how they will be able to par-ticipate, the procedures to be used for mon-itoring and approving assignments should becarefully thought out at the beginning of theAPELL Process. These monitoring and ap-proval procedures can be adjusted at any timeto accommodate variations in local interestsand concerns.

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4 .B U I L D I N G

C O M M U N I T YA W A R E N E S S


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B U IL D IN G C O M M U N I T Y A W A R E N E S S

S U M M A R YTHIS chapter describes the needs and rights of the local commumty to be m-formed about hazardous installations. It then lists actions that plant managers,local authorities and community leaders can take, individually or within the Co-ordinating Group, to improve local awareness of the concerned industrial activi-ties, and provides some techniques for information exchange and communication.

T H E N E E D F O R A N DT H E R I G H T O FT H E L O C A L C O M M U N IT YT O K N O W A B O U TH A Z A R D O U SI N S T A L L A T I O N S

C ITIZENS In local commum ties haveexpressed concern that potentiallyhazardous materials which could affecttheir health and environmental safety may beproduced or used in their community. Thesecitizens want to know if these materials arepresent; their concern is often termed the"Right-to-Know" .In addition they need to be informed aboutpotential hazards of hazardous installations inorder to understand why an emergency planhas been established, how it works and whatactions they are expected to take in case of anemergency.Such principles are embodied in manyregulations or recommendations such as theGuidelines for World Industry set forth by theInternational Chamber of Commerce, which inparticular, state that: Industry has its particular environmental

responsibilities in terms of such factors asplant location and design, process selectionand product design, environmentalpollution, harmful radiation, vibration andnoise controls, waste disposal, occupationalhealth and safety aspects and long-rangeplanning.

The wide range and complexity of problemsraised by environmental protectionmeasures calls for close and meaningfulcontact and consultation between industryand government - locally, nationally andinternationally - in the search for the mostappropriate solutions. This consultationshould include r-eview of the legislative andregulatory frameworks, and their content,for achieving this goal.

Industry has a responsibility to provide

public authorities with available relevantinformation about emissions, effluents,wastes and other environmental nuisances,including potential adver-se health andenvironmental impacts.

When siting and designing its installations,industry should be prepared to provideinformation on steps it is taking to protectthe local environment and meet safetyrequirements. In any public debate onissues such as siting, industry should begiven an adequate opportunity to state itscase. The aim must be to reach solutionsmutually acceptable to industry, therelevant authorities and the community.

Industry and public authorities shouldjointly work out contingency plans to dealwith pollution emergencies and accidents.In this regard, industry should inform therelevant authorities about the known andsignificant hazards of its operations, so as toenable them to act quickly and properly.

Industry should provide input to balancedand informed public discussion ofenvironmental problems and should supportefforts to place in proper perspective thecomparative significance of industrial andnon-industrial sources of pollution.

When developing and implementingenvironmental protection programmes,industry should take into account theopinions of the general public, scientificbodies, and other concerned organizationsand, where appropriate, take the lead inraising the level of awareness andunderstanding of these programmes.

Industry supports the International Chamberof Commerce guidelines. Industry leaders agreethat for facilities which produce, utilize, store andtransport potentially hazardous materials, plantmanagers have a responsibility to provide informationon these materials which responds to the needs andrequests of emergency responders, health personnel andth e general public. Industry may have specialcommer-cial information such as processinformation or formula compositions, whichmay be a trade secret and which must ber-espected and protected. But this protectionshould not prevent the disclosure ofinfor-mation relevant to public health andsafety.

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B U IL D IN G C O M M U N IT Y A W A R E N E S S

For many potentially hazardous substances, thereexist various sources oj injormation, such ascompanies' Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS), Environmental and Health CriteriaDocuments or Safety Guides of theInternational Programme on Chemical Safety(IPCS) or Data Profiles of the UNEPInternational Register of Potentially ToxicChemicals (IRPTC). These describe thesubstance, its hazards and how to deal withthese hazards in case of need. They arepractical and consistent means for Co-ordinating Groups throughout the world toobtain data concerning specific potentiallyhazardous materials in their local areas. Forsubstances not covered by such sources,industry can usually supply equivalentinformation if necessary.Annex 11 lists some such sources of furtherinformation.

W H A T A N D H O W T O.C O M M U N IC A T E T O B U IL DC O M M U N IT Y A W A R E N E S S

DEALING with the local community isthe very real form of environmentalstewardship. The community in which afacility is operated is as much a part of theenvironment as the air and the water aroundthe plant. Community relations is animportant management function that cancontribute greatly to both short- and long-term success of the operation. Establishmentof good relationships with key members of thecommunity is vital in preparing for possibleemergencies, but its value goes far beyondthat. Good community relations can also beinvaluable in maintaining the public's supportfor the plant and industry at large, buildingconfidence in their community leaders andauthorities.A fenced-in industrial plant can lookmysterious and threatening to a community,but if it becomes familiar with the people whorun the plant, gets to know them as normal,caring human beings, much of thecommunity's fears are relieved. It is easier toaccept someone in an open relationshipworking side by side on a regular basisresolving local issues. Much of the mysterydisappears when people know what the plantuses and manufactures, and that it has a goodsafety plan and safety record.

No one can prescribe the acnviues necessaryfor a local awareness programme that will fitevery plant at every location. What ispractical and effective will depend upon thelocal situation. The following list of ideas andsuggestions may apply to any situation. Someof the ideas have been used by industrymanagers, local authorities, or communityleaders for a long time, others are new. It isimportant, however, that every industrialfacility, local authority or community leadergive consideration to the community andmaintain the relationships that provide two-way communicationIndustry managers, local authorities or communityleaders who participate whole-heartedly inestablishing and implementing the APELL Processshould consider the following points in huildingcommunity awareness:

Define the local community concerned Geographic or administrative boundaries Governing bodies affecting the operations Influential organizations such as

civic, religious, educational, etc. Major media (newspapers,

radio/television stations, local speakers,town meetings, etc.)

Concerns of local residents Inventory existing localcommuniry contacts Clubs and associations

(Chamber of Commerce, local clubs, etc.) Elected officials Prominent civic leaders Local fire officials School administration Industry contacts Contact other industrial facilitiesto co-ordinate community affairsactivities Establish preliminary contact with other

plant managers Consult state, regional or local associations Form a local coalition for external outreach Assign responsibilities among participants Have each industry representative

handle a portion of the outreachefforts in the APELL Process

Form a network with other plant managers.

Plan an initial meeting of theAPELL Process Co-ordinating Group Consider including a representative from

the local news media managementin the Co-ordinating Group


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B U I L D IN G C O M M U N I T Y A W A R E N E S S

Assign responsibilities among industryrepresentatives for contacting localauthorities/leaders as potential participants

Plan for a meeting; prepare and distributea draft agenda

Assign an industry co-chair responsibilityfor the initial meeting.

Develop fact sheets or kits on eachindustrial operatum Size of facility (employees/square meters,etc.)

Products (keyed to consumer end-usesand exports)

General description of operations (includingrisks and steps taken to minimize them)

Safety record Environmental protection programmes

and clean-up efforts Hazard information (converted into

layman's terms) In-site emergency plan Information on worker safety training

programmes Specific contributions to thelocal community,. Funds spent locally on supplies, materials

and services Funds granted to public services

(e.g. housing, health services, schools, etc.) Photos/film dips of plant geared to local

population's understanding Organize the fact sheet and other resources

into a media/visitor file. Develop fact sheets on communirypreparedness Population within defined community

boundary Special population groups(schools, nursing homes, etc.) Community emergency response capabilities Community emergency response plans Emergency response equipment available Health facilities. Assign responsibility fO Tcommunications tasks Consider outside assistance,. Select someone generally available to and

known by the public, includingduring emergencies, as spokesperson

Consider and develop communications skills Involve locally prominent/active employees. Look J O T communications opportunities Identify and seek appropriate audiences

within the local area Participate in all Co-ordinating Group

communications efforts.

Select methods qf communicationsappropriate for local circumstances,such as: Fact sheets or brochurese Slide/speech presentations Small group meetings

(elected officials, local regulators, etc.) Direct mail (correspondence with

local authorities and leaders) Business association's publicity efforts

on industry activities in the area,region and beyond

Community newsletters and oralcommunications

Employee/retiree publications and speeches News releases Plant tours Community open houses Advertising Educational activities (visiting schools,

providing seasonal employmentfor teachers, etc.) Get outside helpVarious organizations can provide servicesthat will ease the burden on personnel orauthorities. Organizations that can help:

the company's public affairs orcommunity affairs department the local or national industry association other similar local industrial plants other local industries and businesses(Chamber of Commerce, etc.) public relations consulting firms community and religious leaders

Services these organizations canprovide: deveioping a fact sheet aboutthe facility operations developing a community relations plan providing communications support(speechwriting, news releases, etc.) converting technical hazard informationinto general communicationsfor external audiences developing a communications/mediakit on the facility's integratedemergency respon.s~ plan"management trammg forauthoritieslleaders in meeting thepublic and the media preparations for staging open housesand tours.

ii Industry manager$ have also specialcommunications responsibilitiestoward their employees. Explain to each employee about the

APELL Process and the plant'S role in it 27


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B U IL D IN G C O M M U N I T Y A W A R E N E S S

Emphasize the importance managementplaces on attaining and maintaining localawareness and emergency preparedness

Re-enforce the importance of the APELLProcess with articles in the plant newsletter,on bulletin boards, with in-house awards,etc.

Similarly, local authorities should alsoexplain the APELL Process to theirpersonnel, and the roles f! ! local emergencyservices, etc.

T H E D O 'S A N D D O N 'T SO F I N F O R M A T I O NC O M M U N I C A T I O N

A LL parties in the APELL Process have a dutyto keep the public informed on progress. Allparties should ensure the public does not receiveconflicting or confusing messages; confusing orcontradictory information can undermine the entire co-operative effort. Therefore, all communicationon the APELL Process must be carried out ina spirit of co-operation and trust betweenindustry, local authorities/leaders and thelocal media. In certain areas of the world, themedia is radio, television, newspapers andspecialist reporting. In other areas, the mediamay take the form of verbal reports to peoplein a neighbourhood, loudspeaker trucks, oreven messages from teachers to school pupilswho in turn can make their parents aware ofthe contents of the message.It is important to prepare APELL Processinformation for dissemination at a ll levels ofthe educational system from grade schools touniversity. Teachers should be viewed as akey resource in the APELL Process.It may also be important to prepare APELLProcess information for dissemination throughreligious leaders and through their places ofworship. ,Developing good working relationships with ~ediahas a positive impact on implementing the APELLProcess. It is not a magical process but rather onethat requires time and effort by facility managers,local authorities, community leaden and of the Co-ordinating Group as a whole. Selection of aspokesperson is very important for allparticipants in the APELL Process. Such aspokesperson must understand eachcomponent in the APELL Process and theneeds of various media, and must bearticulate and able to put complex material

into more understandable terms. Above all,the spokesperson must have the confidence ofeach participant of the Co-ordinating Group,so that he or she can speak for the Co-ordinating Group without the need to confirmevery word.Good media relationships pay the samedividends that well-nurtured communityrelations can bring. If Co-ordinating Groupmembers have established themselves as openand responsive, and have tried to bring "goodnews" to the media, they will stand a muchbetter chance of receiving good treatment ifand when things go wrong. Ifmembers of themedia know who members of the Co-ordinating Group are, and how to reach themor their spokesperson, and have receivedcredible, useful information in the past, eachparty involved in an incident will likely get itsside of an emergency story to the public bymeans of the media.Media relations efforts, like local area co-operationprogrammes, cannot be started after trouble hasarisen. When there is a spill, or someone getshurt, it is much too late to begin developingclose relationships with local media people.They have a job to do and will not wait whileyou explain that "excellent programmes arein place".Within the framework o f the APELL Process,considerations for media relations should include: Preparation Decide who will serve locally as

spokesperson for each participant of the Co-ordinating Group. This person should servein the same role in all contacts with thepress so as to be a familiar voice in anemergency situation. Determine what media really count in yourcommunity. Take an inventory.

Find out (if possible) which reporters aremost likely to be interested in stories thatmight involve your activities, e.g. industrialfacility, APELL Process in general, etc.

Assemble the basic facts about youractivities in a language that "outsiders"can understand. Include photos and, whereuseful, video cuts or films.

Gettin,l{ acquainted If practical, get to know the local and

regional editors or reporters who may beassigned to cover your activities. Read the local papers and watch other localmedia coverage to understand what theytend to emphasize. Do they like "people"stories or events?


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B U IL D IN G C O M M U N IT Y A W A R E N E S S

It is especially important to involve localleaders in the "getting acquainted"process. School officials, teachers, religious,and neighbourhood leaders, etc. should bebrought into the APELL Process. Industrymanagers should make special efforts toreach out to these leaders.

.Cultivating and maintaining good relations See that the local media is getting materialrelevant to area industrial operations(developments, personnel changes, etc.)

Develop personal relationships with keymedia people, (editors, publishers, etc.)through civic and other activities

Seek opportunities to bring media people toareas for "good news". Tours are goodwhere appropriate. Use press conferencesfor important announcements.

.Development of a plan before trouble comes Plan to use the same media spokespersonwho has built relationships with the press.Don't change when an emergency arises!

Equip your spokesperson with basicinformation concerning area industrialoperations which involve hazardousmaterials in a form that can be handed out.This should include available MaterialSafety Data Sheets (MSDS) whenappropriate

Plan for your spokesperson to receivecurrent and accurate information about theemergency as it progresses

Select a location to serve as a press centrein case of major emergency. Considersafety, access to telephones, and otherservices. The location selected should beaway from local emergency operationsheadquarters Industry managersadvance, a generalcamera) access toemergency situation.

should decide, inpolicy on press (andtheir facility in an

.Follow up the plan when trouble comes The spokesperson should be included in the

first call out of emergency personnel andshould be fully briefed on the situation.

Log all inquiries as they come in and makenotes on the questions and your answers.

Be sure to get the name and the affiliationof media callers so that follow-up calls canbe made.

Understand and be prepared for the factthat local media may get word of a problemas soon as you do. They may be calling forinformation within minutes of the start ofthe emergency

Be as open and forthcoming as possiblewith the press and try to co-operate withtheir deadline constraints.

.Some useful generalities Determine the time for public announ-cement of the APELL Process

Encourage community planning group toinitiate contacts with media

Be responsive to unsolicited media interest Invite media coverage of drills Involve media representative on the

planning committee Check into using public announcements(radio and television)

Place articles in existing communitynewsletters

Discuss the possibility of advertising theintegrated plan

Involve appropriate public participants inthe planning processes (e.g. fence-lineneighbours).

.Furthermore, take into considerationthe following:

Do not expect reporters to be trained in theintricacies of industrial processes. Keep allexplanations factual, and in simplified, non-technical terms. Analogies are useful

Never speculate even when asked by areporter what might have occurred in anincident. Don't try to answer any kind ofhypothetical question

Don't be afraid to tell a reporter "we don'tknow" in answer to his questions - theremay not be an answer. If an answer can beprovided later, be sure to get back to thereporter

Situations involving dead or injuredpersonnel are especially sensitive. It is veryimportant that names not be released beforerelatives are definitely notified. Mediapeople are accustomed to this policy andwill almost always respect it

In the case of injuries don't try to commenton the degrees of seriousness. Leave that tothe medical people

Reporters do not really expect you to tellthem everything that is known, but theysometimes will push, hoping for furtherdetails. Be open and co-operative, but it isnot necessary to go beyond factual outlinesof the situation

Above all, treat reporters with courtesy andrespect. There will be times when it isdifficult but there is nothing to be gainedby appearing "hard". They are simplydoing their job, just as you are doing yours. 29


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P R E P A R E D N E S SF O R

E M E R G E N C I E S


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S U M M A R YA s outlined in earlier chapters of this Handbook, the APELL Process is designedto improve the emergency response preparedness of local communities. It isbased on the concept that a well-informed local community can develop an effec-tive response plan co-ordinating local industry, authorities, and other interestedgroups on a local, regional or national level.As outlined in chapter 3 of this Handbook, APELL relies on the formation of a Co-ordinating Group to start the process. This chapter provides the Co-ordinating Group'sstep-wise approach to fulfilling the APELL Process, which is intended to be flexible toallow accommodation of different situations encountered in various countries. As such,this chapter outlines the steps or objectives to be achieved rather than specific pro-cedures to be followed. The annexes offer various material on procedures that can beused and/or references which may be helpful.

I S S U E S T O B E A D D R E S S E DI N E M E R G E N C YP R E P A R E D N E S SP L A N N I N G

A s outlined in chapter 3, the startingpoint for the APELL Process is theformation of a Co-ordinating Group andthe development of its organized structure.The Co-ordinating Group should includerepresentatives of the various parties that canaddress all significant issues in emergencypreparedness for the particular community.These issues may vary widely fromcommunity to community depending on thenature of the hazard, the local responseresources available, governmentalrequirements, training needs, etc.Among the first steps in the planning processare the gathering of information andassessment of the current situation. Thereforeone of the first tasks facing the Co-ordinatingGroup is the collection of basic data. This canbe done through personal contacts by Co-ordinating Group members or by surveys sentto local industry and government offices, to: Identify local agencies making upthe communiry's potential local awarenessand responsepreparedness network Fire department Police/militia Emergency health service associated

with local hospitals or fireand police departments

Emergency management or civil defenceagency

Public health agency

Environmental agency Public works and/or transportation

departments Red Cross/Crescent Other local community resources such as

public housing, schools, public utilities,communications, religious organizations,non-governmental organizations (NCOs).

Identify the hazards that may producean emergenrysituationWhile one tends to think of chemicalmanufacturing facilities, other operationsshould also be reviewed for potential majorhazards. These may include: Major industrial facilities (refineries, steel

mills, paper mills, etc.) , Small processing facilities which may store

or use hazardous materials Hospitals Transportation and warehousing facilities.Thus planning for emergency preparedness atthe community level should consider allhazards that may be of significantconsequence to the community. For example,chlorine stored and used at the local drinkingwater processing plant would produce anemergency if chlorine leakage occurred.Other hazards, such as earthquakes,typhoons, etc., may also be relevant to thecommunity. Emergency planning to respondto naturally occurring events should be co-ordinated with the planning for emergenciesfrom man-made operations.

Establish the current status of communityplanning and co-ordinationforhazardous materials eme'=fenrypreparedness and assuring t!wt potentialoverlaps in planning are avoided Is there a community planning and co-

ordination body (e. g., task force, advisoryboard, interagency committee)? If so, what 31


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is the defined structure and authority of thebody?

Has the community performed anyassessments of existing prevention andresponse capabilities within its ownemergency response network?

Does the community maintain an up-to-date technical reference library of responseprocedures for hazardous materials? (seeAnnex 11) Have there been any training seminars,simulations, or mock incidents performedby the community in conjunction with localindustry or other organizations? If so, howfrequently are they conducted? When wasthis last done? Do they typically havesimulated casualties?

Identify the specific community pointsof contact and theirresponsibilities in an emt!rgency List the agencies involved, the area of

responsibility (e.g. emergency response,evacuation, emergency shelter,medical/health care, food distribution,control access to accident site, public/medialiaison, liaison with regional responders,locating and manning the command centreand/or emergency operating centre), thename of the contact, position, 24-hourtelephone number, and the chain ofcommand (Annex 7 contains suggestions forestablishing an emergency operatingcentre).

Is there any specific chemical ortoxicological expertise available in thecommunity, either in industry, colleges anduniversities, poison control centres, or on aconsultant basis?

List the kinds qf equipment andmaterials which are available at thelocal level to respond to emergenciesHow can the equipment, material andpersonnel be made available to trained usersat the scene of an incident? Identify organizational structure forhandling emergenciesThere may already be in place emergencyresponse plans prepared by local industry fortheir plant, or the regional government mayhave a regional response plan prepared. TheCo-ordinating Group should determine whatplans already exist, if any, and assure thatthese plans are co-ordinated to facilitateeffectiveness and avoid gaps in the organizedresponse to any emergency.The chain-of-command is particularlyimportant once an emergency develops. There

can only be one person in charge. Anydisputes or disagreements on this should beresolved in the planning process before anemergency occurs. Check if the community has specializedemergency response teams to respondto hazardous materials releases Have the local emergency services (fire,

police, health) had any hazardous materialstraining, and if so, do they have and useany specialized equipment?

Are local hospitals able to decontaminateand treat numerous exposure victimsquickly and effectively?

Are there specialized industry responseteams, governmental response teams, orother response teams available within orclose to the community? What is theaverage time for them to arrive on thescene?

Has the community sought any resourcesfrom industry to help respond toemergencies? In many local areas, coreelements (fire brigade, organized medicalresponse team, indeed any organized groupable to respond to emergencies) do notexist; in such cases, industry may needto supply the resources to ensure thatemergency response is effective.

Define the community emergencytransportation network Does the community have specific

evacuation routes designated? What arethese evacuation routes? Is the generalpublic aware of these routes?

Are there specific access routes designatedfor emergency response and servicespersonnel to reach facilities or incidentsites? (In a real incident, wind directionmight make certain routes unsafe).

Establish the community procedures forprotecting citizens during emergencies(e.g., asking them to remain indoors, closewindows, respond to sirens in a specificfashion, etc.).

Set up a mechanism that enablesresponders to exchange information orideas during an emergency with other entities,either internal or external to the existingorganization structure

Once these questions have been examined,local authorities should have some qualitativeview as to the local area's basic ability to dealwith a hazardous installations emergency. Butno further resources should be expended untila hazard analysis is performed for the local


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area, "Hazard" in this context means anysituation which has the potential for causinginjury to life and health, or damage toproperty and/or the environment.The above issues COVeT only some of the majorconsiderations or issues that should be resolvedwithin or by the Co-ordinating Group inusing the APELL Process. Further details arecovered in the Annexes to this Handbook TheseAnnexes may be helpful to the Co-ordinatingGroup in selecting the issues that are criticalto their particular situation as they apply tothe APELL Process. Please refer to: Annex 1: Elements of a safety review

for an industrial facility. Annex 2: Typical components of an

industrial facility emergency response plan. Annex 3: Criteria for assessing

local preparedness, Annex 4: Emergency response

planning elements. Annex 5: Checklist for evaluation

of emergency response plan. Annex 6: Emergency response plan

evaluation matrix. Annex 7: Big city crisis management. Annex 8: Example outline for

emergency plan test drill scenario.

A T E N - S T E P A P P R O A C H T OT H E A P E L L P R O C E S SF O R P L A N N I N G F O RE M E R G E N C YP R E P A R E D N E S S

B ASED on experience a ten-step approachto implement the APELL Process can beset forth which leads to a useful andeffective integrated community emergencyresponse plan. Significant effort will berequired to complete each step. Listed beloware the ten steps which are also presented in aflow chart (see Figure 3). Identify the emergency response partici-

pants and establish their roles, resourcesand concerns.

Evaluate the risks and hazards that mayresult in emergency situations III thecommunity.

Have participants review their ownemergency plan for adequacy relative to aco-ordinated response,

Identify the required response tasks notcovered by existing plans.

Match these tasks to the resources availablefrom the identified participants.

Make the changes necessary to improveexisting plans, integrate them into anoverall community plan and gainagreement.

Commit the integrated community plan towriting and obtain approvals from localgovernments, ,

Educate participating groups about theintegrated plan and ensure that allemergency responders are trained.

Establish procedures for periodic testing,review and updating of the plan."

Educate the general community about theintegrated plan.

Each of the ten steps is elaborated on thefollowing pages of this chapter. Each of theten steps is described in a 3-section format.Section 1 describes the step. Section 2provides a checklist useful for completing thestep. Section 3 presents the results of someexperience in completing this step. Whereappropriate, reference is made to other toolsavailable in this Handbook to assist IIIcompleting this step.

See Annex 6 for a sample of th