Page 10 - CCPS Monograph - Natural Hazards

The risk assessment should be subject to technical and management approvals and be reviewed at a
frequency similar to those completed for Process Hazard Analyses. A formal action plan for risk
mitigation based on the gap analysis should be tracked to completion.

6.3 NATURAL HAZARD EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

An FM Global report stated, “loss history has shown that facilities with well-organized flood emergency
response plans have nearly 70-percent less damage, and resume operations sooner than those locations
without a flood emergency response plan, or an inadequate one, in place.” (FM Global 2004) It is clear
that developing, training, and testing an emergency response plan for natural disasters is just as
important as doing the same for other potential site emergencies.

Taking into consideration the assessments performed related to natural hazards, sites should develop a
Natural Hazard Emergency Response Plan (NHERP) to define their steps in response to an event.

In addition to the information in this monograph, there are a number of resources available to assist in
the development of natural hazards emergency response plans including the following.

 CCPS Guidelines for Technical Planning for On-Site Emergencies (CCPS 1995)
 FEMA Emergency Response Plan (FEMA 2014)
 FM Global Creating a Flood Emergency Response Plan (FM Global 2004)
 United Kingdom Environment Agency Preparing for Flooding – A guide for sites regulated under
Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR) and Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)
Regulations (UK EA 2015)

The Natural Hazards Emergency Response Plan (NHERP) should document “who” is to do
“what,” “when,” and “how” for all of the natural hazards relevant to the site. The plan should
be developed well in advance of a potential natural disaster and should include actions to
be taken before, during and after the potential natural disaster

The following sections comprise an example Natural Hazards Emergency Response Plan. Details on each
section of this example NHERP are included in Appendix B.

1. Emergency Command Center(s)
2. Authority and responsibilities
3. Understand hazards
4. Warning systems
5. Activation prompts
6. Staffing assignments (including ride out crew)
7. Evacuation plans
8. Interdependency
9. Utility supplies
10. Communication systems and protocols
11. Protection of business-critical equipment and data
12. Inventory
13. Access and security
14. Safety

Assessment of and planning for natural hazards 7

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